Temples in Kulikkarai

Kulikkarai is a small but prosperous village in the Nannilam taluk of the Tanjavur district. There is a local temple dedicated to Kalahastisvara.

Kalahastisvara temple

On the south wall of the main shrine of this temple there is an inscription belonging to the 28th year of the reign of a Tribhu-vanachakravartin Konerinmaikondan (ARE 82 of 1911) which records that a gift was made of the brokerage fee (taragu) which had remained in arrears from the fifth year of the king, to the temple of Tiru-nangalisvaram Udaiyar, by the nagarattar of Ottakkudi alias Edirilisolapuram in Arumolideva valanadu. The identification of this king with Kulottunga III becomes almost definite if we note that this privilege of collecting the brokerage fee etc. and registering this concession on stone was recommended by a certain Isvara Siva. From inscriptions at Tribhuvanam, we are aware that this Isvara Siva was the preceptor of Kulottunga III (vide ARE of 1907-08, p. 80, para. 64; also see p. 137 of my Kopperunjingan;also SII,XII, No. 216 and ARE 105 of 1934-35).

An undated inscription found on the same wall states that this stone temple was built by Ingaikkudaiyar Karunakara devar alias Gurukularayar (ARE 83 of 1911).

From a third (the only other) record found in this temple, also on the same wall, we learn that a certain Sirukkavurudaiyan Tyagapperumal built the shrine of the Goddess in this temple and that the mgaraUar of the same village made a gift of land for offerings to this deity (ARE 84 of 1911).

The main shrine must have come into existence in its present form before the 28th regnal year of Kulottunga III (= a.d. 1206). We are unable to say when the Amman shrine was built, as the inscription last referred to throws no light on the milieu in which the builder, Tyagapperumal, lived.