Ujjaini Kaliamman Temple (உஜ்ஜைனி காளியம்மன் கோவேல்) Mahalikudi, Tiruchchirappalli

Ujjaini Kaliamman ,Mahalikudi,Tiruchchirappalli

Moolavar : Ananda Sowbaghya Sundari
Urchavar : Azhagammai
Amman / Thayar : –
Thala Virutcham : Magizham
Theertham : –
Agamam / Pooja : –
Old year : 500-1000 years old
Historical Name : –
City : Mahalikudi
District : Tiruchchirappalli
State : Tamil Nadu

Festival:

10 day Navarathri during the month of Purattasi (September-October), 21day Agni Nakthatra are the festivals celebrated in the temple besides special poojas on Poornima (full moon), Amavasya (new moon) and Ashtami days (eighth day either from new moon or full moon days).

Temple’s Speciality:

The temple has the reputation of having an idol brought by king Vikramaditya. Mother Goddess graces with one breast as Lord Arthnareeswara with only three hands while Goddesses have four, eight and 12 hands in all the temples. This is

Opening Time:

The temple is open from 7.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Address:

Sri Ujjaini Kaliamman Temple, Mahalikudi, Trichy district

General Information:

There is a sculpture of Lord Krishna as a crawling child tied in the Pinnai tree on the outer corridor (prakara) of the temple. His head is tonsured. In another shrine, Aiyanar with all ornaments appears with the elephant vehicle in front of Him. Goddesses Kamakshi Amman, Ikcha Shakti, Gnana Shakti and Kriya Shakti grace in the walls of the prakara in idol forms. Sri Srinivasa Perumal with Mother Lakshmi graces from another shrine. The Guardian deity of Madurai, Madurai Veeran graces here too with his consorts Bommi and Vellaiammal.

Prayers:

Devotees pray for removals of obstacles in marriage talks, for child boon and progress in education.

Thanks giving:

People perform abishek with new vastras to the Goddess as a prayer commitment.

Greatness Of Temple:

While Lord Shiva with Mother Umadevi on His left appears as Arthanareeswara, Mother Goddess had taken this position in this temple with a single breast. Sri Ananda Sowbaghya Sundari temple is the only one where such a form can be seen.

Goddess Ujaini Kaliamman also graces in the temple. It is said that king Vikramaditya offered this idol to this temple. As a proof of this, there are idols of the Vedala (a ghost associated with the story of Vikramaditya) and that of his wise minister Kaluvan. It is noteworthy that Vedala is not in idol form any where in any temple.

There are also a Aananda Nardana Vinayaka (Lord Vinayaka in dancing form) idol made of Aimpon and also a Vinayaka idol offered to the temple by Sri Kanchi Maha Periaval Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathyi Swamigal.

Karuppannasami is an important deity in the temple who is always locked with hand-cuff. It is said that the deity would ever be in the shrine bound by the lock. Only during festival days, the shrine is unlocked. He will be independent on that day and would escort the Goddess on the car festival day. Soon the car – Rath- reaches the shed back, Karuppannasami would be locked again.

The Eka Kalasa design is generally found on the Vimana (tower) on the sanctum sanctorum only in Shiva temples. Such a pattern is followed in this temple also with Eka Kalasa on the tower of the sanctum sanctorum. As a tradition, more Kalasas are found in Goddesses’ temple. The Eka Kalasa reminds the fact that Lord Shiva is here in the Goddess form.

Generally Lord Vinayaka and Lord Subramania grace at the entrance of the temple in left and right sides, here it is vice-versa. A Shivalinga is sculpted on the wall.

Presiding deity Azhagammai appears very beautifully with four hands in a standing form. Ananda Sowbaghya Sundari has only three hands while she has four, eight or twelve hands as a rule. She has a skull in one hand, trident in the second and a torch in the third. Though she appears ready to kill a demon, her face is very calm and smiling. She doesn’t have any fierce tooth on sides as Kali generally appears. That is why, the Kali is named Ananda Sowbaghya Sundari showing that She is very happy after destroying the demon. Lord Vinayaka in the temple is known as Valampuri Vinayakar.

Temple History:

The temple emphasizes the philosophy that Lord Shiva and Mother Shakti are but one, hence the Arthanareeswara form. It is said that Mother Parvathi wanted poojas held for Her also as to Lord Shiva and the temple came into being on this background story. Mother Aananda Sowbagya Sundari graces from the temple representing this Shiva-Shakti Aikiya (Oneness) philosophy.