| Description:
This Shivastalam is a seaside shrine associated again with the legend of the churning of
the milky ocean, located at a distance of 10 km from Vedaranyam.
If Tamilnadu can be described as a state with a smile, Kodikkarai can be described as the
tip of its nose . The image shown above is that of Tyagaraja at Tiruvarur.
Kodikkarai is also referred to as Kuzhagar Koyil. Legend has it that the
celestial nectar from the Millky Ocean, carried by Vayu, fell at this spot and assumed the
form of a Shivalingam, hence Amritaghateswarar; and Amrita Theertham the tank. This legend
is very similar to that at Tirukkadavur.
This temple has a lofty
Rajagopuram and shrines to Amritavinayakar and shadbhujasubramanyar
with one of the arms bearing a pot of the celestial nectar. The
Navagrahas are in a single file as in Tiruvarur.
Rama is said to have sighted Sri Lanka from here, and what is believed to be his
footprint is preserved nearby. It is believed that Rama attempted to build a bridge to Sri
Lanka from here, and was directed by Shiva to proceed to Rameswaram.
It is considered sacred to bathe in the sea here during the Uttarayana
and Dakshinayana transition. Local belief has it that this
shrine is inhabited by Siddhas.
|
