Kutralanathar Temple - Thirukutralam குற்றாலநாதர் திருக்கோயில் - திருக்குற்றாலம்

This temple is very ancient and its origins are unclear. Some evidence suggests that it was here in some form in Sangam times. The Pandians built it into a stone temple in the 8th and 9th centuries and the Cholans renovated it in the 10th. As it is wedged between two hillsides, with a waterfall on one side, it has had no room to expand. So it is constrained to being a large but not huge temple as it should have been, given its long history and importance. The Nayakkans had no room to build a large rajagopuram which would have looked somewhat incongruous. The prakarams are in the shape of a conch (சங்கு) - very unique. There are hundreds of inscriptions.

It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam. Sampanthar composed the Pathikam. It is one of the Pancha Sabais - the 5 halls where Lord Nataraja performed the cosmic dance. This is the Chitra Sabai (சித்திர சபை) - the Hall of Paintings. 

It is located 67 km or about 2 hours northwest off Thirunelveli and very close to Thenkasi. It is a very popular pilgrimage site and the falls are a major attraction, making it a very crowded and congested place with hundreds of vendors. This of course leads to litter. The temple itself is very clean but a lot of people come in after a dip at the falls with dripping clothes, giving the whole place a somewhat messy look.

One important thing to remember is that the Chitra Saba is not located inside the temple as you might expect. It is about a 15 minute walk away up the hill. As you exit the temple , you have to turn left and go up a series of steps and cross the street (you can drive up there). The Chitra Saba is one of the best kept secrets, not widely advertised and not to be missed. It is a whole temple made up of mural paintings. All the deities are there in the right order and system but are in the form of paintings instead of idols. The current paintings are from the Nayakkan era and are more than 500 years old. They have been painstakingly restored using the same natural herbs under the watchful eyes of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage). Some art historians are still not happy with the authenticity of the restoration but it is a fantastic achievement. We were spellbound. They will ask you how you found out about it and tell you that you came there because you were blessed. Photography is prohibited and strictly enforced. So we have no pictures to show you.

Kasi Visvanathar Temple - Thenkasi காசி விசுவநாதர் திருக்கோயில் - தென்காசி

Thenkasi or Tenkasi - the Southern Kashi or Varanasi - is a small town about 60 kms or 1.5 hours northwest of Thirunelveli. Historically it was the Pandian Royal family's last stand before they disappeared in the 1500s with the establishment of the Madurai Nayakkan Kingdom. Long after they lost control of much of their territories including their capital Madurai as a consequence of the Pandian Civil War in the early 1300s, the raids by the Delhi Sultanate, the establishment of the Sultanate of Madurai or Ma'bar, the expansion of Vijayanagar power etc. they ruled here for some decades. Tenkasi gets its name from the massive and ancient temple to Siva built here by the Pandians and later patronized by the Nayakkan kings.

The temple has numerous inscriptions from many dynasties and the exact dating of its origin is unclear. Some sources date it to the mid 1400s, long after the zenith of Pandian power was gone. At 180 feet, the huge Rajagopuram is the 7th tallest in Tamil Nadu. The style is more Vijayanagar. It was initially completed in 1505, but burnt down in a fire in 1824 and was in ruins until 1966. Beginning in 1967, it was painstakingly restored using the original techniques over two decades and was completed in 1990. It is a grand sight today and a must visit. 

Many legends exist here and it is a much revered temple. 

Very close to Tenkasi, about 20 minutes from here, is the beautiful village of Sundarapandiyapuram (சுந்தரபாண்டியபரம்). Known for its picturesque village scenes, many Tamil movies have been made here including one of my all time favourites, the Mani Ratnam classic, Roja. Many of the field scenes and the Agraharam were filmed here. It is famous for its sunflower fields. People from all over India visit here. As the only Tamil speakers in the crowd, the farmers were complaining to us that people trample the field in their quest for the perfect shot. Be respectful if you come here.

Valisvarar Temple - Thiruvaleesvaram, Thirunelveli வாலீஸ்வரர் கோயில் - திருவாலீஸ்வரம், திருநெல்வேலி

Some temples have been built at sites that have been sacred for centuries before the current structures were built. Most of the temples we have seen so far belong to that category. The origins of these temples are obscured in the mists of history. Generation after generation of people have come to these temples out of piety and devotion. Every minor king and emperor who ruled this land has contributed to these temples. So much so that it is very difficult for ordinary folk to make out which structure was built in which era. The current forms are a fusion of many different eras and styles.

On the other hand there are temples that were completely built in a certain single era. Usually there was nothing special about the site. These could be sepulchral temples (பள்ளிப்படை கோயில்) or temples that commemorate a certain battle victory etc. These temples were often ignored by succeeding dynasties. The good thing for the historian and especially the art historian is that these temples remain frozen in time and true to the era in which they were originally built. Better known examples are - the Kailasanathar at Kanchipuram, the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, Darasuram, Periya Koil at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram etc. Less well known are countless others such as the ones at Narthamalai, Panamalai, Kodumbalur etc. to name a few. 

One such hidden gem exists, tucked away from the general public view, in rural Thirunelveli district, in the little village of Thiruvaleeswaram near Ambasamudram on the Thamirabarani river. It is strictly guarded, as a monument of national significance by the Archeological Survey of India (the ASI). It is well maintained. There are many inscriptions from Raja Rajan's time. Built by the invading Cholas in the Pandian heartland in the mid 10th century, it is believed to be one of the best examples of early Cholan architecture in existence. A famed strike corps of the Imperial Chola army called the Moondru Kai Mahasenai (மூன்று கை மகாசேனை) was headquartered here. 

