Bhakthavathsala Perumal Temple - Cheranmahadevi பக்தவத்சல பெருமாள் கோயில் - சேரன்மகாதேவி

Cheranmahadevi or Cheranmadevi is a small town about 1/2 an hour or 25 km west of Thirunelveli on the southern bank of the Thamirabarani river. It is a historical town with many ancient temples. In the two centuries that followed the Chola conquest of this region in the mid 10th century and after the Pandian resurgence in the 12th century, this town appears to have been an important cultural centre. In the following, Vijayanagar and Nayakkan periods, it seems to have lost its relevance. The temples here retain the Chola and Pandian influence.

The Bhakthvatsala Perumal Koil belongs to that period and was first built in the mid 11th century and renovated in the 12th. It is one of the finest examples of the architecture of the period and is in a pristine state of preservation. It is a nationally important monument protected by the ASI (The Archeological Survey of India). We have seen stone inscriptions previously in museums. Here you see them in their real settings. This is a true hidden gem not known to many.

Visited August 2019

Nellaiappar Temple - Thirunelveli நெல்லையப்பர் திருக்கோயில் - திருநெல்வேலி

Situated in the heart of Thirunelveli town on the north bank of the Thamirabarani river, is the vast and majestic Nellaiappar temple. At 14.5 acres this twin temple complex is slightly larger in area than the Meenakshi - Sundareswarar in Madurai. It lacks the tall gopurams of Madurai but has many of the same features like the massive sculptures that you see there. It also has the famed musical columns. It is a Paadal Petra Sthalam and has been praised in song by all three of the Moovar, Gnanasampanthar, Appar and Suntharar. It has been in existence since the 7th century at least and the two temples were joined together by the impressive Sankili Mandapam in 1647 and the entire complex is enclosed by a wall. Although the Saivite Pandian king Arikesari Nindraseer Nedumaran is credited with the initial construction in the 7th century, many dynasties including Chola and later Pandian kings contributed to it. Much of the architecture that we see today is from the Nayakkan era.

Legend says that a poor farmer prayed to Sivan to protect his ready-to-harvest rice paddy from an impending storm and Sivan himself came to his aid and built a fence. That is why it is called Thirunelveli. The Lord here is also called Venunathar because they say this used to be a bamboo forest.

It is one the five Pancha Sabas (பஞ்ச சபைகள்) of Lord Nataraja. The Ponnambalam (பொன்னம்பலம்) or Golden Hall is in Chidambaram. The Velliambalam (வெள்ளியம்பலம்) or Hall of Silver is in Madurai. The Rathina Sabai (இரத்தின சபை) or the Hall of Rubies is in Thiruvalankadu where he performed the Rudrathaandavam. The Chitra Sabai (சித்திர சபை) or Hall of Paintings is in Kutralam and the Thaamira Sabai (தாமிர சபை) or Hall of Copper is here in Tirunelveli. The Thaamira Sabai is found in one of the inner precincts.

We went on a Friday evening and the temple was busy but in a pleasant way. Groups of people were moving along the precincts singing the Thevarams of our childhood and clapping on their cymbals. In the outer precincts old men and women were telling stories from the Puranas to eager young kids who were enthralled. This is a scene that has played out in these halls for a thousand years or more without a break. We were so wrapt in the atmosphere that I forgot to take a lot of pictures.

The Thenpaandi Cheemai and The River Thamirabarani தென் பாண்டி சீமையும் தாமிரபரணி ஆறும்

Leaving Kanyakumari we headed north along the NH 44 highway for a short drive of about an hour and a half to the town of Thirunelveli (known as Tinnavely in British times). The Thamirabarani river runs through here. We stayed at the GRT Hotel. Brand-new hotel, very modern, clean and comfortable. Very nice for a small town. It gave us a good base for the next 3 days as we explored and experienced the temples along the Thamiraparani to the west of the NH 44. 

