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.

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)