Pudukkottai

Overview

Pudukkottai, headquartered in Pudukkottai town in central Tamil Nadu, was carved out as a separate district on 14 January 1974 by combining the Pudukkottai division of Tiruchirappalli district with parts of Thanjavur district. It holds a unique place in Tamil Nadu's history as the seat of the former Pudukkottai princely state, the only Tamil-speaking princely state in the region, ruled for generations by the Tondaiman dynasty until its merger with the Indian Union in 1948. Spread over 4,644 sq km with a population of 16.18 lakh (2011 census) and a Palk Strait coastline along its south-east, the district is dotted with rock-cut cave temples, ancient inscriptions and Jain monuments that make it one of Tamil Nadu's richest archaeological landscapes.

Tourism

Sittanavasal (Arivar Koil), a 2nd-century Jain rock-cut cave complex often called the 'Ajanta of the South', preserves rare fresco paintings on its ceiling alongside stone beds once used by Jain monks. Thirumayam Fort, built in 1687 by Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi of Ramnad and later held by the Tondaimans, stands on a rocky outcrop with sweeping views and adjoining rock-cut Shiva and Vishnu shrines. Kudumiyanmalai is famed for its rock-cut Sikharagiriswarar temple and a rare 7th-century musical inscription associated with the Pallava era, while Narthamalai's Vijayalaya Choleeswaram and nearby cave shrines showcase early medieval Tamil temple architecture. The Government Museum in Pudukkottai town, housed in the former palace complex, displays archaeological finds, sculptures and artefacts gathered from across the district.

Temples & heritage

Avudaiyarkoil's Athmanathaswamy Temple is unique for worshipping Shiva in his formless, space (aakasa) aspect, with no lingam or idol in its sanctum, and is also revered as a site associated with the Shaiva Siddhanta text Sivagnana Bodham. The Moovar Koil at Kodumbalur, built by the Irukkuvel chieftains around the 10th century, is a rare surviving group of early Chola-era temples noted for its sculptural artistry, now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Viralimalai's hilltop Murugan temple, set beside a peacock sanctuary, draws large numbers of pilgrims, while the ancient Sikharagiriswarar temple at Kudumiyanmalai remains an important Shaiva shrine as well as a heritage music site.

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