Sri Kodunkundreeswar Temple, situated in the hilly village of Piranmalai in Singampunari Taluk, Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu, is a historic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Besides Kodunkundreeswar, the village also houses a Bhairavar temple. Piranmalai is a fortified hill over 2,000 feet high, serving as the last outcrop of the Eastern Ghats. The village has a deep spiritual heritage, including a dargah of Waliullah Sheikh Abdullah Shaheb on the hill’s peak.
Historically, Piranmalai was ruled by Vallal Paari, one of the seven Vallals. The area was once covered in dense jungle, part of an extensive forest stretching from the Eastern Ghats to the Palk Straits. The Marudhu brothers of Sivagangai, associated with Kalayar Kovil, contributed significantly to this temple. The village is divided into five areas: Piranmalai Main, Mathagupatti, Pudupatti, Pappapatti, and Adiyarkulam, reflecting its cultural and geographic significance.
According to mythology, Piranmalai is said to be a fragment of Mount Meru, displaced during a conflict between Aadiseshan and Vaayu. This hill, shaped like a Sivalingam, is called Prachandragiri and Katoragiri. It’s believed that Bhrama, Saraswati, Subramanya, and Nandi worshipped Shiva here, and that Shiva revealed a vision of his marriage with Parvati to Agasthya Muni. Natural carvings on the hill depict this divine union of Lord Mangaibaagar (Shiva) and Goddess Thenammal (Parvati).
The temple architecture spans 30 acres, featuring three prakarams, a Rajagopuram, and five vimanams across a three-tier structure representing Pathala, Bhūmi, and Antariksham. Each level has unique sanctums, with Kodunkundra Nathar in the Pathala loka, Vishwanathar with Vishalakshi in the middle tier, and Mangai Pagar in the top cave-like tier. Unique to this temple are the Urangapuli tree, which has non-folding leaves, and the six-month sunlight on the sanctum, making it a revered Paadal Petra Sthalam.