worship Lord Sundareswarar would ensure prosperity

The temple is praised in the Thevaram hymns of Saint Tirugnana Sambandar. This is the 8th Shiva Temple on the northern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.

Sri Sundareswarar Temple, (Tirukalikamoor), Annappanpettai-609 106. Thennampattinam Post, Sirkali Taluk, Nagapattinam district.

The temple is small in size.  There are no Rajagopuram and Kodimaram-flag post.  Sage Parasara Maharshi appears worshipping Lord Shiva.  Mother Durga in the Ghoshta blesses the devotees with 8 hands. Lord Viswanatha with Mother Akhilandeswari graces from a shrine in prakara.  There is also a shrine for Lord Muruga with Valli and Deivanai.  Of the Navagraha-9 planets- the temple for planet Mercury-Budha in Tiruvenkadu is just 6 km far from this place.  Lord Vinayaka blesses the devotees with the name of Selva Siddhi Vinayaka.

Devotees believe that consuming vilwa leaves used for the archana of the Lord have all the medical effects to cure diseases.  Saint Tirugnana Sambandar, in his Thevaram hymn states that worshipping Lord of the temple would relieve the devotee of his ailments and ensure prosperity.  There is a shrine for Lord Viswanatha in the prakara.  As the place has Lord Shiva removing all hardships (kali), the place is named Kalikamoor.

There are Shiva temples with more than one Vinayaka side by side in a single shrine.  Here, besides a shrine for one Vinayaka, two Vinayakas are at the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum on both sides as dwarapalakas.

Traditionally, in temples on the bank of rivers, Lord Shiva visits the river for Theerthavari, a bathing festival.  In this temple, on the Masi Magam day, Mother Ambica alone is taken to the sea shore for Theerthavari.  The story is as follows:

Earlier, the temple had a Shiva shrine only.  A fisherman here caught an Ambica idol from the sea while fishing.  Sooner he took the idol from the net, he felt a severe stomach pain.  However, he brought it to the temple despite his pain.  Sooner he reached the temple the pain miraculously disappeared.  Ambica was installed in the temple.  As Ambica came from the sea, remembering this event, She alone is taken to the sea for the Theerthavari festival.  The Navagrahas-9 planets in the temple are in standing form without their vahans.

Sage Shakti was a staunch Lord Shiva devotee.  When his wife Tirashanti was pregnant, he was killed by a demon Udhiran.  His son was very sad that his mother was a widow when he was born.  He, named Parasara grew into a great scholar in Vedas and scriptures.  He conducted a yajna to revenge demon Udhiran and accomplished his aim.  However, as he committed a killing, to wash the sin he visited many Shiva temples.  He was granted darshan by the Lord in this place in a handsome form.  As requested by the sage, Lord Shiva stayed here in the name of Sundareswara.  Sundaram means beauty.  He also bears the name Vilwavana Nathar as the place was dense with Vilwa trees.

        Moolavar : Sundareswarar
  Amman / Thayar :  Azhagammai
  Thala Virutcham :  Vilwa
  Theertham : Chandra Theertham
  Agamam / Pooja : Shivagama
  Old year : 1000-2000 years old
  Historical Name : Kalikamoor
  City : Annappanpettai
  District : Nagapattinam
  State :  Tamil Nadu

Thirumurai 3.105

திருக்கலிக்காமூர்

பாடல் எண் : 1

மடல்வரை யின்மது விம்முசோலை வயல்சூழ்ந் தழகாருங்
கடல்வரை யோதங் கலந்துமுத்தஞ் சொரியுங் கலிக்காமூர்
உடல்வரை யின்னுயிர் வாழ்க்கையாய வொருவன் கழலேத்த
இடர்தொட ராவினை யானசிந்தும் மிறைவன் னருளாமே.

பாடல் எண் : 2

மைவரை போற்றிரை யோடுகூடிப் புடையே மலிந்தோதங்
கைவரை யால்வளர் சங்கமெங்கும் மிகுக்குங் கலிக்காமூர்
மெய்வரை யான்மகள் பாகன்றன்னை விரும்ப வுடல்வாழும்
ஐவரை யாசறுத் தாளுமென்பர் அதுவுஞ் சரதமே.

பாடல் எண் : 3

தூவிய நீர்மல ரேந்திவையத் தவர்க டொழுதேத்தக்
காவியி னேர்விழி மாதரென்றுங் கவினார் கலிக்காமூர்
மேவிய வீசனை யெம்பிரானை விரும்பி வழிபட்டால்
ஆவியுள் நீங்கல னாதிமூர்த்தி யமரர் பெருமானே.

பாடல் எண் : 4

குன்றுகள் போற்றிரை யுந்தியந்தண் மணியார் தரமேதி
கன்றுடன் புல்கியா யம்மனைசூழ் கவினார் கலிக்காமூர்
என்றுண ரூழியும் வாழுமெந்தை பெருமா னடியேத்தி
நின்றுணர் வாரை நினையகில்லார் நீசர் நமன்றமரே.

பாடல் எண் : 5

வானிடை வாண்மதி மாடந்தீண்ட மருங்கே கடலோதங்
கானிடை நீழலிற் கண்டல்வாழுங் கழிசூழ் கலிக்காமூர்
ஆனிடை யைந்துகந் தாடினானை யமரர் தொழுதேத்த
நானடை வாம்வண மன்புதந்த நலமே நினைவோமே.

பாடல் எண் : 6

துறைவளர் கேதகை மீதுவாசஞ் சூழ்வான் மலிதென்றல்
கறைவள ருங்கட லோதமென்றுங் கலிக்குங் கலிக்காமூர்
மறைவள ரும்பொரு ளாயினானை மனத்தா னினைந்தேத்த
நிறைவள ரும்புக ழெய்தும்வாதை நினையா வினைபோமே.

பாடல் எண் : 7

கோலநன் மேனியின் மாதர்மைந்தர் கொணர்மங் கலியத்திற்
காலமும் பொய்க்கினுந் தாம்வழுவா தியற்றுங் கலிக்காமூர்
ஞாலமுந் தீவளி ஞாயிறாய நம்பன் கழலேத்தி
ஓலமி டாதவ ரூழியென்று முணர்வைத் துறந்தாரே.

பாடல் எண் : 8

ஊரர வந்தலை நீண்முடியா னொலிநீ ருலகாண்டு
காரர வக்கடல் சூழவாழும் பதியாங் கலிக்காமூர்
தேரர வல்குலம் பேதையஞ்சத் திருந்து வரைபேர்த்தான்
ஆரர வம்பட வைத்தபாத முடையா னிடமாமே.

பாடல் எண் : 9

அருவரை யேந்திய மாலுமற்றை யலர்மே லுறைவானும்
இருவரு மஞ்ச வெரியுருவா யெழுந்தான் கலிக்காமூர்
ஒருவரை யான்மகள் பாகன்றன்னை யுணர்வாற் றொழுதேத்தத்
திருமரு வுஞ்சிதை வில்லைச்செம்மைத் தேசுண் டவர்பாலே.

பாடல் எண் : 10

மாசு பிறக்கிய மேனியாரு மருவுந் துவராடை
மீசு பிறக்கிய மெய்யினாரு மறியா ரவர்தோற்றங்
காசினி நீர்த்திரண் மண்டியெங்கும் வளமார் கலிக்காமூர்
ஈசனை யெந்தை பிரானையேத்தி நினைவார் வினைபோமே.

