The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
Tirunelveli
and the Thamirabarani River are intricately linked with Sage Agasthya. This is one of the reasons
the river here is considered as sacred as the Kaveri, or even the Ganga. Most
temples here are on the river bank, or somewhere near the river, including the
Nava Tirupatis, which we visited earlier on this trip. However, the temples
most entwined in myth with the river as well as the sage are the Nava Kailasam.
Long,
long ago, it is
said, that the sage and his disciple were meditating on the riverbank. The sage
was happy with his disciple, and wanted to help him along on his path to
salvation. Picking up nine flowers that he had offered to the Lord, he dropped
them in the river. He then asked the disciple to follow the flowers, and,
wherever one of them washed up on the bank, to install a Shiva Lingam and
worship it as Kailasanathar – the Lord of Mount Kailas. Finally, once he had
worshipped all the nine lingams, he was to bathe at the confluence of the river
with the sea, and he would attain the lord. The disciple followed his guru’s
words to the letter, and eventually attained liberation.
 |
| Kailasanathar - Shiva with Parvati, seated on the Rishaba Vahana, as he appeared to sage Agasthya |
The
nine lingams
thus installed, have, over the centuries seen good and bad times. They have
been here since the time of Agasthya, standing alone in the forest. They have
seen temples built around them, and at one time, must have been epicenters of
worship. Yet, they have also experienced decay and neglect, for they were
somehow forgotten over time. The ever-turning wheel of fortune, however,
brought the temples back to the limelight, and now, once again, people like us go
in search of them. Somewhere along the line, probably in an attempt to
popularize them, the temples have also come to be associated with the
Navagrahas, the nine planets. This seems to have been a good idea, for most
people do visit with the hope of turning their lives around, by placating the
planets!
Some
of these temples
are beautiful, but in a bad shape, needing maintenance, while others have been
renovated rather gaudily, with no trace of the original structure being seen.
Very little is known of the temples or their history, except in the case of
Papanasam, which is the most well-known, and the biggest in this circuit. I
will, therefore, begin with Papanasam, and then talk about the other temples in
the order we visited. I would also like to clarify that we couldn’t do all
these temples in a single day, and visited them over 2 days, to fit in with our
schedule and plans. Besides, some of these temples are barely open for an hour
each in the morning and evening, and we had to do some criss-cross travelling
to make it to the temples in time. I have mentioned the timings as far as we
were able to ascertain, to help you plan your trip.
1. Papanasam
Papanasam is where the Thamirabarani falls
from the mountains and flows on land. The sage is said to have had his vision
of the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati atop the mountain, but the temple
dedicated to that vision is here, at the foothills. In the sanctum, the Lord is
seen in his Lingam form as Kailasanathar, and behind, on the wall, he shows
himself, mounted on his Rishaba Vahana, with Parvati by his side. Also in the
shrine are the Sage, with his wife Lopamudra, bowing down before Him. The
lingam here is said to be made of Rudraksha beads, so he is also called
Rudrakshanathar. Among the Navagrahas, he represents Surya, the Sun God.
Papanasam Kailasanathar Temple
- Location: Papanasam is about 45 Km from Tirunelveli.
- Temple Timings: 6:30 AM to 12 Noon, 4:30 to 8 PM
- Suggestions: Try to arrive at Papanasam before noon, so you can visit the temple and then head to Agasthiar Falls. While there, climb up to the Kalyana Teertham, which is where Agasthya and Lopamudra had the vision of the divine marriage happening in Kailas. If you have time, also visit the dam.
2. Cheranmahadevi
The
temple at Cheranmahadevi was the first one we visited among the Nava Kailasam Temples. Hidden
amidst farmlands, the temple was deceptively small. Right outside the main
gopuram was a huge ant hill, over 5 ft. high, and it was evidently in worship,
covered with turmeric and kumkum. It was only when we entered the temple that
we realized it was quite big, and at one time, must have been an impressive
one. Now, part of it has been renovated, and some old sculptures have been
placed on the outer path. Among them, we noticed a stone sculpture of Brahma,
and even one of a mongoose! I wonder where they figured in the original temple!
The Lord here is Kailasanathar again, and he represents Chandran, or the Moon.
Cheranmahadevi Kailasanathar Temple
- Location: Cheranmahadevi is about 20 Km from Tirunelveli.
- Temple Timings: 7 to 10 AM, 5 to 8 PM
- Suggestions: While at Cheranmahadevi, don’t miss the Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, which is one of the most beautiful temples here, and is maintained by the ASI.
