Kuzhagar Temple

About the Temple

Kuzhagar Temple, also known as Kodi Kuzhagar Temple or Amrithakadeswarar Temple, is a ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Kodikkarai, Tamil Nadu. It is classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam and was venerated in the 7th-century Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram. The complex features three prakarams and a five-tiered gateway tower.

• Paadal Petra Sthalam
• Tevaram Canonised
• Five-tiered Rajagopuram
• Chola Inscriptions

Sacred History

"Originally built by the Cholas, Kuzhagar Temple retains historical inscriptions dating from the reigns of Aditya Chola, Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I, and Kulothunga Chola I. One inscription from the reign of Parantaka Chola records a donor's gift of 90 sheep to maintain a perpetual lamp. Following the Chola decline in the 13th century, the region was contested between the Pandyas and Hoysalas, while royal patronage continued under the Nayaks. The area was briefly held by French forces in 1759 before coming under British control, and the temple is presently managed by the Government of Tamil Nadu's Hindu Religious and Endowment Board."