Thanks for sharing your experience. Visiting small yet powerful temples like
Arulmigu Chetty Koil or
Kaalatheeswarar Koil in Puducherry is always a special experience. These temples may not always be listed in big travel guides, but they hold a lot of local and spiritual significance.
The temple you’re referring to is popularly known as
Chetty Koil locally, and it is dedicated to
Lord Kaalatheeswarar, a form of
Lord Shiva.
The name "Kaalatheeswarar" comes from
Kaal (Time) +
Eeswarar (Shiva) – meaning
the Lord who is beyond Time. This form is connected with stories where Shiva helps devotees overcome the effects of time (karma and fate).
Temples with this name are often spiritually powerful spots for people seeking relief from
doshas related to time – like
Sani dosham,
Rahu/Ketu dosham, etc.
April 16 this year (2025) coincided with
Mesha Sankranti – the Tamil New Year (
Chithirai 1). It’s a
very auspicious day in the Hindu calendar and many Shiva temples perform:
Mahabhishekam – multiple abhishekams using milk, curd, honey, sandal paste, vibhuti, rose water, etc.
Special Alankaram for Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Rudra Parayanam or
Ekadasa Rudram chanting.
Annadanam (serving of food to devotees).
So the
elaborate abhishekam you witnessed was likely the
New Year puja marking the beginning of the Tamil calendar. Many temples do early morning puja to invoke blessings for the coming year.
Unfortunately,
detailed historical records for small local temples like this may not be widely published. But from the name "Chetty Koil", it’s likely that:
It was built or maintained by the
Chettiar community, who are traditionally temple patrons and deeply devoted to Shiva.
It may have been part of the
local agraharam culture or a private shrine turned public over time.
