The famous Shiva Temple Avudaiyar Koil in Pudukottai
District in Tamil Nadu is closely associated with Saint Manickavachagar who is
one of the four important Saints of Shaivism out of 63 Nayanmars (63 important
saints of Shiva in Tamil Nadu). He is believed to have had darshan of Shiva at
Avudaiyar Koil.
Manickavachagar got initiated by Shiva to write the eighth
Thirumurai, Thiruvachagam, and was titled Manickavachagar at Avudaiyar Koil.
You can read more about the saint and the temple here in this article in the Hindu
As Manickavachagar, his original name being Thiruvadavoorar, embraced gnana margam for salvation, the Avudaiyar temple has been cast in this fashion. Surprisingly, the temple does not have nandi, flagstaff, balipeetam and Somaskandar is conspicuously absent. And instead of playing nagaswaram, melam and berigai, the blowing of conch, ringing of bell and thiruchinnam is in vogue.
In the garba griha, the banam (shaft-like portion) of Siva lingam is not found. Instead, the first segment of avudaiyar called Sakti peetam is seen, and over this, a metallic banam-shaped receptacle with an opening in the front is placed.
The presiding deity does not have a form here, which again reflects the status of soul. Hence the deity is named Athmanathar, and the temple is called Avudaiyar Koil since the avudaiyar of siva lingam alone is present.
While the sacred tree of the temple, Kruntham represents form-formless state, Manickavachagar fills up the form-state.
To the right of the presiding deity is the goddess sannidhi, who is also formless, but is represented by Yoga peetam on which the foot prints of the goddess have been carved out. One has to see the symbolic presence of the goddess, Yoganayaki through a perforated stone partition.