Sithamalli, a tiny village in Muthupettai of Tiruvarur district, is rich in lore – historically and spiritually. Legend has it that the Pandava princes camped here during their exile. The cluster of hamlets was known as Munnoothi Mangala Agraharam. Kulasekhara Pandian is said to have built the temple here. It belongs to the 11 century. Raja Rajan (Third) added structures to it. The deities are Kulasekhara Peruman and Abhirami Amman. The deity is said to calm minds seething with confusion and worries (sidhdhathai theliya vaikkum Eesan) and hence the village was called Sidhdhamalli.
There are shrines for Meenakshi and Sundareswarar, Baladandayuthapani, Dakshinamurti, Bhairava, Surya and others. Special pujas are performed to mark the event of the rays of the Sun falling on the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Kulasekhara in the evening, from February 15 to March 15.
The west-facing temple was prosperous once upon a time, and festivals were celebrated with great fanfare. But all that is past. The temple slowly lost its glory, dwindling income making even daily pujas a difficult proposition. Moved by its dilapidated state, local devotees decided to renovate the temple at least on a modest scale. The three-tier rajagopuram was cleared of weeds. Balalayam was performed in 2008 and work progressed at a slow pace. Consecration has been set for April 8. For details contact 28152533 and 9840053289.
Location: 28 km from Manargudi and 6 km from Muthupettai
How to reach: Buses from Mannargudi and Muthupettai stop at Sithamalli. The temple is 10 minutes away on foot.
