Kudamadakoothan Perumal Temple, in Thirunangur in Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to Kudamadakoothan Perumal with consort Amrudhagadavalli, Utsavar Chaturbhuja Gopalan. It is also known as Thiruarimeya Vinnagaram, Sri Kuda Maadu Koothan Perumal Temple.
This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu shrines glorified by the Alvar saints in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, and it is one of the eleven Thirunangur Thirupathis, the cluster of Divya Desams in Thirunangur linked by the shared legend of Vishnu's eleven forms pacifying Shiva. Sources differ on which of the eleven Thirunangur temples is considered most central to that founding legend; at least one detailed temple account describes a different Thirunangur shrine (Sri Narayana Perumal, Manimadakoil) as the principal site, with this temple described there as secondary. The moolavar is shown seated with a leg on a pot, an image Thirumangai Alvar addresses as Kudamadukoothar, meaning the pot dancer, in his Nalayira Divya Prabandham verses.
Tamil Nadu carries a distinct temple identity of its own: Land of towering gopurams and living Dravidian temple traditions, from the Chola masterpieces to the great Pancha Bhoota Sthalas.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Evening | 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM |
Some sources list slightly different hours (8 to 10 AM and 5 to 7 PM); confirm locally before visiting.
Poojas and daily rituals
Four daily rituals are performed: Ushathkalam, Kalasanthi, Sayarakshai and Ardha Jamam
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Garuda Sevai | Tamil month Thai (January to February), day after new moon | Festival deities of all eleven Thirunangur Thirupathi temples are carried together on Garuda vahanams. |
| Vaikasi Visakam | Tamil month Vaikasi (May to June) |
History and architecture
Architecture
Dravidian style with a three tier Rajagopuram, a two tier stucco Vesara Vimanam known as Vedamodha Vimanam, and a single prakara. The moolavar, made of Sudhai (burnt clay/stucco), is shown seated with a leg resting on a pot, so only oil anointing rather than ritual bathing is performed on the main image.
History
The moolavar is shown seated with a leg on a pot, an image Thirumangai Alvar addresses as Kudamadukoothar, meaning the pot dancer, in his Nalayira Divya Prabandham verses. The temple shares the broader Thirunangur legend of Shiva's furious tandava dance after Daksha's sacrifice, which Vishnu appeared in eleven forms across Thirunangur to pacify.
Planning your visit
How to reach
About 2.5 km from the Chennai to Nagapattinam highway and about 10 km from Sirkazhi; nearest railway station is Sirkazhi.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: Medium. Sources disagree on whether this or a different Thirunangur temple is the principal site of the cluster's shared origin legend, and the consort's name is spelled variably (Amrudhagadavalli, Amirtagadavalli, Amirthavalli, Amruthakadavalli) across sources