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Punugiswarar Temple, Mayiladuthurai

Punugiswarar Temple, located in Koorainadu, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Santha Nayaki. The temple gets its name from Punnakku Siddhar, who attained moksha here. Mayiladuthurai has been home to numerous saints, called siddhars. Literary works, like Mayiladuthurai Mahaangal, talk about the saints who lived in and around the town. A village on the outskirts of Mayiladuthurai is called Sitharkadu to this day because of the many saints who lived there once upon a time. Like the temple town of Kanchipuram, the town of Koorainadu has significance outside of religion in the textile industry. While Kanchipuram is synonymous with Kanchi silk saris, Koorainadu is famed for weaving two lengths of nine yard saris without a joint.

"Koorai" translates as "cloth" in Tamil, reinstating how inextricable Koorainadu and saris are. It is believed that when the weavers of Koorainadu suffered because of drought, the Brahmins promised to buy one sari for every wedding so they may find some measure of relief. Most traditional Iyer weddings till date find the bride in a Koorai sari.

Punugiswarar Temple Photos