Maruthuvakudi

Aduthurai ஆடுதுறை
town
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Thanjavur district
Capital	Aduthurai
Largest city	Thanjavur
Area
• Total	2.5 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
Elevation	19.5 m (64.0 ft)
Population  (2001)
• Total	11,455
• Density	5,000/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	612101
Telephone code	91 435

Located near Kumbakonam, Maruthuvakudi, also known as Aduthurai or Kurangaduthurai, is a small panchayat town situated in the Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Maruthuvakudi's major attraction is the Ten Kurangaaduturai Temple, which is believed to be the place where Sugreeva worshiped Lord Shiva. This highly revered shivasthalam is one of two Kurangaaduturai temples in Aduthurai, located south of the Cauvery River.

Origin of names

Maruthuvakudi takes its name from the demon Maruthuvasura, who lived there according to legend.

The name Aduthurai comes from the Tamil word ThenKurangaduthurai, which translates to "southern land where monkeys used to dance". The epic tales of Ramayana, in which monkeys play an important role, and especially the tales of Hanuman, may be linked to this name.

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, Maruthuvakudi had a population of 11,455. Ten percent of the population was under six years of age. Males and females each constitute 50 percent of the population. Maruthuvakudi's literacy rate is 76 percent, considerably higher than the national average of 59.5 percent.

Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute

The Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute is located in Aduthurai. The research station was first established at Manganallur in 1912, and was shifted to Aduthurai in 1922. In 1962 it was renamed the Regional Research Institute. In 1981, after 19 years of successful operation, it changed its name again to Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, or TRRI, and was elevated to Directorate of Rice Research Lead Centre in 1985.

The institute occupies around 64 hectares and produces various high-quality breeds of rice and cane sugar. The institute's main focus is on promoting short-term cultivation. Some noteworthy breeds developed here are Aduthurai 32 (ADT-32) and Aduthurai 36 (ADT-36).

Notable places near Aduthurai

Many pilgrims visit the temples located near Aduthurai each year. Temples in the Aduthurai area include the Sooriyanaar Koil-sun, Thirumangalakudi-Mangambihai Oppliappan koil-Perumal, Swamimalai-Murugan, Thirunageswarar-Raghu, and Kanajanoor-sukran temples.

The village of Viswanathapuram village is named after Lord Viswanathar, one of the names of Shiva, and contains the Vishalatchi Amman temple. The connection by marriage between Viswanathar and Vishalatchi (another name for Shiva's consort Parvati) is treated as historical, and this site is locally considered parallel with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Vishalakshi Temple in Varanasi. A local saying expresses this: "Kaasiyin veesam viswanathapuram", that is, "One part of holy Varanasi is Viswanathapuram."

There are two rivers to the north of Aduthurai: the Veera Chozhan river and the Cauvery. The landscape of rivers, trees, and paddy fields around Viswanathapuram is typical of Thanjavur district.

Schools

The Sri Kumara Gurupara Swamigal Higher Secondary School (KGSHSS) is the higher secondary school in Aduthurai. There are about 3,000 students in this school studying in both English and Tamil medium (from 6th to 12th grade). It has a computer science curriculum for +2 students, and a well established computer lab. The KGS Primary school, located on Perumal Koil Street, has classes for grades 1 to 5.

The Crescent Matriculation School is located in the nearby town of Avaniapuram and has over 2,000 students up to +2 level.

The Rice City Matriculation Higher Secondary School, situated near the Aduthurai railway station, aims to provide an all-round education for children at a low cost but with the same standard as the city schools (from kindergarten to 12th grade). Staffed by 90 teachers, the school has an enrollment of 2,500 students. In sports, it is a regular winner in junior, senior, and super senior volleyball and beach volleyball. The school has a large library and laboratory. It has achieved a 100 percent result in the 10th and 12th grade government examinations.

Temples

Temples in Aduthurai and Maruthuvakudi:

Mummoorthy Vinayagar Temple

This temple is one of the oldest temples in Maruthuvakudi. Lord Vinayaga (Ganesh), who is believed to lie in the samadhi, is the main god worshipped here. Unusually for Ganesh temples, there are three statues located here. It is believed that they were erected at the request of the villagers. The temple is located on the main road to Thirunageswaram. Unlike other temples it has no Vimaana or Gopuram.

The Dhrowpathi Amman Kovil and Veeranar Koil temples are located at far end of the Maruthuvakudi village on Thirunageswaram road. Both are dedicated to deities regarded as village deities.

Neelamegha Perumal Temple

Main article: Neelamegha Perumal Temple

Neelamegam, meaning "dark clouds", is one of the names of Lord Perumal. The Neelamegha Perumal temple (a Vaishnavite temple) is also located at Marathuvakudi.

The temple is famous for the Neelamegha Perumal statue, made of a stone that turns blue when milk is poured on the surface of the statue. The statue itself looks partially bluish. Perumal's consorts are the goddesses Sreedevi and Boomidevi. The temple is located on the same main road to Thirunageswaram.

Madhurakaliamman Temple

This is one of the most famous temples at Aduthurai. The main Goddess is Kali, known as Madhurakaliamman by locals. Each April, a four-day ceremony is celebrated, during which Kali is said to visit everyone's house. The Dance of the Goddess is famous locally. This temple land is donated by Sri Navaneetha Krishnan temple. There is another such temple in Siruvachoor (Trichy District).

Sri Navaneetha Krishnan Temple

The 300-year-old Krishnan Koil temple is located in the heart of the town. The representation of Lord Krishna poses in dancing style, raising one leg while holding butter in one hand. Two Amman deities within the temple are Sri Rukmani and Sri Sathyabama. The annual Bhramostavam festival (a cleansing festival in honor of Lord Brahma) is held during April and May (the Tamil month of Chitirai). This temple also is dedicated to Sri Hanuman Sannathi.

Sri Bhavana Maharishi Temple

The Sri Bhavana Maharishi Temple is unique in style. It is situated in the middle of Krishnan Koil street in Aduthurai. Bhavana Maharishi is the successor to Markendeya Maharishi. This temple is built in the North Indian style. Every year the Maha Sivarathiri festival is celebrated in a grand manner for 10 days. Bhavana Maharishi is the community god of the Padmasaliyar community.

Sri Sri Jeyaveera Anjaneyaswami Temple

The Sri Sri Jeyaveera Anjaneyaswami temple is located on Aduthurai Krishnankovil Street adjacent to a large pond, and is famous in this region.

Transportation

There is a railway station and a bus terminal in the town connecting other parts of Tamil Nadu. Bus route numbers 1, 13, 5A 27, 33 and 53 operates via the bus terminal. Various private and government long haul buses stop here connecting this town with major cities like chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. The nearest major railway station, Kumbakonam, is 14 kilometers away. The daily Rockfort Express train to Chennai stops there.

The town is located on the Mayiladuthurai – Kumbakonam highway, and buses are available from Mayiladuthurai and Kumbakonam.

See also

• Vannakkudi (வண்ணக்குடி)