The Saluvankuppam Murugan Temple - The Oldest Temple

People often ask me which is the oldest temple in Tamil Nadu. It is a tough question because many of the temples are extremely difficult to date precisely as the core of these temples, which are the most ancient parts, are often hidden and obscured by later rebuilding and renovation over many centuries. But there is one ancient and ruined temple very close to Chennai that was unearthed after the tsunami in 2004, which many historians and archaeologists believe is the oldest temple structure discovered so far. After the tsunami receded in 2004, it left exposed some rock inscriptions pointing to a temple nearby on the seashore at Saluvankuppam just north of the famous UNESCO world heritage site of Mahabalipuram. Very close to the Tiger Cave site of the same period as the Pallava Monuments at Mahabalipuram, the ruins of this temple were buried under the sand for many centuries. There is evidence of an old brick temple belonging to the 2nd century BCE that appears to have been destroyed possibly by an earlier tsunami. Tsunamis likely occurred many times on this coast over the millennia. A second temple appears to have been constructed on the ruins of the older temple in the 8th century which also has been destroyed in the 13th century after which it lay buried until 2004. It is believed to be a Murugan temple as there is a structure which appears to be a Vel at the front of the complex.

The site lies 52 km or 1 hour south of Chennai and 12 minutes north of Mahabalipuram off the East Coast Road. Signage and access are very poor. The best access is through the Tiger Cave complex and there is a gate at the north boundary to access the site which is visible from that point. The access is a footpath. No signs for such an important and significant monument. The site is fenced but the gate was open and it was unguarded when we visited in 2017. A major act of vandalism occurred in 2018 which almost caused irreparable damage to the site.

Thiruvalleeswarar Temple, Thiruvalidhayam or the Padi Sivan Koil திருவலிதாயம், பாடி சிவன் கோயில்

Of the four Paadal Petra Sthalams within metropolitan Chennai, this is likely the least well known. Situated in the industrial and working class neighbourhood of Padi, it is not as famous as others such as the Kapaleeswarar in Mylapore or the Marundeeswarar in Thiruvanmiyur. The temple must have been in existence in some form in the early 7th century as Sambanthar has praised it in his Thevaram. It was a much larger complex during the heyday of the Chola empire in the 11th and 12th centuries when much of the temple was rebuilt by Rajarajan III and Kulothungan III. Added on to during Vijayanagar and Nayakkan times, it must have been a grand temple. Heavily encroached upon by an expanding city, today only the core remnant remains. The nearby Padaivettu Amman Koil was part of the original complex and is proof of the large extent of the original temple. Chola military commanders  paid homage to the Amman here before their northern campaigns. The name Padi likely came from the Chola military encampment that existed here. Padi means a military settlement. Some say that it got its name from the Nayanmar and others who sang hymns in praise of the lord here. The sanctum and the Vimanam here are of the Gajaprishta or Thoonganai Maadam type. It is a fine example of this type of Vimanam that was very popular in the later Chola period. Today the temple is popular with the locals as it is associated with Guru or Jupiter and is one of the Navagraha temples around Chennai.

If you go, take the Metro to Thirumangalam station. As you emerge from the underground level to street level hop into an Auto and ask to be taken to the Padi Sivan temple. 

Thirukalukundram or Thirukazhukundram திருக்கழுக்குன்றம்

This ancient temple complex is very close to Chennai. It is about an hour and a half or 72 km south of the capital city of Tamil Nadu. With contributions from the Pallava, Chola, Vijayanagara and Nayakkan kings, it is a beautiful complex. It is a twin temple complex with  the Bakthavatchelesvarar temple at the foot of the hill of Thirukalukundram and the Vedagiriswarar temple on the hill top. Legends abound. Until a few decades ago a pair of vultures used to visit the hill temple daily at noon and had done so for centuries giving the hill its name. They do not come any longer.

It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam that is venerated in the Thevarams. The Thiruvasagam also mentions it. The views from the top are fabulous. The two temples have beautiful architecture, sculpture and inscriptions from many different eras. There is a monolithic cave temple from the Pallava era called the Orukkal Mandapam thought to have been built by the great king Mahendravarman in the early 7th century.

As the climb up the hill can take time, budget enough time to visit both temples.A whole morning at least should be allocated. It is traditional to visit the temple at the base of the hill before climbing up. The temple closes at noon and will reopen in the late afternoon. Beware of monkeys on the climb up.

Planning a Trip

There are many ways to plan a trip to see the lesser known temples of Tamil Nadu. There are many and they are spread out across the state. They vary in historical, architectural and religious significance. The first step is to identify and decide on the temples you want to visit and find where they are located. Once you have decided on the temples, you can plan your approach to see them.

The important things to decide are the mode of travel and places to stay. These have to be safe, comfortable and convenient. They also vary in cost and will have to suit different budgets. It will also depend whether you are traveling from overseas or from other parts India or nearby countries,

There are two approaches. One is to identify a few towns or cities and do a tour. The other is to pick a city or town and do day trips or do a combination of both.There are pros and cons to both approaches There are many cities that you can fly into. 

If you do a tour, the mode of transportation is important. Public transportation such as buses and trains are widely available and are convenient and will suit people who are cost conscious. But they are time consuming. Most of the bigger cities are connected by air and many low cost airlines fly to these towns. One flexible way to travel would be to hire a vehicle and driver and do a road trip. With the advent of new highways and better road surfaces, traveling by road has become much easier in recent years

When it comes to places to stay, there are also many options. The last few years have seen all kinds of hotels of varying standards and price range crop up even in remote locations. Five star accommodations are available in places where previously there were none. The pricier hotels are of course more comfortable and are up to international standards. For someone who is cost conscious, there are plenty of options including homestays and short term rentals such as Airbnb. The cheaper accommodations of course carry more risk. 

Due to a combination of better transportation options and places to stay the lesser known and hidden temples of Tamil Nadu have become more accessible than ever before. There are numerous temples and choosing the right ones can be challenging for someone who only has one chance to do it and has limited time. That is why some thought given to planning is useful.

Kalugumalai - Monolithic Temple and Jain Monument கழுகுமலை - வெட்டுவான் கோயிலும் சமணப்பள்ளியும்

Kalugumalai is home to a number of historical monuments. We visited the incomplete monolithic temple built in the 8th century and the ancient Jain Palli on the hilltop. We were not able to visit the historic Murugan temple on the other side of the hill due to lack of time.

Most of you have heard about or visited the famous monolithic monuments at Mahabalipuram - the Pancha Rathas carved out of stone in the 7th century. The most impressive temple of this type is the Kailasanatha rock cut monolithic temple in Ellora in present day Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta kings in the 8th century. Here at Kalugumalai deep in the south the Pandian kings also attempted a monolithic temple to Sivan in the 8th century. It was never completed. What was achieved looks quite impressive and makes one yearn for what could have been. They call it the Vettuvan Koil (வெட்டுவான் கொயில்).

Above the Vettuvan Koil is an ancient Jain Monastery (சமணப்பள்ளி). It was active from the beginning of the first millennium to the 13th century. The rock cut carvings you see are mostly from the 8th and 9th centuries. Wonder whether you can identify the script and read them? The language is Tamil.

Kalugumalai is located about 68 km or 1.5 hours northwest of Thirunelveli, about 20 minutes off the NH44.