Thanumalayan Suchindram

Thanumalayan, Suchindram

Saivite Temples, Kanyakumari District

God

Thanumalayan, facing east

Goddess

Aramvalartha Nayaki (Dharmasamvardhini), facing south

Other Deities

Anjaneya, Vinayaka, Vigneswari, