Sri Kothandaramar temple at Madhuranthakam.

Madhuranthakam is a small decrepit town nestling along the side of a huge lake. A busy highway lies between the two.

In ancient times this entire area was filled with groves of Vakul or Maghizham poo trees .Amidst which lived great many Rishis, worshipping Vishnu enshrined as Sri Karunakara, in here,The most famous among them being Sri Vipaandakar .He is still remembered because it was during his time that Sri Rama along with Sri Lakshmana visited his ashram ,paid obeisance to the deity on their way to Lanka .They also stopped on their way back to Ayodhya to seek blessings.This time along with Sita devi. This is said to be the only temple where Sri Rama and Sita , appear together as an auspisious divine couple,holding hands as is done in a marriage ceremony.
Sri KothandaRamar temple at Madhuranthakam , abuts the highway that bunds the lake beyond.It has Sri Rama, Sita andLakshmana as moolavar or presiding deities.There is also the idol of sage Vipaandakar seated at their sacred feet,with palms folded in worship.

I had luckily ,without any prior knowledge what so ever had chosen the day, when the birth star of Rama,Punarvasu was in ascendancy , since I happened to witness the abhishekam of the utsavars of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshnmana,that was performed by the temple priests as and when I entered the temple ,late at after noon around 3.30 pm.I also partook the prasadam of cut fruits and tasty curd rice offered by the priest to all, who had gathered to watch the rituals ,on a leaf platter, at the end of the abhishekam.

The caretaker and teacher of nearby Veda patashala and Sanskrit college[I had gone there to have look at my great grandfather--Kapisthlam Desikachariar's treatises on Visishtadwaita philosophy that is said to be housed in the library.I didn't .The college was closed for Deepavali holidays]explained that Sri Karunakara or Vishnu along with his consort Janaki Thayar was the pre existing deity at this kshetram .But he has no moolavar .Yet all temple functions revolve around him .

Ramar's utsavams are mainly abhishekams ,that is on the days of his birth star every month , Veedhi voola or--processions around the town on his birthday viz Sri Ramanavami and on the seventh day of Brahmotsavams.
The outer circumbulatory passage to the right of presiding deitySri KothandaRamar enshrined within.
Photo. The circumbulatory passage at the back of the main deity enshrined within.Janaki Thayar's sannidhi is visible at the back of the photo, framed by coconut trees.
Photo.The outer circumbulatory passage around and at the left side of presiding deity.The vimanum visible is, Ramanujar's sannidhi.

Photo on top.The front of the temple with Dwajasthambam.

Photo in the middle.The Vimanum of Sri KothandaRamar.