பாடல் எண் : 11

ஆழியு ணஞ்சமு தாரவுண்டன் றமரர்க் கமுதுண்ண
ஊழிதொறும்முள ராவளித்தா னுலகத் துயர்கின்ற
காழியுண் ஞானசம் பந்தன்சொன்ன தமிழாற் கலிக்காமூர்
வாழி யெம்மானை வணங்கியேத்த மருவா பிணிதானே.

in Kalikkāmūr which is full of beauty as it is surrounded by fields and gardens where from the petals of flowers limitless honey is flowing.
is Kalikkāmūr where the waves of the sea which are like mountains combine among themselves and pour forth pearls.
to praise the feet of the unequalled one who is the cause for the life of the soul within the body sufferings will not follow;
twin acts, good and bad, will be destroyed;
one will receive God`s grace .

having joined with the waves which are like the hills on which clouds settle.
the tides increasing by the side of the shore.
in Kalikkāmūr where they waves heap conches on the shore, in every place.
if one loves the Lord who has on half of his form the daughter of the king of the mountains.
wise people say that he will put an end to the mischief of the five senses that are in the body that too is certain.

ladies whose eyes resemble the blue nelumbo flowers.
and the males of this world worship and praise the Lord holding in their hands flowers to scatter at his feet and water to bathe him if one worships with desire the chief who is our master and who resides in Kalikkāmūr which is always full of beauty.
the Lord of primordial form, the chief of the immortals.
will not leave the soul and will be always in it.

Beautiful and cool pearls which have been pushed out by the waves which are like hills, being abundant.
in Kalikkāmūr where the herds of buffaloes combine with their calves and surround the houses.
the great one who is our father and who is from that aeon the world knew the existence of the sun.
continously praising his feet.
those who do not think highly about those who meditate on them feet are low people.
and they can be compared to the servants of Namaṉ god of death in respect of cruelty.

the storeys are being touched by the bright moon in the sky.
in Kalikkāmūr which is surrounded by backwater, where in the shade of the sea-shore garden the fragrant screw-pines are in a flourishing state, as they are dashed by the waves nearby.
one who bathed gladly in the five products of the cow.
to be worshipped and praised by the immortals.
I shall think about his good act of bestowing his love on me, so that I might be fit to be his devotee.

along with the balmy breeze from the screw-pine which grows in the tuṟai ghat in Kalikkāmūr where the waves in the black sea are always roaring.
He is the person who is praised in maṟai above all other gods.
if one thinks about him and praise him.
increasing fame which spreads everywhere will reach him.
distresses will not think of afflicting him.
even the twin actions will leave him.

with the auspicious things brought by young men and ladies with beautiful bodies.
in Kalikkāmūr where they perform worship without any deficiency, even if the seasonal rains fail, the god in whom we can repose confidence and who is the world, fire, air and sun those who do not cry aloud for protection, worshipping his feet.
though they live for many ages, have permanently left their clear discernment.

ruling over the world surrounded by noisy sea having a crown of matted locks of hairs on the head which has crawling serpents.
Kalikkāmūr, a city which prospers surrounded by the blue sea of roaring noise.
on one who removed the perfect mountain for the young lady who has a waist resembling the central seating place of chariot and the expanded hood of a snake to fear.
is the place of the god who placed his foot to make him cry aloud.

Māl who held up as an umbrella the pre-eminent mountain gōvardhanam and the other one who resides on a lotus flower.
in Kalikkāmūr where the god who rose as a column of fire for both of them to be afraid of.
if one worships and praises with consciousness the god who has on his half the daughter of the mountain which has no equal.
wealth will come to him.
it will not perish.
there will be spotless lustre on their bodies.

those who have abundant dirt on their bodies jains those who cover their bodies with shining robes soaked in myrtle dye do not know his real nature.
in Kalikkāmūr where every place is full of fertility as floods are moving swiftly.
the actions of those who praise and fix their thoughts on the master who is also our father and Lord, will leave them of their own accord.

having drunk on that day the poison that rose in the ocean as nectar.
on him who gave the immortals a long life to live in every age as they partook of nectar.
with the Tamiḻ verses sung by Nyāṉacampantaṉ of Kāḻi which is pre-eminent in this world.
diseases will not go near them if people bow to our Lord and praise him, in Kalikkāmūr.