Aragalur
Encyclopedia
Aragalur (ஆறகழூர் : ஆறு அகழி ஊர்) is a village in Salem district
, Tamil Nadu
, India
. It is about 6 km from Thalaivasal
and 70 km from Salem.
s. One of the recent records suggest that the moats could have been in concentric circles. Most of the moats have been filled and flattened to keep up the population growth.
mandalam ruled by the well known Bana
Chieftains around 1190-1260 CE. Aragalurudaiya Ponparappinan Rajarajadevan alias Magadesan was the greatest in this dynasty. Pallava
inscriptions say, Chief Vanakovaraiyan Rajarajadevan Vannenjan alias Vannenja, a subordinate of Kopperunjingadeva
- Kadava
dynasty, lived in Aragalur around 1254 CE. The chief at Aragalur also has a family title of 'Ponparappinan'- referring to the gilding of the central shrine of the Arunachaleswara Temple http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_12/stones_226_to_250.html at Tiruvannamalai
and 'Bana' the clan
/ family title. This dynasty ruled at the same period as Kulothunga Chola III
, and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I. Pandian won over Magadesan in 1251 CE but returned the kingdom back. Magadesan ruled Aragalur with out being subordinate and hence was captured and kept at Sankagiri
fort.
(SC) State Assembly seat and Kallakkurichi
(SC) Parliament seat. It is interesting to note that there are more Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes constituencies near Aragalur. State ST: Yercaud, Sendamangalam
& Uppiliapuram
. State SC: Thalaivasal
, Perambalur
, Varahur, Mangalore
& Ulundurpettai
. Parliament SC seats: Rasipuram
, Perambalur
& Chidambaram
.
carries the drainage of Kalrayan Hills
and flows through Attur, Thalaivasal and Cuddalore district with check dam
at Pakkampadi and Periyeri / Aragalur border. This river flows in Tiruchirapalli and joins Sweta Nadi before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Vasishta Nadi flows on the north and east part of the village. The Eri (argiriculture resorviour - diverted from river) feeds many parts of the wet lands. Other areas are feed by and deep open wells or borewells tapping the aquifer. There is also a concern that the ground water table is going down in this region due to excessive exploitation of ground water for agriculture.
Street, Meenavar
Street, North Street, Boyar
Street, Theepetty
Colony, Marriyamman Kovil street, Velippalaiyam, Palaiya Colony, West Colony, East Colony, Kattukottaikal
, Tharodum
Street, Solisvaran
Kovil Street & Mannathi
Street. As an elder put, this village is very well organized based on the labor skills that they provided. It can also be seen as segregation based on caste system.
Regions include: Agraharam, Raja Vedi, Valayalkara theru, Kottai (Fort?) Street, Vannara Street & Cheri.
. Also as a hub for the neighboring villages, the village Sandy (Farmers' market
) is held on the Wednesday. There, you can get the fresh farm produce sold mostly by the farmers themselves. The market street has small businesses that cater to the daily needs of the population. There are private medical practitioners and a veterinarian to take care of the people and the large cattle population.
. Alternatively, you can also reach it by a bus from Attur/Thalaivasal that runs approximately once every hour.
Nearest railway station: Thalaivasal (TVSL).
Aragalur is landlocked and depends on the Port of Chennai for most oceangoing freight.
Nearest airport is Salem Airport
(IATA: SXV – ICAO: VOSM) which is 70 km away.
faith speaking Tamil language
. There is a significant number of Sengunthar
community who are primarily weavers. This village has many temples including Sri Kamanada Eswar and Solesvara
(Ashlar
walls)- dedicated to Lord Shiva
and Karivarada Raja Perumal dedicated to Lord Vishnu
. There is also a 6 feet (1.8 m) Buddha idol and a 3 ft idol in the village of Thiyaganur on the outskirts of the Aragalur.
and cotton
, while the dry lands are more suitable for peanut
s (goundnuts) and casava. Coconut
is one of the common tall trees. The eri is planted with trees to retain the soil and also retain water due to improved cover from hot sun. The wild animals in this area include lizards, crows, sparrows and rarely rabbits. கறிவேப்பிலை karivepallai, Curry Tree
, was introduced in the early 2000s in and around Aragalur.
