Efforts are on to reconstruct a Siva temple that must have been the scene of grand festivals and rituals in the tenth century. The Sundara Parameswara temple in Vazhkai Puthakallur village in Nannilam taluk, Tiruvarur district, definitely has seen better days. Now completely dilapidated, it is in the midst of paddy fields on the bank of a tank, with no access.
Inscriptions on stones strewn around confirm it as the Tirupathagai temple to which Paranthaka Cholan made generous donations. The well-maintained temple also witnessed expansions during the king’s regime. Vazhkai Puthakallur must have been a lively and prosperous town, mentioned as the ‘Pathavadhu Paambur’ (in the series of Thiruppamburam, Thiruppambani and Tirunageswaram around the Cauvery) of Siva. On several occasions, devotees have seen a snake coiled around the lingam of the Sundara Parameswara temple.
Balalayam took place in December last and work is proceeding at a slow pace. Contributions are solicited and cheques may be drawn in favour of Sri Parama Sundarar Kaingarya sabha or Sri Mahalakshmi Charitable Trust. For more details contact 044-28152533/9840053289/9940053289.
