Kodunkundreeswarar Temple, Piranmalai

Dinamalar records that Sambandar called the place Embiran Malai in his hymn, from which the present name Piranmalai is derived. Thevaaram.org summarises the inscriptions: 21 were copied in 1903, of which eight were studied, including four of a Kulasekara Pandya dated in his 10th and 13th regnal years. The records name the god as Mangainathar, Kodunkundramudaiya Nayanar, Nallamangaibagar and Kundranda Nayanar, and mention a Sundara Pandyan mandapam at the entrance to the sanctum, a six-pillared hall, a Lakshmi mandapam and the Viswanathar and Subramanya shrines.

According to thevaaram.org, the Pandya kings Sundara Pandya I and II, Parakrama Pandya, Kulasekara Pandya and Vira Pandya gave cows, gold and land for lamps, food for worshippers and other services. One record of Jatavarman Vira Pandya's ninth year records the installation of an image of Thirugnana Sambandar with an endowment for its worship, and another mentions a merchants' association at Piranmalai. Of 16 inscriptions copied in 1924, five are of the Pandyas and the rest of the Vijayanagara kings, who granted villages for Veda recitation and festivals.

Wikipedia notes that the hill was fortified and that the Marudu brothers of Sivaganga, who also patronised the Kalayarkoil temple, made contributions to this temple. The summit of the hill also has a dargah, which the Sivaganga district administration lists as a place of pilgrimage open to people of all faiths.

Architecture and sacred features

Wikipedia describes a large complex of about 30 acres with three prakarams, a rajagopuram and five vimanas, built in tiers up the hillside; the uppermost Mangaibagar shrine is a cave temple. Thevaaram.org mentions a hall called the Devasabha mandapam. Dinamalar notes that the front mandapa of the upper shrine is carved with scenes of the gods gathered at Kailash for the wedding, and that the Murugan shrine has an elephant rather than a peacock as his vahana.

The temple's sacred tree is a tamarind called uranga puli ('the tamarind that does not sleep'), named because its leaves are said not to fold at night; thevaaram.org also lists the jack tree. The sacred tank is called Thenadi Theertham (Madhu Pushkarini in Dinamalar), both names referring to honey.