The Thamirabarani is one the few perennial rivers in Tamil Nadu. It originates in the Pothigai Hills of the Western Ghats and reaches the Gulf of Mannar at Thoothukudi. We did meet this river earlier in our trip at Thoothukudi near its estuary. It is steeped in Tamil history. The river used to be known as the Tanporunai or Porunai (பொருனை) in Sangam poems. Thamiram means copper or red. It seems to be an ancient name that has sometimes been given to the island of Sri Lanka. The speculations about the connection are endless, interesting and historical.

The land in the catchment basin of the Thamiraparani has historically been known as the Then Paandi Cheemai. It has been the hinterland where the Pandian kings sought refuge whenever they felt threatened by their northern foes. They include places like Thirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi. The dialect spoken here is distinct.

Here in the cradle of the Tamil language, to the west and upwards rise the mountains of the Western Ghats and to the east and downwards is the sea. That is why in the Tamil language, some say, the word for the direction west and up are the same, mel (மேல்) and the word for east and down are the same keezh (கீழ்).

 

Padmanabhapuram Palace - Royal Abode

The kings of Venadu, a small kingdom at the southernmost part of present day Kerala, expanded their territories over time and by the early 18th century had established the powerful Kingdom of Travancore which at its height controlled much of what is today the state of Kerala and the district of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu as well as other territories. It eventually became a princely state of British India and merged with the Indian Union after independence in 1949.

In the early 1600s the kings of Venadu built a palace at Padmnabhapuram here on the Tamil Nadu side of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Expanded upon by the Travancore kings, it served as their royal palace until 1795, when the capital was moved to Thiruvananthapuram.

Located about 13 km or 20 minutes from Nagercoil in the northwest direction, it is a remarkable example of Keralan architecture of the period. Large parts of it are entirely built of Jack-tree wood. Amazing wood craft.

Do not miss the museum of antiquities that is housed in the building to the right of the entrance that has very interesting artifacts found in the region and is decently curated. Many fine examples of granite carvings, stone inscriptions and copper plates.

Visited August 2019

Chitharal - The Jain Legacy - சிதறால்

Jainism (சமணம் /அமணம்) in the Tamil country has a long and illustrious history beginning in the 3rd century BCE and lasting till about the 10th century when it eventually more or less disappeared. Today Tamil Jains are a minuscule minority. As you well know, during the first few centuries of the first millennium Jainism and Buddhism were the predominant religions in the Tamil country. Buddhism had an urban presence and there is very little evidence of its legacy to be seen today. The Jains on the other hand had a presence in remote areas too. They have left a rich legacy in our language, customs, beliefs etc. Some of the richest literary works like the Silapathikaram are Jain works. Kovalan and Kannagi were Jains. Manimekalai was Buddhist. Many Pandian kings of the early part of the first millennium were Jains. The Jains brought literacy to the masses through their schools. To this day, in the Tamil language, we call schools Pallikkoodam (பள்ளிக்கூடம்) after the Jain Pallis or monasteries.

There is plenty of physical evidence that the Jain monks have left behind in the hills, rocks and woods in the Tamil countryside. Many have been heavily vandalized over the centuries. Some are relatively inaccessible. Some have been lost to greedy granite quarries. Some others have survived and some of the most famous ones are in places like Sittannavasal. But here in the deep south, there is a place called Chitharal, about an hour northwest of Nagercoil (about 33 km), in the Thircharanattu Malai Hills (Charanathar means celestial beings in the Jain tradition), where you will be able to appreciate the ruins of a Jain monastery in a peaceful, tranquil and sylvan atmosphere. It was occupied by Jain monks from the 1st century BCE until the 9th century. It is beautiful. Go in the early morning or late afternoon. It gets very hot on the rocks by midday. It is a climb and you have to be fit. It is remote. Be safe. Sometimes hard to find. Be sure your driver knows where he is going. It is sometimes called the Bhagavathy Amman temple because it served as such briefly in the 13th century. The locals call it the Malaikovil.

Visited August 2019