01Where Varaha went in
Hiranyaksha carried Bhudevi down to Patala, and Vishnu took the Varaha avatar to bring her back. The sthala purana says he split the earth at this place and rose again at Srimushnam. Thirumangai Alvar calls the village ‘Pugundhan Oor’, the place where he went in. A gap near the image in the sanctum is shown as that spot. All the devas gathered here to worship him, a koodal, an assembly, and so the place is Thirukkoodalur. Another katha makes King Ambarisha the builder of the temple, after Vishnu’s discus pursued Durvasa for his sake; the Perumal is also called Ambarisha Varadar. Kaveri too is said to have worshipped here.
02Ten pasurams and a queen’s chariot
Thirumangai Alvar gives Koodalur a decad of ten pasurams. The Perumal stands facing east under the Suddha Satva Vimanam; Pushpavalli Thayar’s shrine faces south. There are shrines of Ramanuja, the Alvars, Andal and Garuda inside a brick wall, with a three-tiered rajagopuram at the entrance. The temple car, the Ambarisha Ratham, was renewed by Rani Mangammal of the Madurai Nayakas, and a statue of the queen stands in the temple. The car ran until the 1940s and has stood still since.
The life of this place
- Alvar periodThirumangai Alvar sings a decad on Koodalur.
- Rani Mangammal (r. 1689–1704)The Ambarisha Ratham is renewed by the Madurai Nayaka queen.
At Vadakurangaduthurai on the Kumbakonam–Thiruvaiyaru road, about 6 km from Ayyampet. Do not confuse it with Aduthurai near Suryanar Kovil.
