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.
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