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The temple, which is over 1,300 years old, is also known by the names Palaasavanam, Brahmapuri and Agnistalam. (Like Brahma, Agni is said to have worshipped here.) It has a five-tiered rajagopuram at the entrance. There are several stone inscriptions of Natarajar and Sivakami, and inscriptions from the Chola and Vijayanagar periods.
Dwajastambha (kodimaram) Kulithalai Temple has two praharams (sanctums), with the amman shrine facing east, and has a kodimaram (flag staff) with bali peedam (platform). Inside, to the east of the second sanctum is the Vahana-mandapam, which houses the processional vahanams for the deities. Some of these vahanas are quite rare, like Bhootha-vahanam, Ravana-vahanam, and Kamadhenu-vahanam. In the northwest corner is a Navarathiri-mandapam. To the southeast is the Brahma theertham, the temple tank. There's a path around the temple perimeter around which the processional chariot is drawn. The moolavar (presiding) deity here is Kadambavaneswarar, who is a north-facing swayambu lingam in seated position, on a square avudayar (base). Lingam typically have a rounded base, which denotes sakthi. Those with square avudayar are known as rishi prathishtai, which is usually taken to mean they were installed by a great rsi or saint. Sri Kadambavaneswarar's consort, the ambal here is Balakujambal (or Sundaresar, Soundareswarar).
Entrance to Sanctum The east side koshtam is home to a six-faced Lord Brahma, along with Sandikeswarar. (Koshtams are shrines on the outer praharam of the sanctum sanctorum.) Lord Sandikeswarar is said to be always in a meditative state of worship. On the south koshtam is Dakshinamurthy, and on the west koshtam is Annamalayar (Lingodbhavar).
Behind the moolavar linga are murtis of the Saptakanyakas (Sapta Kanniyar), seven female deities. When Durga Ma fought the Dhumralosanan asura, these Saptakanyakas fought the asura alongside her. The asura ran away, being unable to defend against the onslaught, and vanished near the hermitage of Rsi Kaathyaayana. The Saptakanyakas mistakenly thought the asura had taken the form of the Rsi, so they killed him. To rid themselves of the resulting Brahmahathi dosham (the sin of killing a brahman), they offered prayers at various temples and were finally purified of their sins upon worshipping Kadambavaneswar here.
Inner Praharam Circumambulating the prakaram (area outside the sanctum), devotees get darshan of Saneeswarar and Navagrahas, and two vigrahams of Shiva Natarajar. One of these, which is panchaloha (five metals), is depicted without Muyalagan, the asura who represents ego and is usually being stepped upon by Nataraja. On the South are Jeshtadiri (Jeshtadevi), Nalwars, and 63 Nayanmars. Vinayakar (Ganapati) is on the southwest corner. On the west is Shanmughar with Valli, Devayani and Somaskandar, and Gajalakshmi. There are also shrines for Subramanyar, Navagrahas, Sekkizhar, and Viswanathar.
Kadamba tree Outside the main temple, the Sthala Vriksham (holy tree) is a Kadambam tree on the south side. The theertham is the River Cauvery (Kaviri). There is a Vishnu shrine on the Agni corner, on the banks of Brahma Theertham.
Lord Brahma's Pastimes at Kulithalai
In the Kanda Purana, Uthar-bhaga, there is a description of Lord Brahma having become fatigued over his job of creating the jivas. He prayed to Lord Shiva for relief, and under Shiva's instructions, he came here to Kulithalai to do penance for 1,000 Deva years. After several thousand years of performing austerities, bathing three times daily in the sacred River Cauvery, and performing abhisheka and puja to the Lord, Brahma eventually got darshan of Shiva on his Rishaba vahana (Nandi), with Ambal.
Nandi There are many other legends associated with this temple involving Lord Murugan, Uma Devi, Meenakshi, and also Lord Visnu preserving the Vedas.
Temple Festivals
The main festival at Kulithalai Temple is the Haradatta Sivacharyar in the Tamil month of Thai. Mahashivratri, Navratri, Arudra Darisanam, and Aadi Pooram are held, and Brahmotsavam is conducted for 10 days in the month of Maasi.
The Thaipoosa Festival is very popular in the region, as the urchava (processional) deities from seven nearby temples join Lord Kadambavaneswarar on yatra along the Cauvery river, where they come for sacred bath and to give darshan to the devotees. The deities who participate in Thaipoosa are:
Temple Chariot Some photos courtesty of Raju@Flikr Part 2 - Pushkar, Rajasthan Part 3 - Chinch & Asotra, Rajasthan Part 4 - Eklingji, Udaipur, Rajasthan) Part 5 - Vasantgarh, Rajasthan) Part 6 (Rajasthan: Bijoila, Mewar; Chandravati, Sirohi; Kiradu & Sevadi, Jodphur) Part 7 (Khokhan, Himachal Pradesh) Part 8 (Tihri-Uttarsal, Himachal Pradesh) Part 9 (Una, Himachal Pradesh) Part 10 (Dudhahi, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh) Part 11 (Gaya, Bihar) Part 12 (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh) Part 13 (Alampur, Andhra Pradesh) Part 14 (Kaleshwar, Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh) Part 15 (Sampradaya Acarya - Lingampally, Andhra Pradesh) Part 16 (Manthani, Andhra Pradesh) Part 17 (Gurramguda Village, Andhra Pradesh) Part 18 (Tirusulam, Tamil Nadu) Part 19 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 20 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 21 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 22 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 23 (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 24 (Syncretistic Forms of Lord Brahma) Part 25 (Thirupachur, Tamil Nadu) Part 26 (Pancheshti/Pancheti, Tamil Nadu) Part 27 (Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu) Part 28 (Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu) Part 29 (Mandagappattu, Tamil Nadu) Part 30 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 31 (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) Part 32 (Thirumukkoodal, Tamil Nadu) Part 33 (Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu) Part 34 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 35 (Thirunaraiyur, Tamil Nadu) Part 36 Thiruvengadu, Tamil Nadu) Part 37 Thiruvelliyankudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 38 Kuthanoor, Tamil Nadu) Part 39 Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu) Part 40 Kulithalai, Tamil Nadu)
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