Shiva: Bhairava
r puja is celebrated in a grand way at the Sri Kamanada Eswar
temple 11.562717°N 78.788238°E on the 8th day after the new moon
day (Ashtami) at midnight. This is probably the only temple having like this Bairavar pooja in Tamil Nadu. On the day before Panguni Uthiram
, morning sun-ray directly falls on the Lingam
and is worshiped at this time by small number of traditional local families. This next occurs on March 18, 2011. This temple has a Temple tank
, though dry for most part of the year. Kameshwara
temple stala Purana indicates that the Kamadeva woke up Siva at this place. There is a village named Kaamakkaapaliyam
in this locality. Sri Kamanada Eswar temple was built prior to 1206 CE and hosts many Epigraphs
of historic and Archaeological
importance and it is maintained by Tamil Nadu Government Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments ministry. The epigraphs were collected by the British Raj
in 1931CE and numbered it 408 - 455. Bhirava pooja here is recent phenomena - since September 17, 1993CE, and it is getting very popular and the village bustles with transient business. The vimana
is of 3 levels and it has Temple tank
.
Vishnu: Rajaraja Vanar Kovaraiyan built Karivaradha Perumal Kovil (Vishnu) 11.562402°N 78.789074°E in 12th century that is facing West. There are nice Dasavatara murals with the 9th avatar as Budha
. This temple has a Temple tank
having water. Its water is not used or minimally used for the ritualistic activity. This is parrikara sthalam for the people with stars Uthiradam, Thiruvonam
, Avittam
& Moolam
. The vimana
is of 3 levels and it has Temple tank
.
Both the Sri Kamadada (consort's temple pillar) and Karivaradha Perumal (roof) temples have the sun, moon and the dagger Royal Insignia of the Vijayanagara Empire
embossed on the granite wall/pillar.
Solesvara
n Temple: 11.562002°N 78.787401°EThis temple gives the old name for the village as 'Thayinum nalla chozhiswaram'. The temple is constructed using Granite
stones with no mortar. There is one inscription in the temple, Nandi in separate Mandapa
. There is another small temple for the goddess adjacent to the Solesvaran temple and the construction is similar to the mail temple. Locals believe that this was constructed by/in honor of Kulothunga Chola III
. In 2007, volunteers have cleared the vegetation over growth on the roof of this temple.
Ambairamman
temple11.571147°N 78.788109°E, on the Vasishta Nadi, has 2 Vinayakars
that's not as common.
Temple car
s: (Donated by Eramanchi Tulukanna Nayaka 1518 under Vijayanagara Empire
ruler Krishnadevaraya
) in ruins - not maintained. The art work is brilliant even in the current condition.
Buddha temple: The Budha 11.56093°N 78.779955°Etemple and Buddha statues are found in the neighboring village Thiyaganur is another attraction to visitors.
For the visitors who have extra time on their hand there is no shortage of temples, small and big, in this small village. There are 21 temples for the tiny population of this village.
Bronze Jain statues were present in this village. They are probably moved to Salem museum
.
International tourists have visited Aragalur in 2007 as part of Agritourism
due to promotion of Organic Farming
by few enterprising farmers - using the Hospitality service
.
There are couple of restaurants that provide basic food to the locals and tourists. For accommodation, Attur is the nearest desirable place.
There are 12 Siva temples located on villages through which Vasishta Nadi
flows. These include the panchaboodhas (Five Classical Elements or Tattva
): Belur Thandodreswarar (land
), Ethapur
Sambavamoortheswarar (water
), Attur
Kottai Kayanirmeshwarar (Fire
), Aragalur Kamanadeshwarar (Air
) & Koogayur Swarnapurieswarar (Sky).
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is about 6 km from Thalaivasal
Thalaivasal
Thalaivasal is a village, block headquarter and State Assembly Seat in Salem district, Tamil Nadu - India.-Etymology:In Tamil the word Thalai means Head and Vasal means entrance...
and 70 km from Salem.
Etymology
Aragalur literally means "six moat place" or the village having six moatMoat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
s. One of the recent records suggest that the moats could have been in concentric circles. Most of the moats have been filled and flattened to keep up the population growth.
History
Aragalur (Arakalur / Aragaloor / Aragazhur) was the capital of MagadaiMagadai
Magadai or Magadai Mandalam was a Tamil dynasty that flourished during the 13th and 14th centuries near the modern-day Aragalur. Aragalurudaiya Ponparappinan Rajarajadevan, alias Magadesan, was the Bana chief who ruled this region around 1197...
mandalam ruled by the well known Bana
Bana Kingdom
The Banas were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from the asura Mahabali. The dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the Cholas and Pandyas as feudatories, sometimes...
