Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.3181

c7.3181

KUṬṬĀLA (M). Seat of a famous Śiva temple in South India, originally a Viṣṇu temple. There is a story about its conversion to the present Śiva temple as follows :- Agastya, on his journey to the south, reached Tirukkutalam (Kuṭṭālam) in the Tirunelveli Zilla on the southern borders of Tamil Nadu. The temple there was dedicated to Viṣṇu, and the Vaiṣṇavas (devotees of Viṣṇu) prevented Agastya from entering the temple with ashes on his forehead. At once he transformed himself into a devotee of Viṣṇu, and was permitted entry into the temple. As Viṣṇu wanted to show the world that he and Śiva were one and the same, and also the greatness of Agastya, the idol of Viṣṇu was all on a sudden changed into a Śiva Liṅga. Since then the temple has remained a Śiva Temple. (Skanda Purāṇa).