Melakadambur is a village located 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) from Chidambaram

Chidambaram

Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...

,and can reach at 6 km from Kattumannarkoil, Cuddalore district

Cuddalore District

Cuddalore District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Cuddalore is the district headquarters. For the first time, urn burial grave goods were found in the village of Marungur in the district, carrying inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi from the 1st century...

, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for Arulmigu Amirthakateshwarar Thirukkoil, constructed during the reign of Cholas by Kulothunga Chola. The temple and the village are well known in Ponniyin Selvan history, as they are over than 1,000 years old.
The Sivan

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 temple at Melakadambur is a paadal petra thalam. This Sivalinga is Self-manifested or Swayambhu

Swayambhu

Swayambhu means Self-manifested or that which is created by its own accord.-Vaishnavism:Based on details in Bhagavata Purana and Matsya Purana, Narayana or Krishna is said to be the Self-manifested Swayambhu form of Brahman as the first cause of creation...

 Linga.

Devara shrine

It's a Devara shrine of north shored Kaveri river. There are 63 shrines along the North bank of River Kaveri, including Melakadambur that lists as the 34th. The well known Nalvar praised the Lord of this shrine and made three pathigams on him. Also Arunagirinathar, Vannacharabamn Thandapani Swamigal, and Vallalar came here to sing in praise of this Lord. In every Yuga some Deva's came this place to worship this Lord Amirthakadeswara. In Threthayuga Surya, Chandra, Indira, Romarishi came to worship. In Threthayuga Ashtaparvathas and Parvatharajan came to worship. In Kaliyuga, Pathanjali came to worship this sthala.

Karakkoil

There are nine types of Hindu temple structures. Amongst them, Karakkoil is a structure that the vimana is in chariot like structure. The structure is pulled by horses looks an enchanting appearance.
This Karakkoil has been built by the famous chalukkya chola Kulothunga-I in the year-1113 AD the king's 43rd governing year.This temple is like a chariot like structue two horses pulling Ratha. The temple was finely sculptured with many purana stories like Ramayan,krishna leela, Nayanmar stories and other stories of siva.
The basement is called Adhittanam this temples adhittanam is laid of 18 layered adittanam called pathmaga pandham, and manjapathram.

Sun Worship

It's rare scene to view. During the 3rd, 4th, 5th day of the Tamil month of Panguni, twelfth month of Tamil Calendar

Tamil calendar

The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...

, early during sunrise at 6.15 am, the Sun's rays will fall on Lord Amirthakateshwara Lingam for about fifteen minutes. At that time special pooja's are offered to the Lord . The shrine Goddess Jothiminnammai seems as Kalaimagal in Morning and Thirumagal in Evening and Malaimagal in Night.

Vinayaga

When Rajendra Chola won the war on Ganges countries, he brought the Ganapathy statues from the North Indian territory, One was placed at Thiruchenkattankudi, one was placed in Melakkadambur. It is believed that Ganapathy worship in Tamil Nadu came to spread wide after this.This Vinayaga is not look like as chola art, positioned as north Indian style.

Saniswara

In this temple Lord Saniswara seems lying on Kazhugu(Eagle) instead of Kaagam (Crow) because of that before the Ramayana period eagle is the vagana of Saniswara, from this we can know that this temple belongs to a period of copper age.

Dasa Bhuja Rishaba Thandavamoorthy

A specialised idol kept in this temple called Dasa Bhuja Rishaba Thandavamoorthy,Lord Shiva dancing on a bull with all ten hands spread and holding weapons and all Deva's surrounding his feet. This is believed to be a Pala dynasty idol that came to Tamil Nadu-Melakadambur along with victorious King Rajendra Chola I

Rajendra Chola I

Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I and was one of the greatest rulers of Tamil Chola dynasty of India. He succeeded his father in 1014 CE as the Chola emperor...

of Bengal war.after Rajendra this idol kept in this Melakadambur temple built by the king Kulothunga I in 1110 AD and donated this idol and some Vidangar's. Devotees can see this idol only on Pradosha days.
'Temple contact no.'
Gurukkal-04144 264638
trustee- 04144 26462

kadamba tree
Kadambu tree is the sthala vriksha of the siva temple situated here. This village is naed as kadambur because of that tree kadambu, its named in botanical as Anthocepalus Cadamba of Rubicea family, this Kadambur then bifurcated in to Melakadambur and Keezhakadambur.

Festivals of this village

This village once upon a time called as Thirukkadambur in 6th–19th century, we can know this by means of the padhigams of Thirunavukkarasar and Thirugnanasambandar nayanmars, Every month festivals being celebrated in good manner

1. chithirai—Tamil varuda pirappu,Nataraja abishegam Thirunavukarasar guru pooja

2.vaikasi----Visaga uthsavam for Murugan, Thirugnanasambandar gurupooja

3.Ani--------Ani thirumanjanam Manickavasaga gurupooja

4.Aadi-------Amman abishegam in pooram, Sundarar gurupooj

5.Avani------vinayagar chathurthi

6.Purattasi—Navaraththiri

7.Ippasi-----Kandhasashti, Thirukkalyanam

8.Karthigai—108 sangabishegam in somavaram

9.Margazhi—Thirupalliyezhuchi in early morning

10.Thai-------Pongal pooja magarasangranthi

11.Maasi-----Mahasivarathri

12.panguni—Soorya pooja on 3,4,5 at early sunrise

Dakshanamoorthi

In Kadambur temple the moolasthanam is made up as a chariot like structure, on that structure's south side a statue is the Dakshanamoorthi who sat on a rishaba below a kal aalam (stone banyan tree) was a fine example of stone made statue. This statue is one of a sculptural beauty it has a hole on the left ear that extends up to the right ear.