3. Srivaikuntam
Srivaikuntam is most popular for its
Vaikunthanathar Temple. However, right next door, is the Kailasanathar Temple,
which is equally important, and just as beautiful. This was the first Shiva
temple we visited on our second day, and I was struck by how beautiful and
grand the temple looked. The Lord is, once again, Kailasanathar, and here he
represents Saturn or Shani. One of the interesting things about the temple is
the shrine to Bhootanathar, who is made of wood, and is beautifully carved. He
is believed to be the caretaker of the temple, and at one time, the keys of the
temple used to be left with him at night. While this practice is no longer followed,
he still takes precedence during temple festivals as the main caretaker of the
temple.
Srivaikuntam Kailasanathar Temple
- Location: Srivaikuntam is about 30 Km from Tirunelveli, and 30 Km from Tiruchendur.
- Temple Timings: 6 AM to 12 Noon, and 4 to 8:30 PM.
4. Thenthirupperai
I
have already mentioned the story of Thenthirupperai in the Nava Tirupati post. The
Kailasanathar temple is located very near the Vishnu temple, and this one too,
is an ancient shrine, recently renovated. While the Lord here is once again
Kailasanathar, here he represents Budhan, or Mercury. One of the most
interesting things about this temple are the Navagrahas – the nine planets,
some of which appear on horse chariots, instead of their own vahanas! While the
Sun is shown with his usual 7 horses, Guru (Jupiter) and Sukran (Venus) are
seen with 8, and Chandran, the moon, is seen with 10 horses!
Another
story
associated with the temple is a more recent one, from the British era. It is
said that the local collector once arrived here and asked for a tender coconut.
The local farmer refused to sell him one, saying that the tender coconut was
only meant for the Lord. The collector insisted, asking if his tender coconuts
had horns on them, and the poor farmer finally yielded, under pressure, and
fear of recrimination. When the collector took the coconut, he found it had
three horns! At once, he realized his mistake, and offered worship at the
temple, and dedicated a small amount for the worship every day. The coconut is
still in the temple, in the shrine of the goddess!
Thenthirupperai
- Location: Thenthirupperai is about 38 Km from Tirunelveli, towards Tiruchendur.
- Temple Timings: 8 to 10:30 AM, 5 to 7 PM.
5. Rajapathy
Rajapathy was one of the most disappointing
temples, architecture-wise, on our entire trip. The temple had been recently
renovated, and there was no trace at all of the original shrine. Though sad, it
was understandable, considering that the ancient temple here is said to have
been washed away in a flood, and was in ruins. Further, the Lord here,
Kailasanathar, representing Kethu, is said to have wheels etched on 4 sides,
but the lingam was covered, and we couldn’t see that either. It is also
believed that an even more ancient temple lies below this, under the lingam,
but that is something we will never know about.
Another
interesting thing about the temple are the Navagrahas, which aren’t in their
regular forms, but depicted as Lingams!
Rajapathy
- Location: Rajapathy is about 40 Km from Tirunelveli, towards Tiruchendur.
- Temple Timings: 6 to 11 AM, 4 to 8 PM
6. Serndapoomangalam
The
ancient temple
to Kailasanathar at Serndapoomangalam, near Keezhaatur, was one of the most
beautiful ones we saw on the Nava Kailasam circuit. The temple was deserted
when we visited, and the caretaker came running when he saw us, and did the
puja. This was one of those temples where weeds have grown all over the place,
yet they don’t distract from its innate beauty. As we went around the small
prakaram, we noticed that like at Rajapathy, the Navagrahas here were
represented as Lingams. As in many of the temples here, the outer corridor had
figures of the Saptamatrikas as well as the Nayanmars in stone. However, I was
most fascinated by the figures on the gopuram. I was only able to capture the
gopuram from two sides. While one had a beautiful image of Vishnu seated on
Adishesha with Bhudevi and Sridevi by his side, flanked by images of Shiva as
Gajasamharamurthy, and another of Shiva dancing, balancing on his hand! On
another side, are images of Brahma, while the third side has an interesting
figure mounted on an elephant, which I thought was Indra, but apparently is
Kubera, with his two wives. Apart from this, the gopuram also has images of Narasimha,
and Shiva, seen in the dual form of image as well as lingam.
It is
at times like these, when I wish we left temples alone. They are so much more beautiful
before they are renovated!
