Kodikkarai

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Nagapattinam district map

Kodiyakarai in Nagapattinam

Kodiakkarai is a low headland of the Coromandel Coast, in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on Ram Van Gaman Path.

Variants

• Kodiyakarai
• Kodiakkarai
• Point Calimere
• Cape Calimere

Location

The Cape is located about 9 kilometres south of Vedaranyam in the delta region of the Cauvery River, and marks a nearly right-angle turn in the coastline.

History

The antiquity of the area is evidenced by the Kodi Kuzhagar temple built during the Chola period, and a Chola lighthouse, which was destroyed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Kodiakkarai has been designated as a Ramsar site since August 2002.

It is also mentioned by Kalki in his historical novel Ponniyin Selvan.

In Ramayana

Ramar Padam shrine containing the footprints of Lord Rama in stone

Kodiyakarai or Point Calimere is associated with the Hindu epic, The Ramayana. The highest point of the cape, at an elevation of 13 ft, is Ramarpatham, meaning "Rama's feet" in Tamil. A stone slab on the Cape bears the impressions of two feet and is said to be the place where Rama stood and reconnoitered Ravana's kingdom in Sri Lanka, which is 48 kms to the south of the Point.

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary

The forests of Kodiakkarai, also known the Vedaranyam forests, are one of the last remnants of the dry evergreen forests that were once typical of East Deccan dry evergreen forests ecoregion. The Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, with an area of 24.17 square kilometres, was created on 13 June 1967.

Cultural Heritage

Several sites of religious, historical or cultural importance are located within the sanctuary:

• Ramar Padam shrine containing the footprints of Lord Rama in stone Ramar Padam (literally: Ramas Footprint) located on the highest point of land in the sanctuary, is a small shrine containing the stone footprints of Lord Rama.

• Kuzhagar Temple or Kodi Kuzhagar Temple (also called Amrithakadeswarar Temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in the town of Kodikkarai in Tamil Nadu, India. Kuzhagar is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. Kuzhagar temple is originally believed to have been built by the Cholas and it has several inscriptions dating back to the Chola period.

• Navakodi Sitthar Aalayam is a temple in south of the Kodiakkarai village. The history of this temple is the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Parvathy ammaal have been attended by lot many Sitthars at this location. Chola Emperor and Mannar Sarafoji were visited this temple.

• Sanyasin Muniaswar Kovil is a shrine between the eastern bank of Muniappan Lake and Kodiakkarai Road visited by devotees on all auspicious occasions. On 20 March a special Puja is celebrated here.

• Mattumunian Kovil is a small temple in the south of the sanctuary where people worship and offer prayers throughout the year. A major festival occurs here on the 3rd Friday of September.

• Modi Mandapam is a shrine located near Ramar Padam where people of all castes worship. Hindu legend says that Lord Vedaraneswarer spends a night here with his consort during January - February. In the first week of March a major festival is held here.

• Avulaiganni Dargah is the grave of a Muslim saint located near the road by Ramar Padam. His death anniversary is observed here at the end of November.

• Shevrayan Kovil is a shrine to the deities Shevrayan and Soni located deep in the forests of the northern part of the sanctuary.

• Chola Lighthouse is the remains of a brick and mortar lighthouse near Point Calimerem. It is said to have been built by the Cholas more than a thousand years ago. This structure was badly damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami but can still be seen in the intertidal zone near the British lighthouse.

• British Lighthouse is a 13-metre tall operating lighthouse built by the British at the tip of Point Calemere in 1890 and can be seen 13 nautical miles at sea.

• Kodiakkarai Lighthouse is a 45-metre (148 ft) tall modern aid to navigation located near Kodiakkarai Beach. This dominates the sanctuary and may be seen by seamen far at sea.