Sri Arumkarai Amman Temple

Overview

The Arumkarai Amman Temple is a Hindu shrine situated at Chinna Darapuram in Karur district of Tamil Nadu. The temple is primarily dedicated to goddess Shakti. The deity here is praised by the locals here as Nalla Thai (Good Mother).

About the Temple

According to Legends, there was once a fisherman who is said to have found a box in his net, when fishing. To his surprise, the box contained a vigraha (idol) of the Ambal. He considered this as a divine blessing from the supreme Mother herself and thus secured the box safely under a tree. Fishermen, who inhabited the place, worshipped the goddess in the box. After sometime, the fisher families have said to have migrated to another place, leaving the box and the deity behind. As time passed, the box and the deity are said to have got buried under the sand. Later sometime, a girl named Nalla Thai, is said to have brought her cattle for grazing at this place. She noticed that one particular cow was pouring its milk at a spot higher from the ground level. The curious girl is believed to have sat at the place, but never got up thereafter. Villagers had come in search of the girl and tried persuading her to return back. But the girl refused to their requests and informed them that she wishes to stay back there. She also asked the villagers to perform pujas to her. The girl suddenly turned into a ray of light (jyoti) and is said to have disappeared. The villagers then built a temple for her later.

The deity is popularly called as Nalla Thai (Good Mother) by the locals here. The temple doesn't have a sanctum or Vimana as such. The place where the box is kept is revered as the Ambal. The temple houses various other guardian deities as Natrayar, Ladamuni, Madurai Veeran, Karuppusami, Mahamuni. Lord Vinayaka with planets Rahu and Ketu are also found here. Abhisheka is not usually performed to Lord Vinayaka and other deities at the temple. The Balipeeta found at the temple’s entrance is designed in the shape of a tortoise.

Festivals

Festival in this temple was believed to have been celebrated only once in 100 years. This particular festival was called the “Perootta Vizhaa”. This was the only time when the box with the Amman idol was taken in procession in this village. However, this festival is not celebrated for many centuries now, since the villagers believed that the Amman did not grant them permission for conducting this festival. Yet, during the Tamil month of Thai (January-February), Pongal gifts are offered to Amman from the nearby Natrayar temple.

How To Reach Sri Arumkarai Amman Temple

Airport

The nearest Airport is Tirchy airport.

Railways

The closest railhead is the Karur railway station.

Road

The nearest bus stop is located at Chinna Darapuram .

Temple Address

Sri Arumkarai Amman Temple,
Periya Thirumangalam,
Chinna Darapuram,
Karur district,
Tamil Nadu - 639206.