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.

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.