Arulmigu Azhagar Perumal Thirukkovil
Matale , Sri Lanka

Temple History
The exact date of begining of worship at this shrine is not known.But from the recollections of the elders of the area one could assume that it could have begun around mid nineteenth century. Tamil Hindus, wherever they settle down, are in the habit of establishing places worship of their Kuladeivam (clan deity). Some of the Tamil migrants who came from Madurai and Ramnad districts of Tamilnadu to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), in search of employment in the central hill country plantations, settled down in and around Matale. For most of those who chose to settle down in a village called Vellakkal or Kirigalpotha in Sinhala, Pathinettampadi Karuppanna Swamy was their Kuladeivam.During this period a farmer named Kongiah Servai from Madurai settled down with his family at Vellakkal. He was an ardent devotee of Kallazhagar and Karuppannaswamy. So, with the help of others in the area he established a shrine for Karuppanna swamy by planting a stone under a tree, called Makulgaha in Sinhala, and worshiping it.Hence the name Makulgaharuppa (makul tree+karuppu) for the village in Sinhala.
Kongiah Servai was a pious man who used to get into a trance and make predictions which came true.He even cured the sick by giving chanted holy ash and his fame spread far and wide and was reverently reffered as the "Kodangiar",a soothsayer. This attaracted large crowds to Vellakkal. Due to his untiring efforts a temple was built for Karuppannaswamy under the Makultree and a makeshift temple for Azhagar Perumal. Later a temple proper was built for Azhzagar Perumal on the adjoining land to the left belonging to his friend and benefactor Kudiyar Marimuthu Ponniah Thevar,a landed proprieter of the area who also gave him all other assistance to build the temple.








Management of the temple: At the begining poojas were performed by Kongiah Servai whilst also managing the temple. As time went on, due to financial reasons, he made his friend Kudiyar Marimuthu Ponniah Thevar his partner in temple management. After the demise of Kongiah Servai in 1925 Ponniah Thevar and the former's sons jointly continued as the trustee.
Ponniah Thevar passed away in 1936 and as Kongiah Servai's sons relinquished their trusteeship Ponniah THevar's elder son Murugiah Thevar assumed trusteeship. Eversince, the management of Azhagar Perumal Kovil is continued by the decendents of Kudiyar Marimuthu Thevar. The tomb of Kongiah Servai is in the premises to the right of the temple and is being venerated by devotees.
The temple thus built had Azhagar and his consorts Sridevi and Poodevi on either side in the "mulasthanam" or sanctum-sanctorum. In the year 1945 shrines for Vinayagar and Shanmugar were added in the Mahamandapam or main hall. As this temple was nearly a century old it was in a delapilated condition operations were commenced on a new building with laying of foundation on 12th.Feb.2004. Kumbabishegam was held on 27th.January 2010 according to Vaishnawa tradition. The new temple has in addition to the original three, shrines for Mahaluxmi, Saneeswarer (Saturn), Anjeneyar and a Vasanthamandapam.