The ASI guard here, a young village lad, would not let me take any pictures inside of this small but stunningly beautiful temple. He wanted me to get permission from the ASI which was not possible in the short time we had. I have included a link to a blog which has some decent pictures.

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/…/valisvara-templ…

We also visited the beautiful Sivan temple at Thirupudaimaruthur, the Narumbunathar, home to some of the best mural paintings of the Nayakkan era. It was too dark to take any pictures.(Not to be confused with the Mahalingeswarar at Thiruvidaimaruthur in the Kaveri delta)

Papanasanathar Temple - Papanasam பாபநாசநாதர் திருக்கோயில் - பாபநாசம்

Many consider this ancient temple to be the first Navakailasa temple and dedicated to the sun. It is the closest big temple to the headwaters of the Thamirabarani and is surrounded by lush green hills. Initially built by the Pandian kings, the current architecture is mostly from the Nayakkan era. It has a tall 7 tier Rajagopuram that is visible from the hills far away. Smaller than the temple that we saw in Ambasamudram, it is still a fairly large temple that is surrounded by a high granite wall. Today it is by the side of a busy arterial road and was full of people when we visited in the evening. There is another town named Papanasam near Kumbakonam in the Kaveri delta, which is home to another great Sivan temple and should not be confused with this one on the banks of the Thamirabarani. It is located about 60 km to the west of Thirunelveli and close to Ambasamudram.

Papanasam literally means the destruction of sins. There are many unique characteristics to this temple. In front of the Amman Sannidhi there is a large pounding stone and women who visit this temple pound turmeric and offer the powder to the Goddess. An ancient custom. Nice temple.

Brahmadesam Kailasanathar Temple - Ambasamudram பிரம்மதேசம் கைலாசநாதர் திருக்கோயில் - அம்பாசமுத்திரம்

This massive, beautiful and ancient temple is located in a small and verdant village called Ambasamudram on the banks of the Thamirabarani about 40 kms or 1 hour west of Thirunelveli. Although not a Paadal Petra Sthalam, it is mentioned in the 6th Thirumurai in passing and is thus classified as a Paadal Vaippu Thalam. It was called Ayaneeswaram (Ayan is Brahma) in the Thevaram. Some believe it is the first of the Navakailasa temples and is dedicated to the Sun. Some believe that the ancient temple in Papanasam close by is the real first Navakailasam.

Many dynasties have contributed to the construction of this vast and grand temple. The great emperor Raja Raja Cholan was very fond of this temple and made many contributions. With 3 tall gopurams and 7 vimanams and innumerable sculptures, it is an architectural masterpiece and hidden treasure. The Nandi here is the largest in the region and has an animated and beautiful appearance. The solid massive doorway is intricately carved by artisans from Kerala and fortified. Much of the structure that we see today is from the Nayakkar renovation in the late 1500s. There is a spot in the outer prakaram (the locals will show you) from where you can see all the towers.

The temple has a bit of a forlorn look. It is very much an active temple but needs some repair soon. Since 2017 renovation work in most old temples have been frozen due to a court order. There is an ongoing battle between those who favour renovation (which is repair with modern techniques and material) and those who insist on restoration (which is careful repair that sticks to the original design and materials). There are merits to both arguments. Restoration is time-consuming and very expensive. Difficult for large temples. Local people will object to the ASI ( Archeological Survey of India) taking over these temples. The single Kurukkal family who manages this temple does not have the political clout to expedite things. The temple is solid. A fresh coat of paint will make it shine. The Kumbabishekam or Kudamulukku (the 12 yearly renewal of temples) is 4 years overdue at this temple due to this controversy.

Ammainathar Temple - Cheranmahadevi அம்மைநாதர் திருக்கோயில் - சேரன்மகாதேவி

Another important temple in Cheranmahadevi is the ancient and elegant Ammainathar temple on the banks of the Thamirabarani. It is one the Navakailasa temples - the nine ancient Sivan temples along the Thamirabarani where the Moolavar is named Kailasanathar and each is dedicated to one of the Navagrahams. This is the second most important. We already saw one in Srivaikuntham. This temple is dedicated to Chandran or Thingal, the Moon God. 

Legend says that this temple is 1100 years old. That dating appears to be correct, as you find both Vatteluthu (வட்டெழுத்து) and Tamil inscriptions here. I hope you know the difference. The Cholans hardly ever wrote in Vatteluthu. They preferred the script that we today call Tamil script. The Pandians before the Chola conquest preferred the Vatteluthu. So this temple must have been built around the time of the Chola conquest in the mid 10th century. This temple is covered with inscriptions. It looks like the Pandians built this temple in the early 10th century before the Chola invasion and the Cholans expanded it. There is evidence that Kulothungan I renovated it in the late 11th century. Although the later dynasties did make minor contributions they appear to be subtle. Look at the figure of the goddess on the Vimanam of the Amman Sannidhi. It is definitely from the 15th or 16th centuries but it is incorporated into the overall structure very tastefully. 

Beautiful temple. We loved the subtle elegance of the pre Nayakkan era. Although I love and admire what the Nayakkans did with their animated sculptures and colourful and crowded gopurams, I also admire the softness of the Pandian and Chola styles that we see in abundance here.

There are other ancient temples in Cheranmahadevi which we did not have the time to visit.

Visited August 2019 - Base Thirunelveli