THEKOTHANDARAMAR TEMPLE, THILLAI VILAGAM, TIRUVARUR DISTRICT,TAMIL NADU. Introduction
The Kothandaramar Temple (also known as Sri VeeraKothandaramar Temple) is a significant Hindu temple located in the village ofThillai Vilagam, within the Tiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama ,the 7thavataram of Lord Vishnu and is one of the Pancha Rama Kshethrams in the region, a group of fivesacred temples related to the epic Ramayana. The temple's locationis on the East Coast route, 17 kilometres from the town of Thiruthuraipoondi. Thetemple is glorified by Maharishi Valmiki. The Presiding Deity is East facinghere. This is a temple for Sri Rama & Sri Shiva (Nataraja). SinceThillai Natarajar temple is here, the place is called Thillai Vilagam and morethan 1000 years old.. Key Details Deity: Lord Rama (Kothandaramar). Location: Thillai Vilagam village, Tiruvarur District, TamilNadu. Significance: It is one of the 108 Abhimana Kshethrams of the Vaishnavatetradition and first among thePancha Rama Kshethrams. Legend As per Legend, when Sri Rama was on his way back to Ayodhya,after defeating the demon Ravana, as promised, he stayed in the ashram of Baradwaja Mahirishi. Sri Sita Devi asked Anjaneya to carry curd rice to Bharathawith the message that they were on their way as promised. Hanuman went toAyodhya and passed on the information. It is strongly believed that offering curd rice toAnjaneya here in Thillaivilagam would liberate all the devotee from theirproblems associated with their marriage and solve all their navagrahadosham. The curd rice is packed on Anjaneya andis not distributed to the devotees. As per another Legend, Sri Rama came in the dream of VeluThevar and asked him to construct a temple for HIM. After that Velu Thevarstarted digging at various places. These Pancha Loka idols of this temple werefound buried while digging the ground to the west of the temple. Thetemple was also built by Velu thevar History The temple is believedto have been built by the Pallava kings and later renovated by Krishnadevaraya. Architecture The Kothandaramar Temple in Thillaivilagam is an example ofDravidian architecture, a style prevalent in South India. Built on a largearea, the temple features a prominent Raja Gopuram (tower) and a smaller KiliGopuram. Inside, the sanctum houses the deities of Sri Veera Kothanda Ramar,Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman, with a unique, tall idol of Hanuman standing in ahumble posture. Key ArchitecturalFeatures Dravidian Style: The temple's overall design follows thetraditional Dravidian architectural principles, characterized by its toweringgopurams and temple complex layout. Raja Gopuram: A grand, five-tiered tower, the Raja Gopuramstands at an impressive 105 feet, marking the temple's main eastern entrance. Kili Gopuram: A smaller, 65-foot tower, the Kili Gopuram, isnamed in honor of Sukabrahma Maharishi (meaning "Parrot Maharishi"). Temple Complex: The temple was constructed by KrishnadevaRaya on a large expanse of 8acres, contributing to its majestic size. Sanctum Sanctorum: The mainshrine, or Moola Sthanam, holds the beautifully crafted sculptures of Sri VeeraKothanda Ramar, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. Idols: The sculptures are noted for their lifelike details,with visible veins, and the unique standing posture of Hanuman, depicted asbeing ever-ready to follow Rama's commands There is a Shrine for Lord Garudalwar opposite the Sanctum Sanctorum.There are beautiful paintings on the walls of the temple. Presiding deity The presiding deity is known as Kothandaramar and also VeeraKothandaramar. We can even see the vein on lord Rama's feet, also the Arrow endis different from the others.The Temple is unique since the Moolavar here is made out of PanchalohaMetal. Lord Rama Blesses His Devotees along with His Consort Seetha,Brother Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman. Lord Anjaneyar is of four feet height and in a standing posture, is the speciality of theTemple. We can even see the Vein running on Lord Rama's feet. Also theArrow end looks totally different fromthose of others. Moolavar stands (Nindra thirukkolam ) majestically with abeautiful smile. HE is seen holding a bow in His left hand and an arrow withthe inscription ‘Ramasaram’ in His right hand. Lakshmana stands to the left andGoddess Sita is in Kalyana Kolam to the right of the Lord. In Moolvar Sri Rama , devotees can see clearly the nerves andmoles on the legs of Sri Rama and to see the knee cap on both the legs of theAlmighty. On His left leg,devotees