Virudhunagar, a small town in the southern part of Tamil Nadu which also serves as the headquarters of the Virudhunagar revenue district was called Virudhupatti before. The railway station code even today is VPT which represents Virudhupatti back in the day when the station was constructed by the British. Even before Virudhupatti, it was called Virudhuvetti. It’s an urban legend that a famous wrestler who had many awards(Virudhu) in his kitty went on a rampage to many places across the country challenging people and was undefeated. He challenged the people of this place displaying all the awards he has won so far. He promised to give all the awards should someone be able to defeat him. Unfortunately he was defeated and gave up all his awards. The place was called Virudhuvetti after this incident by people from the surrounding places. Which slowly became Virudhupatti and transitioned into the present day Virudhunagar. Known for its temples, Sri Parasakthi Mariamman Temple is probably the most prominent.
Records show the temple could have existed as early as 1780 in Virudhuvetti. It didn’t have any building but was worshipped in the form of a statuette. The temple remained the same till 1850. The Nadar community in the town had the present day idol installed in 1850. They drew inspiration from the Amman idol at the Gurunathan temple near the Sangili Karuppasamy temple. It’s a ritual to pick a handful of sand from an existing temple to construct a new temple. The sand from Gurunathan temple was collected as a ritual and walls were constructed at the Sri Parasakthi Mariamman Temple using sand and limestone along with a thatched roof. While the idol was installed at the ground level, it was elevated in 1910. The construction of the main entrance tower was undertaken in 1918 and the consecration took place.
It was in 1923, the next handful of sand for construction was picked up from Sri Mariamman Temple at Sivarakottai and the present day temple’s construction was completed. The west tower of the temple which has the best view was constructed for two years from 1966 to 1967. But all the idols in the west tower were finally installed in 1980 and another consecration took place in 1981. The temple has its entrance on the north side and exit on the south side. There is a shrine for Sri Vinayaka in the north-west corner of the temple. The south-east corner houses an underground storage where the Agnisatti after offering to the deity is cooled down. Right opposite to the north entrance, there is a platform for offerings and a pole. The deity is idolised in a sitting stance. Several Abhishekams are performed everyday and the Theertham could be collected on the way to the exit. There is a stand placed before the exit where the dolls are placed. Devotees offer dolls in various shapes and sizes. It’s a belief, for example, that if a couple is praying for a baby then a baby doll wrapped in Marikozhunthu is being offered.
A gold roof was laid here just like the Thillai Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram. This could also be viewed on the way to the exit. You could see devotees dropping money in the Undiyal. Devotees also offer Kanmalar in the Undiyal praying for good health. Kanmalar is a pair of small eye shaped metal sheets usually made in silver. The temple is being managed by the elected board members of the Virudhunagar Hindu Nadars Devasthanam. This temple is one of the predominant landmarks of Virudhunagar and in the past 250 years, the town and the people have grown leaps and bounds with the blessings of Sri Parasakthi Mariamman. Panguni Pongal, a grand festival celebrated every year in the Tamil month of Panguni(Usually the first half of April) is celebrated with pomp and show for the deity. People from all over the world flock together and the traditions are being followed as ever. If you ever visit Virudhunagar, please don’t leave without seeking the blessings of Sri Parasakthi Mariamman.
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