Chieftains around 1190-1260 CE. Aragalurudaiya Ponparappinan Rajarajadevan alias Magadesan was the greatest in this dynasty. Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
inscriptions say, Chief Vanakovaraiyan Rajarajadevan Vannenjan alias Vannenja, a subordinate of Kopperunjingadeva
Kopperunchinga II
Kopperunchinga II was a Kadava chieftain, who succeeded his father Kopperunchinga I and continued his successes against the Hoysalas. Since the Chola power no longer constituted a threat, Kopperunchinga II acted as the de facto protector of the Chola king and helped him maintain his position on...
- Kadava
Kadava
Kadava was the name of a Tamil ruling dynasty who ruled parts of the Tamil country during the thirteenth and the fourteenth century CE. Kadavas were related to the Pallava dynasty and ruled from Kudalur near Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.The Kadava kingdom was at the height of their power briefly...
dynasty, lived in Aragalur around 1254 CE. The chief at Aragalur also has a family title of 'Ponparappinan'- referring to the gilding of the central shrine of the Arunachaleswara Temple http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_12/stones_226_to_250.html at Tiruvannamalai
Tiruvannamalai
Thiruvannamalai is a pilgrimage Temple city and special grade municipality in Thiruvannamalai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai district. Thiruvannamalai is home to the Annamalaiyar Temple located at the foot of the Annamalai hill and...
and 'Bana' the clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
/ family title. This dynasty ruled at the same period as Kulothunga Chola III
Kulothunga Chola III
Kulothunga Chola III was the ruler of the Chola empire from 1178 to 1218 AD, after succeeding Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Pandyas of Madurai, Cheras of Venad, Hoysalas of Mysore, the Sinhala...
, and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I. Pandian won over Magadesan in 1251 CE but returned the kingdom back. Magadesan ruled Aragalur with out being subordinate and hence was captured and kept at Sankagiri
Sankagiri
Sankagiri Fort is a historical fort maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is located 22 km from the city of Erode and 38 km from Salem.- SANKAGIRI FORT :...
fort.
Politics
Aragalur is part of the GangavalliGangavalli
Gangavalli is a panchayat town in Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Geography:Gangavalli is located at . It has an average elevation of 292 metres .-History:...
(SC) State Assembly seat and Kallakkurichi
Kallakkurichi
Kallakurichi is a municipality in Viluppuram district in state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Demographics: India census, Kallakurichi had a population of 36,742. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Kallakurichi has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of...
(SC) Parliament seat. It is interesting to note that there are more Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes constituencies near Aragalur. State ST: Yercaud, Sendamangalam
Sendamangalam
Sendamangalam is a panchayat town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of Sendamangalam Block in Namakkal District.-Geography:...
& Uppiliapuram
Uppiliapuram
Uppiliapuram is a panchayat town in Tiruchirappalli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Uppiliyapuram is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
. State SC: Thalaivasal
Thalaivasal
Thalaivasal is a village, block headquarter and State Assembly Seat in Salem district, Tamil Nadu - India.-Etymology:In Tamil the word Thalai means Head and Vasal means entrance...
, Perambalur
Perambalur
Perambalur is a district headquarters and a taluk and municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Perambalur District came in to existence after trifurcation of Tiruchirappalli district with effect from 30.09.1995.- Geography :...
, Varahur, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
& Ulundurpettai
Ulundurpettai
Ulundurpet is a panchayat town in Villupuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Ulundurpet is a state assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu.Ulundurpet is one of the taluk headquarters in the southern region of Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu....
. Parliament SC seats: Rasipuram
Rasipuram
Rasipuram is a municipal corporation in Namakkal district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a town from Salem, India.-History:...
, Perambalur
Perambalur
Perambalur is a district headquarters and a taluk and municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Perambalur District came in to existence after trifurcation of Tiruchirappalli district with effect from 30.09.1995.- Geography :...
& Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
.
Geography
Vasishta NadiVasishta Nadi
Vasishta Nadi, named after the Hindu sage Vasishtha, originates from Salem district, flows through Attur, Pattuthurai, Thalaivasal, Aragalur, Sitheri and Cuddalore district. This river flows in Tiruchirapalli and joins Sweata Nadi before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Dams on the river are located...
carries the drainage of Kalrayan Hills
Kalrayan Hills
The Kalrayan Hills are a major range of hills situated in the Eastern Ghats of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Along with the Pachaimalai, Javadi, and Shevaroy hills, they separate the Kaveri River basin to the south from the Palar River basin to the north...
and flows through Attur, Thalaivasal and Cuddalore district with check dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
at Pakkampadi and Periyeri / Aragalur border. This river flows in Tiruchirapalli and joins Sweta Nadi before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Vasishta Nadi flows on the north and east part of the village. The Eri (argiriculture resorviour - diverted from river) feeds many parts of the wet lands. Other areas are feed by and deep open wells or borewells tapping the aquifer. There is also a concern that the ground water table is going down in this region due to excessive exploitation of ground water for agriculture.