can find a Raksha bandhan tied by His mother Kausalya when Rama wasyoung to protect him from evil forces. Lakshmana stands to the leftand Goddess Sita is in Kalyana Kolam to the right of the Lord. Kothandaramar isblessing in His ‘Tribangi Seva” – (arare three different curves posture), in the neck, hip and leg, here inThillaivilagam, Hanuman blesses as Graha Dhosha Nivarthi Hanumanin His Dasa Posture, with His right hand close to His mouth in a posture of whispering something to His LordSri Rama. Sub deity This Temple also has a Sub Shrine for Lord Natarajar and this is veryunique and this is the reason for the place getting its name as ThillaiVilagam. This sub temple now is believed to pre-date the Chidambaram temple andthe two temples of Shiva and Rama are seen next to each other almost in thesame complex with anentrance on the Northern side of the Rama temple into the Shivatemple. Speciality Hanuman with four feet height, in standing posture, is thespeciality of the temple. Poojas The temple has daily poojas at specific times: 8:30 AM, 12:00PM, 6:00 PM, and 8:30 PM. The rituals at these times include decorations(alangaram), food offerings (neivethanam), and lamp ceremonies (deepa aradanai) for the deities. Daily Pooja Times 8:30 AM: Kalasanthi 12:00PM: Uchikalam 6:00 PM: Sayarakshai 8:30PM: Ardha Jamam Tradition:The temple adheres to the traditions of the Thenkalai sect and follows theVaiksana Agama for its rituals. Religious significance This temple is one of the Pancha Rama Kshetrams andconsidered the foremost among the five temples. Pancha means five and Kshetramsrefers to holy places. All the five temples are situated in Tiruvarur district,Tamil Nadu. Sri Kodhanda Ramar Temple, Mudikondan Sri Kodhanda Ramar Temple, Adambar Sri Ramar Temple, Paruthiyur Sri Kodhanda Ramar Temple, Thillaivilagam Sri Kodhanda Ramar Temple, Vaduvur Sri Veera Kothandaramar Temple, Thillaivilagam, ThiruvarurDistrict, Tamil Nadu Temple tanks The Temple has 3 Pushkaranis namely Sri Rama Pushkarani,Seetha Pushkarani and Hanuman Pushkarani. Festivals Sri Rama Navami and Hanumath Jayanthi are celebrated in agrand manner every year. Krishna Jayanthi, Navarathri, Vaikunta ekadasi arealso celebrated in the temple. ‘DeerVahana’ Procession on the 11th day of RamaNavami is a special feature. Rama Pattabhibhisekam is performed during the RamanavamiUtsavam and on that day, Lord is seen with a special crown. Offerings In the Thillaivilagam Ramar Temple, curd rice is offered to Lord Hanuman to alleviatemarriage-related problems and Navagraha doshams, while Thirumanjanam (holy bathing) is performed forSri Veera Kothanda Ramar and Sri Sita Piratti for Puthra Prapthi (child boon),timely marriage, and good health. Devotees can also worship here for good health, mentalfitness, and to overcome enemies and sins. For Marriage and Health: Offerings of curd rice to Anjaneya(Lord Hanuman) are believed to resolve issues related to marriage, overcomeNavagraha dosham, and remove obstacles in life. For Children and Health: Performing the special Thirumanjanam(holy bathing) to Sri Veera Kothanda Ramar and Sri Sita Piratti is recommendedfor Puthra Prapthi (getting children) and good health for children. General Well-being:Devotees can worship to gain mental peace,lead a loan-free life, and achieve Ashta Aishwaryam (eight types ofprosperity). Protection:Worship here also offers protection from evildoers, bad planetary effects, and helps to improve family relationships. How to Participate Offerings:Devotees can make offerings to the presidingdeities, including the main deity Sri Veera Kothanda Ramar and his consorts. Pujas:Special pujas are conducted on significant days,including Sri Rama Navami, Hanumath Jayanthi, and Vaikunda Ekadesi. Thirumanjanam:You can arrange for the special Thirumanjanamfor the deities, which is said to bring about a turning point in the devotee'slife Temple Phone Number: C. Kothandarama Bhattar 80568-56894 or 04369-245725. Contact: Temple Timings: 8:30 AM to 12 Noon and 5 PM to 8:15 PM Location It is located in the village of Thillaivilagam inThiruthiraipoondi taluk. It is located at a distance of 20 km from the town ofThiruthuraipoondi. The temple is at a distance of 50 Kms from Tiruvarur. Address of the temple Sri Veera Kothandaramar Temple, Koviladi, Thillaivilagam,Tamil Nadu 614706 Administration The temple is under the administration of HR and CE,Government of Tamilnadu. Compiled and posted byR.Gopalakrishnan ,28-09-2025 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1657615194.980383.1759045717947%40mail.yahoo.com.
