Sree Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple – Karaikal

 

Sree Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple is located in Karaikal of Puducherry.

Punithavathi also known as Karaikal Ammaiyar is also the main deity of this temple. The main goddess is Punithavathi, also known as Karaikal Ammaiyar, the only woman out of the sixty-three Nayanmars.

Karaikal the main deity of this temple, is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Here the deity is in the form of Lingam.

This temple is known for the huge idol of the lady saint and there is also a sanctum for Vinayaka inside this temple.

Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple is East facing has three-tiered Raja Gopuram. The temple has two entrances and the walls of her shrine have paintings depicting her life. In the Maha mandapam, the south facing shrine for the Goddess Soma Nayaki is found. The flag staff, bali peetha and Nandi mandapam are situated facing towards the shrine of Lord Shiva. The wall around the shrine of Shiva has the niche images of Ganesha, Dakshina Murti, Lingodhbava, Brahma and Durga. Lord Vinayaka is called as Sambandha Vinayaka and the temple has a tank in temple premises.

According to history, a lady named Punithavathi lived in Karaikal in 5th century A.D. She married a merchant named Paramadatta and performed spiritual Pujas to Lord Siva. One day Lord Shiva sent two mangoes to Paramadatta through a devotee and he sent it home. Lord Siva disguised himself as a Saint and appeared before her for taking food in the house of Punithavathi. She offered food along with mangoes kept for her husband to the Saint. When the food was supplied to her husband he demanded the mangoes that he had given to her. She prayed Lord Shiva and the mangoes reappeared. When her husband inquired about this, she explained the incident to her husband who in turn praised her devotional attitude. Punithavathiar prayed to Shiva to grant her old age and shed her youthfulness. The lord accepted her prayers and the lady established her abode in the wild jungle of Alangadu, also known as Forest of Banyan Trees.

On the full moon day in the Tamil month of Aani, the mango festival, or Mangani Tirunal, is celebrated. According to popular belief, Bhikshatanar received food from Karaikal Ammaiyar while the latter was traveling the world begging for alms. On the festival day, in a large hall next to the temple, those goods are distributed because she gave him rice and mangoes along with curd.

Timings

6.00 am to 9.00 pm

How to reach the Temple

5 km from Tirunallar

280 km from Chennai

Nearby Temples

Tirunallar, Saniswaran Temple – 6 km

Karaikal, Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple – 100 mts

Karaikal, Kaliasanathar Temple – 100 mts.