Karasangal - The temple of 10,008 lamps

This village named Karasangal near Padappai is quiet throughout the year except during Maha Shivaratri. Shivaratri is celebrated in a grand manner in the Malleeswarar temple in this village. 10,008 lamps would be lit as part of the celebration. To view this rare event, thousands of people from the neighborhood gather at the village during this festival time.

A villager discovered an ancient image of Shiva Linga in his field, and he kept it in his home for many years. Ultimately a Vaishnavite priest built a small temple for Shiva Linga and named him Malleeswarar in the middle of the 19th century CE. In subsequent years, more shrines were added to the temple.

It is a small temple, which is hardly visited by devotees. Shivaratri is an exception. 

It has two entrances, one in the east and another in the south, with the southern entrance being the main.

The east-facing main shrine enshrines Malleeswarar, a small Shiva Linga. Maragadambal, the Goddess is found in a south-facing shrine.

There are other sub-shrines for Karpaga Vinayaka, Subramanya-Valli-Devasena, Navagraha, Bhairava and Chandikeswara. An old icon of an elephant is placed as vahana in front of Subramanya.

Ganesha, Dakshinamurti, Vishnu, Brahma and Durga are the Koshta Devas. 

Behind Nandi, there is an old deepastambha with relief images studded on it. 

All icons in the temple are small in size. The Koshta Devas are literally tiny.

The stucco images on the Vimanas must have been made in recent times. Valli and Devasena are misplaced. Brahma is painted in blue color.

Happy travelling.