Sundareswarar Temple, Tiruvettakkudi, Karaikal – The Temple

Sundareswarar Temple, Tiruvettakkudi, Karaikal – The Temple

This east facing temple has a 5-tiers main tower (Rajagopuram) and it has a single corridor. This temple is considered to be significant for its three important attributes – Moorthy, Sthalam and Theertham - glory of Lord, sacredness of the land and the auspicious temple tank. Presiding Deity is called as Sundareswarar / Vedamoorthy / Thirumeni Azhagar. Lord Shiva in this temple is a Swayambumurthy (self-manifested). The place has the reputation of Lord gracing here both in the forms of a Shivalinga and of a hunter. 

In the Linga form Lord graces in the sanctum sanctorum on a square peeta under a Rudraksha roof. Mother is called as Shantha Nayaki / Soundara Nayaki. The Ambal shrine faces south. Mother graces from a separate shrine with a blessing look in the name of Shanthanayaki. Couples separated in life, pray to Mother for a re-union offering pujas and vastras. The procession idol of Arjuna, who was blessed with the Pasupathasthiram, holds a bow and arrow in his hands. Pujas are performed to Arjuna during festival days. 

It is a pleasing darshan to the devotee to see the procession deity Vedamoorthy (as a hunter) and Mother as the wife of the hunter with a pot on her head. When Lord Shiva came here as hunter, He brought Lord Muruga too with him. Hence, Lord Muruga too is holding the bow and arrow as a hunter boy. He graces darshan to the devotees with four hands (instead of 12 hands) with his consorts Valli and Deivanai. It is a double luck for devotees to have the darshan of both Lord Shiva and Lord Muruga with bow and arrow.

There is a separate shrine for Lord Punnai Vananathar in the corridor. Planet Saturn (Sani Bhagwan) and Saint Gnanasambandhar are in shrines in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Those facing adverse aspects of planets pray here. Theertham associated with this temple are Deva Theertham, Chandra Pushkarini and Sea. Sthala Vriksham is Punnai tree.

Lord Sundara Vinayaka is the Sthala Vinayaka of the temple. There are shrines of Lords Nataraja, Siddhi Vinayaka, Subramanya with his consorts and Aiyappan accompanied by Mothers Poornaa and Pushakalai, Gajalakshmi, Bhairava, Naalvar, Surya, Dakshinamurthy, Mahalakshmi, Durgai, Chandikeswarar, Navagraham and Chandra.