Kamanatheeswarar Aragalur

Kamanatheeswarar Aragalur is a large east-facing temple situated in 2 Prakarams. The entrance is through a gateway mandapam in the east. On the left, as you enter is a beautiful deep temple tank and the Utsava Mandapam. On the right is an ancient Kalyana Mandapam. Straight ahead is a 3 tiered Rajagopuram that leads inside the inner Prakaram. Kamanatheeswarar Aragalur is an Ashta Bhairava Sthalam having shrines for 9 forms of Bhairavas including Unmatha Bhairava, Krodhana Bhairava, Ruru Bhairava, Swarna Akarshana Bhairava, Ashtabuja Kala Bhairava, Asithanga Bhairava, Bishana Bhairava, and Kapala Bhairava. The outer Prakaram has a few shrines including that of Bishana Bhairava. From near the Bishana Bhairava, Kapala Bhairava’s shrine, on the south side on top of the Rajagopuram, can be seen. The circumambulation path in the outer Prakaram goes around the separate east facing Goddess Shrine also. The inner Prakaram is entered through the Rajagopuram. This Prakaram has cloistered mandapams on all sides with the shrines of various deities mentioned above including the other forms of Bhairavas. Kamanatheeswarar Aragalur is one of the Pancha Bhootha (five) Lingam temples situated on the banks of the Vasishta River representing Vayu (Air). On the west side of the Prakaram are the other Pancha Bootha Lingams – Prithvi Lingam (Earth – Belur), Appu (Water – Ethapur), Agni (Fire – Attur), and Akasam (Sky – Uthamacholapuram). The Goddess Shrine has a 3 tiered Gopuram on the east side. This is followed by a long mandapam, an Ardha Mandapam, and the Sanctum Sanctorum of the 5 feet tall goddess. There is a Yaga Salai outside the gopuram of the goddess shrine. There is an old Perumal Temple east of Kamanatheeswarar Aragalur and another Shiva Temple on the southwest side. There are many small Amman temples also in Aragalur. About 1.3 kilometers west of Kamanatheeswarar Aragalur is a shrine for Lord Budha as a 10 feet tall carving in a seated posture.