KUDUVARAI-LAKULEESH-SHIVA CAVE TEMPLES- ARITTAPATTI

 KUDUVARAI-LAKULEESH-SHIVA CAVE TEMPLES- ARITTAPATTI

Kuduvarai in Tamil means Kudu or Kodai ( Dig) & Varai (Draw or Sculpt). This is what the locals call the Rock cut Cave Temple in Arittapatti, a small village 20 KM’s from Madurai.

A rock cave temple amongst the most beautiful scenic location’s in Tamilnadu. The place Arittapatti also known as Kalingamalai and Thirupinanaimalai, is in the Anai(Elephant) malai range. Rock cave temple of Shiva and a Jain Sculpture of the 24th Teerthankara, Mahaveer ( 3 feet ) Vigraham embedded about a KM away from the cave temple is a sight, worth, the effort of going to this place.

The place is a beautiful, small hillock, in between the serene and beautiful location, surrounded by perennial water spout, lakes, check dams, farm lands. There is something for everybody, 72 water bodies, and green fields, birds of much variety, Rocks and bountiful nature.

The road to the place ends at the start of the village and the balance distance of 2 KM’s is to be trekked through paddy fields, lake, ponds, over and in between the rock’s. Post the trek on the fields, once you climb a low sloping rock, it leads to about 20 steps down the other side and again passing through huge rock’s on both the sides, you come on to a small hill with another 20 steps climb leading to the Lords abode.

On the eastern side of the hill is a cavern, on the outer of the cave is found a Brahmi inscription which has been dated to between the second and first century B.C. The Shiva temple is dated around the 7th or 8th century CE and is an edifice of the Pandya dynasty rock-cut-temple architecture.

The temple is on the western side of the mountains, and contains a Garbhagriha (10” X 10”) carved out of the rock. Even the Lingam is carved out of the rock and is in continuity to the Garbhagriha. The Avudayar or Pindika is facing to the left as the Lord himself is facing west, which in itself is unique.

Outside the caved Garbhagriha is an extention of about three feet like an Ardhamandapa with sculptures of Dwarapalakar’s on both sides. The entrance is of a three step. The sculpture of Lakuleesha in a sitting position (on the left side) and a Vinayaka (on the right side) are like an extended panel carved into the rock with a rectangular block of 4 feet height and 2 feet depth.

The idol of Lakuleesha has the Lakul or Baton in his left hand with the right hand placed on his thighs, with a snake running around him & another one coiled on his baton. The huge Vinayaka is a Valampuri Vinayaka with 4 hands.in a sitting position with Modakam in his right hand and tusk (Achchu Aani) on his left hand.

Just outside the Garbhagriha is a small Nandi facing the Lord. This entire edifice is over the hillock on a flat base of about 1000 sq feet. Getting down from this pedestal of about ten steps from the left you come into an open stone edifice of the Goddess Kali again on a raised square pedestal of about 5 feet..

Lakuleesha = Lakut (Mace) + Isha (Lord) was a prominent revivalist and preceptor of the Pashupatha movement under the oldest Shivaite movement. Acording to the LINGA PURANAM Lakuleesh is the 28th and last Avatar of Rudra and propounder of Yoga. Lakuleesha had four deciples Kaurushya, Garga, Mitra and Kushika. The Linga Purana ( Chapter 24) predicted that Maheshwara would appear in the form of a wandering monk called “Lakulin” or Nakulisha” who would re-establish the cult of Pashupati and would be called Pashupatha. Lakuleesha was the contemporary of Shri Krishna and Veda Vyasa. Lakula refers to two things in the Lakulesh image the staff or Baton and the erect manhood. The erect Phallus is indicative of the arousal of the mind.