This
temple is supposed to be the last one in the Nava Kailasam circuit, where the ninth flower
given by Sage Agasthya washed up. The name of the village, Sernda-poo-mangalam,
literally means “the place where the flowers were finally collected”. Here, the
Lord is considered to represent Sukran, or Venus.
Serndapoomangalam
- Location: Serndapoomangalam is located near Keezhaatur, about 20 km from Tuticorin and 45 Km from Tirunelveli.
- Temple Timings: 7 to 9:30AM, 5:30 to 7:30 PM
7. Kodaganallur
We
arrived at the Kodaganallur Kailasanathar temple amidst pouring rain, and found the main door
closed and the priest fast asleep. While we hesitated to wake him up, and
wondered what to do, our driver had no such qualms. He shouted out and rattled
the wooden door, and roused the poor man, who fumbled for the keys. Bleary
eyed, he opened the door for us, explaining that the temple was supposed to
open only half an hour later.
Thankfully,
it was only the outer door which was closed. The door to the shrine was wide
open, and we had a peaceful darshan. The Lord here represents Sevvai, or
Angarakan, the planet Mars. Very interestingly, this tiny temple was one of the
few which had photos available for sale!!
Kodaganallur
- Location: Kodaganallur is about 15 Km from Tirunelveli, on the way to Cheranmahadevi.
- Temple Timings: 6AM to 12 Noon, 5 to 7 PM.
8. Kunnathur
The
Kailasanathar temple at Kunnathur, like the one at Kodaganallur, is a small one, compared to
all the other seven shrines. Here, the Lord is also called Kodha Parameswarar,
and this is the name you see on the board outside the temple. The Lord here
represents Rahu, and the lingam here has the figure of a snake on it.
Kunnathur
- Location: Kunnathur is about 2 Km from the Tirunelveli railway station.
- Temple Timings: The temple is open from 7:30 to 10:30 AM and 5 to 6:30 PM on usual days. During special days, such as Saturdays, Fridays and special puja days, the temple is open from 6 AM to 12 Noon, and 5 to 7 PM.
9. Murappanadu
“Eight
temples done, just one to go!” was the thought in all our minds as we set out towards Murappanadu. The
temple timings as they had been mentioned on the net, had been just like all
the other temples. Our driver, however insisted, that the priest had changed,
and the new one only came to the temple for half an hour every day. He had
recently brought another family here, and found it closed. He therefore had
kept this temple to the last, so we could make it in time, before the priest
left. Unfortunately, we got stuck in a traffic jam, and our visit to this last
temple was truly a race to the finish line!!!
The
priest was still
around when we rushed out of the car. He was sitting peacefully on a stone
bench outside the temple, throwing stones in the river. When our driver walked
up and asked him to open the temple, he beckoned to a little girl, handed over
the keys, and motioned to her to open the temple for us.
Kailasanathar in this temple is also a
representation of Guru, or Jupiter, and the temple is an impressive one. Sadly,
it was already dark, and the temple wasn’t well lit enough for us to appreciate
the finer details. The priest didn’t come in while we were there, so we
satisfied ourselves by saying all the prayers we could think of, and thanking
him for allowing us to complete the circuit, having His darshan at each one of
them.
Murappanadu
- Location: Murappanadu is located about 17 Km from Tirunelveli and 40 Km from Tuticorin.
- Temple Timings: As of May 2015, the temple is open (as far as we could ascertain) from 9:30 to 10 AM and 6 to 6:30 PM.
Completing
the Nava Kailasam circuit gave us a sense of satisfaction, we shall not easily forget. Each one
of them is beautiful, with something or the other standing out. Sadly, they
need maintenance, and restoration, not renovation. I could almost imagine how
beautiful the temples would have been, on the riverbank, with their delicate
sculptures and detailed architecture. Today, however, we only get a glimpse of
that beauty!
If you wish
to plan a trip to the Nava Kailasam temples, do check out the website. It is
practically the only resource available: http://navakailasamtemples.tnhrce.in/index.html
This post is part of my series on my #summertrip 2015, and I hope to take you along with me as I recount stories from my month long trip, which took me across the country. To get an idea of all the places I visited, and what you can hope to read about, click here.
Related Posts:
- Our Tirunelveli Temple Run
An awesome recount of the nava kailasam. Inspires me to undertake the trip myself.
ReplyDeletePlease share any resource on mythological or folklore associated with the nava kailasam temples.
Nice Article. Keep Going
ReplyDeletewowwww really helpful
ReplyDelete