Airavatheswarar temple, Tirukottaaru
Location: Tiru-Kottaaru
Deity known as: Airavatheswarar
Female Deity: Sugandha Kundhalambikai
Pathikam: Sambandar - 2
Gallery - Airavatheswarar Temple
How to Reach
This Shiva temple is located at Tiru-Kottaru, about 14 km from Karaikal. It is around 5 km from Tirunallaru Temple and approximately 12 km east of Peralam, a small town situated on the Mayiladuthurai–Tiruvarur road. Karaikal is well connected by both road and rail. From Karaikal town, local buses and auto-rickshaws are available to reach Tiru-Kottaru.
Temple Address
Tirukkottaru
Karaikal District
Puducherry Union Territory
Temple Hours
Morning: 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Evening: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Nearby Temples
| 1 | TiruNallaaru - 9.6 kms | |
| 2 | Ambar Perum tiru kovil - 21 kms | |
| 3 | Ambar Makalam - 20 kms | |
| 4 | Tiru-Meeyachur - 14 kms | |
| 5 | Tiru-Meeyachur Elankovil - 14 kms |
Temple Layout
RajaGopuram
A three-tiered, east-facing Rajagopuram (main temple tower) welcomes devotees at the entrance. Upon entering the temple, the sanctum of the presiding deity can be seen directly ahead. As one walks around the spacious outer prakaram in a clockwise direction, a sannidhi dedicated to Vinayaka is encountered.
Goshta Murthis
The Goshta (niche) deities on the sanctum walls include Dakshinamurthy, along with Brahma and Vishnu. In the prakaram are the idols of Sundarar, Paravaiyar, and Subha Maharishi.
Inner Corridor
The inner prakaram houses several sannidhis dedicated to Bala Vinayaka, Kailasa Nathar, Samaya Acharyars, Shubha Maharishi (depicted with his hair tied in a topknot), Muruga, Dakshinamurthy, Ardhanareeswarar, Chandikeswarar, Bhairava, Surya, Chandra, and Nataraja. The idols of Shubha Maharishi and Kumara Bhuvaneshwara are placed in the outer prakaram, located behind the sanctum.
The presiding deity is in the form of a small-sized Shiva Linga facing east.
Sthala Purana
The Curse of Sage Durvasa
According to legend, the elephant Airavata, the mount of Indra, once incurred the wrath of the sage Durvasa. On one occasion, Sage Durvasa had worshipped a Shiva Linga in Kashi. While returning from his worship, he saw Indra riding majestically on his divine elephant Airavata in a grand procession. As a mark of divine blessing, the sage presented to Indra the sacred lotus flower that had been used in the worship of the Shiva Linga.
However, due to pride arising from his wealth and power, Indra accepted the flower casually with one hand and placed it on the head of Airavata instead of honouring it properly. Airavata, not realizing the sanctity of the offering, picked up the flower with its trunk, threw it to the ground, and trampled it underfoot. Angered by this act of disrespect, Sage Durvasa cursed both Indra and Airavata. He declared that Indra would lose his prosperity and glory because of his arrogance, and that the elephant too would suffer the consequences of this disrespect.
Airavata's Redemption at Tirukottaru
According to the curse of Sage Durvasa, Airavata, the celestial elephant of Indra, lost its divine form and became a wild elephant. It is said that for a hundred years the elephant wandered to many places, worshipping Shiva and seeking redemption. Finally, in Madurai, Airavata regained its original divine form. This episode is described in the Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam.
How the Place Got Its Name
Among the many places where the white elephant (Airavata) is believed to have worshipped, Thirukottaru is considered one of them. According to tradition, the white elephant worshipped here by striking the clouds with its tusks, causing heavy rain to pour down like a flowing river. Because of this event, the place came to be known as Kottaru.
The Sacred Beehive
There is a beehive in the sanctum of the presiding deity, believed to have existed there for many years. A sage known as Shubha Maharishi had the practice of visiting the temple every day to have darshan of the Deity. One day, by the time he arrived, the temple doors had already been closed. Seeing this, Shubha Maharishi assumed the form of a bee, entered the sanctum, and worshipped the Deity.
From that day onward, he is believed to have remained there. Since that time, a beehive has continued to exist in the sanctum of the presiding deity. Visitors can see the hive from a distance without touching or disturbing it.
Honey Abhishekam
Once every year, honey is taken from this hive and used for the abhishekam of the Deity, after which the bees are said to build the hive again. The idol seen in the outer prakaram, behind the sanctum, is that of this sage, Shubha Maharishi.
Tevaram Hymns
The hymns (Pathigams) sung by Tirugnanasambandar for this temple are found in the 2nd and 3rd Thirumurai of the Tevaram, placing this temple among the revered Paadal Petra Sthalangal — the Shiva temples glorified in the canonical Saiva hymns.
Gallery - Airavatheswarar Temple
