அருள்மிகு குலசை முத்தாரம்மன் கோயில், குலசேகரப்பட்டினம்Arulmigu Kulasai Mutharamman Temple, Kulasekharapatnam

Sthala Mahātmyam

The Kulasai Mutharamman Temple at Kulasekharapatnam, near Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district, is a celebrated Shakti shrine roughly three centuries old, its deities Mutharamman and Gnanamoorthy facing north. Mutharamman is revered as a form of Durga / Mahishasuramardini. The sthala legend tells that Sage Varamuni, cursed by Sage Agastya, became the buffalo-demon Mahishasura; a divine girl-child named Lalithambigai then appeared, grew to full womanhood in nine days, and on the tenth day slew the demon. The temple is renowned above all for its spectacular Dasara (Dussehra) festival, uniquely observed for ten to twelve days and culminating on Vijayadashami. Lakhs of devotees undertake a long vratam and, in the final days, disguise themselves as gods, goddesses, Kali and other beings — the famous 'vesham' — and throng the town. The climax is the Soorasamharam re-enactment of Mahishasuramardini destroying Mahishasura, staged at midnight on the seashore before an enormous gathering, ranking among South India's largest Dasara celebrations.