Surrounding Places
Neighborhoods
Anna Nagar Santhu, BazaarBazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
Street, Meenavar
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
Street, North Street, Boyar
Boyar (caste)
A boyar, also spelled boya, meaning Hunter or Warrior, denotes the leader of a group or head of a territory. They constitute the Kshatriya or Warrior class of India and are believed to have originated from an ancient people called the Kirata , a generic term in Sanskrit literature for people who...
Street, Theepetty
Match
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
Colony, Marriyamman Kovil street, Velippalaiyam, Palaiya Colony, West Colony, East Colony, Kattukottaikal
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
, Tharodum
Temple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
Street, Solisvaran
Solesvara
The Solesvara temples were in honor of the Chola kings, who were believers in Shiva, the Hindu god.Other Shiva temples built by Chola:* Sundaresvara temple at Tirukattalai * Komganatha temple at Srinivasanallur...
Kovil Street & Mannathi
Nath
The Sanskrit word nāthá or नाथ, is the proper name of a Hindu initiatory tradition and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge"...
Street. As an elder put, this village is very well organized based on the labor skills that they provided. It can also be seen as segregation based on caste system.
Regions include: Agraharam, Raja Vedi, Valayalkara theru, Kottai (Fort?) Street, Vannara Street & Cheri.
Economy
Aragalur is primarily an agriculture village. Cattle (Cow, Buffalo, Goat, and Chicken) are grown for the milk, meat, leather and as working animalWorking animal
A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide or service dogs, or they may be animals trained strictly to perform a job, such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, a...
. Also as a hub for the neighboring villages, the village Sandy (Farmers' market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
) is held on the Wednesday. There, you can get the fresh farm produce sold mostly by the farmers themselves. The market street has small businesses that cater to the daily needs of the population. There are private medical practitioners and a veterinarian to take care of the people and the large cattle population.
Transportation
The mode to reach Aragalur is by taxi from Thaliavasal or AtturAttur
Attur is a town, municipality and capital of Attur Taluk in the Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Etymology:The name of the town derives from the word "Aaru", meaning "River" and "Oor", meaning "Town/City/village" - Vasishta Nadi...
. Alternatively, you can also reach it by a bus from Attur/Thalaivasal that runs approximately once every hour.
Nearest railway station: Thalaivasal (TVSL).
Aragalur is landlocked and depends on the Port of Chennai for most oceangoing freight.
Nearest airport is Salem Airport
Salem Airport (India)
Salem Airport is located in Kamalapuram, Salem, India. This airport serves Salem city and the districts of Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. Salem Airport is being connected only by from Chennai....
(IATA: SXV – ICAO: VOSM) which is 70 km away.
Communication
Indian Postal Service operates a Sub-Office (636 101) at Aragalur. There is a telephone exchange catering to the land line telephones. Recently the usage of mobile phones has increased in the village and shops selling them are available.Education
Educational institutions include- Bharathi Vidya Mandir Matriculation School
- Panchayat Union Elementary School
- Government Boys Higher Secondary School
- Government Girls High School
Demographics
People of Aragalur are predominantly of HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
faith speaking Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. There is a significant number of Sengunthar
Sengunthar
Sengunthar or Kaikolar is a Tamil community found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and also in some parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Sengunthars use the title of Mudaliar after their names...
community who are primarily weavers. This village has many temples including Sri Kamanada Eswar and Solesvara
Solesvara
The Solesvara temples were in honor of the Chola kings, who were believers in Shiva, the Hindu god.Other Shiva temples built by Chola:* Sundaresvara temple at Tirukattalai * Komganatha temple at Srinivasanallur...
(Ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
walls)- dedicated to Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Karivarada Raja Perumal dedicated to Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. There is also a 6 feet (1.8 m) Buddha idol and a 3 ft idol in the village of Thiyaganur on the outskirts of the Aragalur.
Flora and fauna
Lake fed areas are cultivated with riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, while the dry lands are more suitable for peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s (goundnuts) and casava. Coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
is one of the common tall trees. The eri is planted with trees to retain the soil and also retain water due to improved cover from hot sun. The wild animals in this area include lizards, crows, sparrows and rarely rabbits. கறிவேப்பிலை karivepallai, Curry Tree
Curry Tree
The curry tree is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae, which is native to India...
