Vettuvan Koil Temple is a MODEL of the Kailasa Temple – a unique stone carving in India. The temple is located at Madakulam in Theni district of Tamil Nadu state, South India.
This temple was built by the Pandya Rulers (Koon Pandyan) during the 16th century AD. It is an excellent example of Dravidian architecture and has beautifully carved pillars inside the complex that support the massive roof of the temple.
The main deity Lord Siva is called here as Vettuvan (Watcher of Cattle). The following story depicts how this place got its name “Vettuvan Koil”.
During ancient times, there was a huge forest with dense foliage that had many wild animals, including tigers. Suddenly Lord Siva appeared in front of the shepherds and asked them to build a temple for him. Since he appeared in the forest, he was given the name Vettuvan (Watcher of Cattle). The Lord agreed to protect the cattle from wild animals if they construct his temple.
The thick forest was cleared by cutting all trees and bushes. The shepherds built his temple and yagna was performed by them to fulfill their promise to the Lord. Since then there were no more incidents of tigers killing cattle in that forest region and nearby villages.
It is believed that the wild animals including lions and tigers were tamed and became very friendly with Vettuvan (Siva). So, they remained as guards around him. This belief has come true by not seeing lions or tigers inside his temple even today!
Vettuvan Koil is located at Madakulam, Theni the district of Tamil Nadu state. The temple has been referred to as Vadaku Van – Black Rock – Temple by the locals for a long time now. In reality, it is a MODEL or replica of the famous Kailasanathar Temple in Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu). The only difference between these two structures is that while there are four pillars around Shiva Linga at the main entrance of Kailasavatharam; there are six columns around Shiva Linga here! This shrine houses an impressive Shivalinga 4 feet tall and 1-foot circumference, made up of black granite stone. The linga looks like Ambrikagiri of Maharashtra. The shrine faces east and is located inside a cave-like open space, which is surrounded by four columns on all sides.
It was only in the year 2010 that this temple got registered as a heritage site with ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) New Delhi after the efforts taken up by Mr. Selvakumar of Madras (Chennai). We can see two unique features here which are rarely found elsewhere: First, there are three different kinds of designs engraved on the front face of this 4 feet tall monolithic Linga; second, there are six pillars around Shiva Linga at Vettuvan Koil Temple instead of normal four pillars seen at most temples!
The Vettuvan Koil Temple is a wonderful example of the dedication and craftsmanship that went into building some of India’s most iconic structures. It also offers an insight into how these temples were built – by copying existing ones, but making sure to address any improvements or new designs as they arose. This ancient temple shows us just how much we can learn about history and culture through architecture alone! If you want to see this landmark for yourself, contact our team today and we will organize your trip with all the logistics taken care of. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
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Take a look at this amazing structure called Vettuvan Koil, in India. The peculiarity of this temple is that it is completely carved into a single huge rock, like the Kailasa Temple in the Ellora Caves.
Although most temples are built by adding blocks and pillars, this has been created by removing and removing parts of a hill or valley.
Perhaps this temple has been built as a model or prototype of the Kailasa Temple since the similarities between these two structures are surprising. Both were built on hills, and according to experts were built at the same time.
In addition, the carvings of the Vettuvan temple are almost identical to those of Kailasa, and both temples face east. The only important difference is that the Kailasa temple is significantly larger than the Vettuvan Koil.
Today, before building something, we usually create a smaller model or prototype, so it helps us understand what it takes to build larger and more complex structures. Do you think the Vettuvan was just a model for the later construction of the Kailasa temple?
One last information: according to the legends, the temple was built by a single man in no more than 48 days.
Vettuvan Koil
Vettuvan Koil in Kalugumalai, a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The unfinished temple was built under the Pandyan architecture and stone-cut architecture and is believed to have been built during the 8th century by Pandyas. The cut architecture is an example of early Pandyan Art.
The other parts of Kalugumalai house the 800’s Kalugumalai Jain beds and Kalugasalamoorthy Temple, a Murugan temple.
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