Kannudaya nayagi- Nattarasan kottai, sivaganga

Kannudaya Nayagi - the guardian deity of the eyes. She protects the eyes of her devotees. It is not surprising to find devotees praying here to cure their eye ailments. This temple is set amidst a tiny hamlet in Nattarasan Kottai near Sivaganga in Tamilnadu. The Goddess here is very powerful and  a  swaymbhu moorthy (self manifested) The granite idol is always  decked up with jewels and silk and flowers. This temple is also known as Kananthal temple; very ancient believed to have been built in the 18th century. 

Utsavar ,Goddesss Parasakthi  is seen here with 8 hands.

Devotees offer eyes made of silver metal ( flat eye shapes are cast in metal) to the deity  and seek blessing from her.  Devotees also offer salt to deity to ward off skin and stomach ailments.  Temple gets crowded during Navarathri.

The temple mandapam is huge and has a beautiful  water tank in front - this is a very common feature in all temples in Sivaganga district. Vinayaka shrine is very near to the pond.

A few miles away from the temple lies the famous Kalayar Koil. Shall write about it in my next post.

  Great Tamil poet Kambar who translated Ramayana into Tamil is laid to rest in this town and the tomb is just a few meters from the temple click here to see pictures.

I also found local women selling handmade eco friendly, colurful items just outside the temple. Got a couple of those as souvenir. Thought I should share what I captured. These colorful items are made of palm leaf and reed and coloured using natural dyes.
Pictures of temple here in this link.

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNUjMbszPMTn3MK2GHZdzFTe2QRbbGliJD60uc6?key=CNSoyaenvI_4Eg

Nattarasan kottai -51 kms from Madurai.

temple timing 6 am- 1pm

4.30 pm -8.30 pm.

Thyagaraja Swamy temple- Tiruvarur, Tiruvarur District ,Tamil nadu

Thyagaraja Swamy temple was on my wish list for a long time as I heard that the temple is very ancient and has the biggest  pond in India. The temple stretches into acres of land and each and every corner of this temple is rich in craftsmanship and ornamental work. The temple towers stand testimony to the centuries it has seen and is certainly a delight for the those who wish to witness the marvellous work of craftsmen which would leave anyone astounded. The temple surroundings are serene and one can enjoy the peace as there is hardly any crowd on regular days.

The temple of Siva -Tyagaraja Swamy  lies in the  heart of Chola land very near to Tanjore ( 45Kms by road) and is also closer to Kumbakonam.

The main door leading to the inner most prakaram  has  gigantic idols as dwarapalakas guarding the gate. Just outside this temple is the shrine of Goddess Parvati.

It is said that Thyagaraja Swamy here is in a form of Somaskanda ; Shiva with His consort Uma and Skanda, ( Muruga ) seated between . This temple is surrounded by many sub shrines of Siva in various forms.

The temple tank is very huge and magnificent and covers an area of 33 acres. There is  also a shrine inside the tank. The chariot festival here during the month of Chitharai ( April/May) is very famous and the chariot here is supposed to be the biggest in Tamil Nadu.

A temple worth visiting.

How to reach- The temple is situated at a distance of 40 Kms from Kumhakonam and  can be reached by rail or road.
Pictures in this link

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPsuKqihfcVYCmth2Lh_M3k74zg0y4MCdKBBdLu