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{{Short description|Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Kuzhagar Temple
| image = Kuzhagarkoil1.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Image of the Kodikkarai temple gopuram
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|10|18|13|N|79|49|43|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| other_names =
| proper_name =

| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Nagapatnam]]
| location = [[Kodikkarai]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Kuzhagar([[Shiva]])
| primary_deity_Godess =
| utsava_deity_God =
| utsava_deity_Godess=
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
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| inscriptions =
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}}
'''Kuzhagar Temple''' or '''Kodi Kuzhagar Temple''' (கோடிக் குழகர் கோயில்)<ref name="ta.wikipedia.org">[[:ta:கோடியக்கரை அமுதகடேசுவரர் கோயில்]]</ref> (also called '''Amrithakadeswarar Temple''') is a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to [[Shiva]], located in the town of [[Kodikkarai]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]. Kuzhagar is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the ''Tevaram'', written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as ''[[Paadal Petra Sthalam]]''.

Kuzhagar temple is originally believed to have been built by the [[Cholas]] and it has several inscriptions dating back to the [[Chola]] period. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and three yearly festivals on its calendar. The annual ''[[Brahmotsavam]]'' (prime festival) is attended by thousands of devotees from far and near. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

==Etymology and legend==
The town Kodikkarai is named after Kuzhagar, the presiding deity of the Kuzhagar Temple, a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to [[Shiva]]. The 7th century [[Saiva]] canonical work ''[[Tevaram]]'' by [[Sundarar]] and [[Tirugnanasambandar]] mentions the place as Kuzhagar Kovil.<ref name="dinamalar">{{cite news|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=583|title=Sri Kodi Kuzhagar temple|newspaper=Dinamalar|access-date=16 April 2011}}</ref>

==History==
The recorded history of Kodikkarai is found from the inscriptions in Kuzhagar Temple and [[Vedaranyeswarar Temple]]. The inscriptions date from the reign of [[Aditya I|Aditya Chola]] (871–907 CE), [[Rajaraja Chola I]] (985–1014 CE), [[Rajendra Chola I]] (1012–1044 CE) and [[Kulothunga Chola I]] (1070–1120 CE) indicating various grants to the temple.<ref name="Ayyar"/><ref name="Ghose301">[[#Ghose|Ghose]] 1998, p. 301</ref> An inscription dating back to [[Parantaka I|Parantaka Chola]] mentions the gift of 90 sheep by a merchant to the temple for the maintenance of a perpetual lamp.<ref>[[#Singh|Singh]] 2008, p. 622</ref>

The region of Kodikkarai along with Vedaranyam continued to be a part of the Chola Empire and the Chola region emerged as a centre of Saivism during the reign of Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120 CE).<ref name="Ayyar">[[#Ayyar|Ayyar]] 1991, p. 215</ref> After the fall of Cholas during the reign of [[Rajendra Chola II]] in the 13th century CE, the erstwhile Chola region was caught under a power struggle between Pandyas and [[Hoysalas]].<ref name="Ghose5960">[[#Ghose|Ghose]] 1998, pp. 59-60</ref> The royal patronage continued to the temple during the rule of the [[Thanjavur Nayaks|Nayaks]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Journal of Indian History|volume=82|page=33|publisher=Department of History, University of Kerala|year=2004}}</ref> The Negapatam region (modern day Nagapattinam district) was briefly captured by French troops led by [[Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally|Lally]] (1702–66 CE) in 1759 CE. The [[Tanjore District (Madras Presidency)|Tanjore district]] was annexed by British after the French failed to subdue the king of Tanjore.<ref>{{cite book|title= Dupleix and Clive|last=Dodwell|first=Henry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DGy1LpRxqFUC|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=1920|page=166|isbn=978-81-206-0394-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The national encyclopædia. Libr. ed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cy2P8q3RRI0C&q=lally+%2B+Kodikkarai&pg=PA287|page=287|year=1885|last=National encyclopaedia|publisher=Oxford University}}</ref> In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

==The temple==
Kuzhagar temple complex has three ''[[prakaram]]s'' (outer courtyard) and a five-tiered ''raja[[gopuram]]'' (gateway tower). The central shrine faces east and holds the image of Kuzhagar (Shiva) in the form of ''lingam'' made of granite. The granite images of the deities [[Ganesha]] (son of Shiva and god of wisdom), [[Murugan]] (son of Shiva and god of war), [[Nandi (bull)|Nandi]] (the bull and vehicle of Shiva) and [[Navagraha]] (nine planetary deities) are located in the hall leading to the sanctum. As in other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the first precinct or the walls around the sanctum of Kuzhagar has images of [[Dakshinamurthy]] (Shiva as the Teacher), [[Durga]] (warrior-goddess) and [[Chandeshvara Nayanar|Chandikeswarar]] (a saint and devotee of Shiva). The second precinct is surrounded by granite walls.<ref name="dinamalar"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Spiritual Fervour |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/spiritual-fervour/article2138035.ece|work=The Hindu|date=27 June 2011|access-date=26 July 2015|location=Koddikkarai}}</ref>

==Worship and religious practices==
The temple priests perform the ''[[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]]'' (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the [[Shaiva]] community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: ''[[abhisheka]]'' (sacred bath), ''alangaram'' (decoration), ''[[Naivedhya|naivethanam]]'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for both Kuzhagar and Thdangani Amman. The worship is held amidst music with ''[[nagaswaram]]'' (pipe instrument) and ''[[tavil]]'' (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the [[Vedas]] (sacred texts) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like ''{{lang|te-Latn|somavaram}}'' (Monday) and ''{{lang|te-Latn|sukravaram}}'' (Friday), fortnightly rituals like ''[[pradosha]]m'' and monthly festivals like ''[[amavasya|amavasai]]'' (new moon day), ''kiruthigai'', ''[[pournami (festival)|pournami]]'' (full moon day) and ''sathurthi''. The ten-day Vaikasi visagam during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May–June) and six-day Sashti are the major festivals celebrated in the temple.<ref name="dinamalar"/>

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{Cite book |last=Ayyar |first=P. V. Jagadisa |title=South Indian shrines: illustrated |year=1991 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-206-0151-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&q=vedaranyam+temple&pg=PA392|ref=Ayyar}}
*{{Cite book |last=Ghose |first=Rajeshwari |title= The Tyāgarāja cult in Tamilnāḍu: a study in conflict and accommodation|year=1998|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited |location=Delhi |isbn=81-208-1391-X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ORwNmkDswqwC&q=Kodikkarai&pg=PA61|ref=Ghose}}
*{{Cite book |last=Singh|first=Upinder |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the|year=2008 |publisher=Dorling Kindersly (India) Pvt. Ltd. |location=Delhi |isbn=978-81-317-1120-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&q=Kodikkarai+temple&pg=PA622|ref=Singh}}
* {{cite book|title=Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu|year=2010|publisher=Sura Books|isbn= 978-81-7478-177-2|page=74}}
{{refend}}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
File:Kuzhagarkoil3.JPG|View from entrance
File:Kuzhagarkoil6.JPG|The precinct inside the temple
File:Kuzhagarkoil5.JPG|Shrines in the precinct
File:Kuzhagarkoil7.JPG|Shrine inside the temple
</gallery>

{{Famous Shiva temples}}

[[Category:Shiva temples in Nagapattinam district]]
[[Category:Padal Petra Stalam]]

Kodi Kuzhagar Temple - Revision history

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