, was introduced in the early 2000s in and around Aragalur.
Tourism
Temples are primary attraction and few select days in the year are special for each of the big temples. Taking the god for a tour in the evening happens on auspicious occasions around the Raja Vedi. Aragalur celebrates many festivals like Pongal where the friends and relatives of nearby villages are invited.Shiva: Bhairava
Bhairava
Bhairava , sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji , Kaala Bhairavar or Vairavar , is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation...
r puja is celebrated in a grand way at the Sri Kamanada Eswar
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple 11.562717°N 78.788238°E on the 8th day after the new moon
New moon
In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
day (Ashtami) at midnight. This is probably the only temple having like this Bairavar pooja in Tamil Nadu. On the day before Panguni Uthiram
Panguni Uthiram
-Panguni Uthiram :Panguni Uthiram is a day of importance to Tamil Hindus. It falls on the day the moon transits in the asterism or nakshatram of Uttara-phalguni or Uthiram in the twelfth month of the Tamil solar calendar i.e. Panguni...
, morning sun-ray directly falls on the Lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
and is worshiped at this time by small number of traditional local families. This next occurs on March 18, 2011. This temple has a Temple tank
Temple tank
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex in Indian temples. Bathing in the sacred waters of these tanks is thought to cure disease and maladies...
, though dry for most part of the year. Kameshwara
Kamadeva
Kāmadeva is the Hindu god of human love or desire. Other names for him include; Atanu , Ragavrinta , Ananga , Kandarpa , Manmatha , Manasija ,...
temple stala Purana indicates that the Kamadeva woke up Siva at this place. There is a village named Kaamakkaapaliyam
Kaamakkaapaliyam
Kamakkapalayam is a village in Salem district, Thalaivasal block in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Kamakkapalayam is about four kilometres south of Thalaivasal towards Veeraganur.-History:...
in this locality. Sri Kamanada Eswar temple was built prior to 1206 CE and hosts many Epigraphs
Epigraphy
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
of historic and Archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
importance and it is maintained by Tamil Nadu Government Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments ministry. The epigraphs were collected by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in 1931CE and numbered it 408 - 455. Bhirava pooja here is recent phenomena - since September 17, 1993CE, and it is getting very popular and the village bustles with transient business. The vimana
Vimana (shrine)
Vimana is a term for the tower above the Garbhagriha or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temple.-Architecture:A typical Hindu temple in Dravidian style may have multiple gopurams, typically constructed into multiple walls in tiers around the main shrine...
is of 3 levels and it has Temple tank
Temple tank
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex in Indian temples. Bathing in the sacred waters of these tanks is thought to cure disease and maladies...
.
Vishnu: Rajaraja Vanar Kovaraiyan built Karivaradha Perumal Kovil (Vishnu) 11.562402°N 78.789074°E in 12th century that is facing West. There are nice Dasavatara murals with the 9th avatar as Budha
Budha
In Hindu mythology, Budha is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra with Tara or Rohini. He is also the god of merchandise and protector of Merchants....
. This temple has a Temple tank
Temple tank
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex in Indian temples. Bathing in the sacred waters of these tanks is thought to cure disease and maladies...
having water. Its water is not used or minimally used for the ritualistic activity. This is parrikara sthalam for the people with stars Uthiradam, Thiruvonam
Shravana
Shravana is the 22nd nakshatra or lunar mansion as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology. It belongs to the constellation Makara or Capricorn....
, Avittam
Dhanishta
Dhanishta is the twenty-third nakshatra in Hindu astronomy, corresponding to α to δ Delphini. It is also known as Dhanishtha or Avittam...
& Moolam
Mula (astrology)
Mula is the 19th nakshatra or lunar mansion in Vedic astrology and corresponds to the stars ε, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, υ, λ, μ and ν Scorpii in the tail/sting of Scorpius. The symbol of Mula is a bunch of roots tied together or an 'elephant goad' and the Deity associated with it is Niriti, god of...
. The vimana
Vimana (shrine)
Vimana is a term for the tower above the Garbhagriha or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temple.-Architecture:A typical Hindu temple in Dravidian style may have multiple gopurams, typically constructed into multiple walls in tiers around the main shrine...
is of 3 levels and it has Temple tank
Temple tank
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex in Indian temples. Bathing in the sacred waters of these tanks is thought to cure disease and maladies...
.
