Temple in need of renovation
ON THE road from Mayiladuthurai to Kumbakonam, is the village called Kozhikuthi, situated to the west of Mappadugai near Chomapettai, where a temple dedicated to Lord Srinivasa, lies hidden and almost buried through years of neglect. This centuries-old temple is unique because the presiding deity is 20 ft tall and is carved out of single athi (fig) tree. Acccording to mythology it was here that Lord Srinivasa appeared in Vishwaroopa to bless sage Pippalar.
There is a separate shrine for Sri Yoga Narasimhar, blessing Bhakta Prahlada, near the main sanctum. It is believed that people who worship this deity will be relieved from various problems like, debt, ill health and those relating to horoscopes and constellations. The temple also houses a separate shrine for Lord Anjaneya. Legend says that, many years ago, a king got afflicted with a chronic disease. When all his efforts for recovery failed, he approached a sage for solution. The sage advised him to travel along the banks of the River Cauvery taking bath in all the sacred places.
And in one such place where he will be cured, he would be touched by divine grace and have the privilege of witnessing the Vishwaroopa darshanam of the Lord. The sage also advised him to stay in that place and spend the rest of his days worshipping the Lord. That king, at a later date, became sage Pippalar. The place, where this miracle happened, came to be known as Kotihathi or place where sins are destroyed. With the passage of time, it changed to Kozhikuthi from Kotihathi. The deity in the temple is hailed as Vana Mutti Perumal meaning the Lord who rises to the sky.
Today, this temple, rich in folklore, lies in a dilapidated state. Pujas and other rituals are not duly performed and the temple lies in total darkness without any lamp. The falling debris of the disintegrating Vimana covers the base of the mammoth idol and the gopuram is in an alarming state of disrepair. With the support of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Math, renovation work is in progress for which contributions are welcome. Those who wish to donate can contact the temple renovation trust at 0-9840053289 or 24765645.
S. MAHALAKSHMI
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