Ancient Shiva Temple Unearthed: Ayalavadi Villagers Restore 1000-Year-Old Shrine

The villagers of Ayalavadi in Tiruvannamalai district have successfully renovated a thousand-year-old Lord Shiva temple buried under the soil near a lake. They also performed pooja to the lingam of Lord Aalavai Sundareswarar.

The Aalavai Sundareswarar Temple, which stood for centuries, is situated by the lake in Ayalavadi village adjacent to Vandavasi. Over time, erosion from the lake has washed away the upper part and sides of the temple, causing it to be gradually buried under the soil as the lake shoreline expanded. Only the temple tower remains, now in ruins. For many years, villagers have been able to access the temple through a single entrance, where only one person at a time could bow down and worship.

In response to this situation, the villagers decided to undertake repairs by excavating the temple and removing the soil that covers its upper parts and sides. Using machinery, they are currently working to uncover these areas, and during this process, people have eagerly come to witness and pay homage to the ancient deity. The local community urges the Tamil Nadu government to promptly inspect the temple, allocate necessary funds, and commence reconstruction work before allowing public worship to resume.

 

(With inputs from Thanthi TV)

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