Both the Sri Kamadada (consort's temple pillar) and Karivaradha Perumal (roof) temples have the sun, moon and the dagger Royal Insignia of the Vijayanagara Empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
embossed on the granite wall/pillar.
Solesvara
Solesvara
The Solesvara temples were in honor of the Chola kings, who were believers in Shiva, the Hindu god.Other Shiva temples built by Chola:* Sundaresvara temple at Tirukattalai * Komganatha temple at Srinivasanallur...
n Temple: 11.562002°N 78.787401°EThis temple gives the old name for the village as 'Thayinum nalla chozhiswaram'. The temple is constructed using Granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
stones with no mortar. There is one inscription in the temple, Nandi in separate Mandapa
Mandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
. There is another small temple for the goddess adjacent to the Solesvaran temple and the construction is similar to the mail temple. Locals believe that this was constructed by/in honor of Kulothunga Chola III
Kulothunga Chola III
Kulothunga Chola III was the ruler of the Chola empire from 1178 to 1218 AD, after succeeding Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Pandyas of Madurai, Cheras of Venad, Hoysalas of Mysore, the Sinhala...
. In 2007, volunteers have cleared the vegetation over growth on the roof of this temple.
Ambairamman
Mariamman
Māri ,Tulu, also known as Mariamman , both meaning "Mother Mari", spelt also Maariamma , or simply Amman or Aatha is the South Indian Hindu goddess of disease and rain. She is the main South Indian mother goddess, predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and...
temple11.571147°N 78.788109°E, on the Vasishta Nadi, has 2 Vinayakars
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
that's not as common.
Temple car
Temple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
s: (Donated by Eramanchi Tulukanna Nayaka 1518 under Vijayanagara Empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
ruler Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya
Śrī Kriṣhṇa Devarāya , , , and also known as Krishna Devarayulu in some inscriptions was the famed Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529 CE.He is the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians...
) in ruins - not maintained. The art work is brilliant even in the current condition.
Buddha temple: The Budha 11.56093°N 78.779955°Etemple and Buddha statues are found in the neighboring village Thiyaganur is another attraction to visitors.
For the visitors who have extra time on their hand there is no shortage of temples, small and big, in this small village. There are 21 temples for the tiny population of this village.
Bronze Jain statues were present in this village. They are probably moved to Salem museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
.
International tourists have visited Aragalur in 2007 as part of Agritourism
Agritourism
Agritourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Agritourism has different definitions in different parts of the world, and sometimes refers specifically to farm stays, as in Italy...
due to promotion of Organic Farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
by few enterprising farmers - using the Hospitality service
Hospitality service
The concept of hospitality exchange, also known as "accommodation sharing", "hospitality services" , and "home stay networks", "home hospitality" , refers to centrally organized social networks of individuals, generally travelers, who offer or seek accommodation without monetary exchange...
.
There are couple of restaurants that provide basic food to the locals and tourists. For accommodation, Attur is the nearest desirable place.
There are 12 Siva temples located on villages through which Vasishta Nadi
Vasishta Nadi
Vasishta Nadi, named after the Hindu sage Vasishtha, originates from Salem district, flows through Attur, Pattuthurai, Thalaivasal, Aragalur, Sitheri and Cuddalore district. This river flows in Tiruchirapalli and joins Sweata Nadi before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Dams on the river are located...
flows. These include the panchaboodhas (Five Classical Elements or Tattva
Tattva
Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a tattva is an element or aspect of reality conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they...
): Belur Thandodreswarar (land
Bhumi
Bhumi can mean:* Bhūmi, Hindu goddess of the earth**also, earth as a classical element in Hindu tradition* Bhumi , the ten stages a Bodhisattva advances through in the path to become a Buddha...
), Ethapur
Ethapur
Ethapur is a panchayat town in Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Demographics: India census, Ethapur had a population of 10,054. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Ethapur has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male...
Sambavamoortheswarar (water
Ap (water)
Ap is the Vedic Sanskrit term for "water", in Classical Sanskrit occurring only in the plural, , whence Hindi . The term is from PIE hxap "water"....
), Attur
Attur
Attur is a town, municipality and capital of Attur Taluk in the Salem district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Etymology:The name of the town derives from the word "Aaru", meaning "River" and "Oor", meaning "Town/City/village" - Vasishta Nadi...
Kottai Kayanirmeshwarar (Fire
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
), Aragalur Kamanadeshwarar (Air
Vayu
Vāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman...
) & Koogayur Swarnapurieswarar (Sky).