Kaliyar
Koil is located
near Sivaganga.
There were fourteen
great shrines visited
by the holy Tamil
saints Sambandar,
Appar and Sundarar.
Of these Tirukanapper
is the present Kaliyar
Koil. There are
many legends associated
with the temple.
 It
is believed that
Saint Agastyha had
visited this place
and taken a holy
bath in the Siva
Ganga Teertham.
This is where he
is supposed to have
seen the real form
of Siva. Goddess
Parvati after having
cursed by Lord Siva
had taken the form
of kali and fought
against the demons
to destroy them.
After this fight
she had reached
this holy place
of Sivaganga and
worshipped Siva
to get back to her
original form Parvati.
Thus the deity in
this temple is known
as Kaleeswar. This
temple has the legend
of curing the curses
of many. Goddess
Lakshmi who had
been cursed by a
sect of people called
Valakillayar, had
been redeemed of
her curse here.
Similarly Lord Vishnu
prayed to the kaleeshwar
here to get back
the luster of his
Sudarsana chakram.
Kings Veera Sena
Pandian and Vikrama
chola were blessed
with the boon of
getting children
here. Similarly
the curses on Airavata
and Devendra at
various stages were
lifted after they
worshipped this
Kaleeshwar.
The gopuram of this
temple is big in
size and can be
seen from miles
away. Sivaganga
is very accessible
as it is situated
in the railway line
from Karaikudi to
Rameswaram.
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