Kunnakudi Thiruvannamalai Mutt Adikam
Tiruvannamalai Adheenam or Kunnakudi Tiruvannamalai Mutt Adikam (also called Kunnakudi Tiruvannamalai Mutt Adikam or Kunnakudi Adheenam) is a Saivite monastic institution based in the town of Kunnakudi in South India established during the 16th century. The Mutt is involved in inculcating Saiva Siddhanta philosophy, a branch of the Hindu sect of Saivism. The temple maintains and administers the Shanmughanathar Temple. The mutt emerged with popular socialistic views during the tenure of the 45th pontiff Deivasigamni Arunachala Desiga Adigal. The mutt is involved in social empowerment of the villages and is involved in social service for the villages in and around Kunnakudi. The mutt closely works with NGOs in the region for rural development. History The adheenam was founded during the 16th century, along with the Dharmapuram Adheenam, Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam and the Thiruppanandal Adheenam, to spread the ideology of Saiva Sidhantam. Srimat Deivasigamani Desiga Paramacharya Swamigal founded a Saiva siddantha math at Tiruvannamalai, in North Arcot district. Later on, the disciples of the math, now called Kunnakudi Thiruvannamalai Mutt Adikam, settled down at Piranmalai. About 200 years ago, due to religious and administrative convenience and at the request of Sethupathi Raja of Ramnad, they shifted the activity to Kunnakudi in Tirupathur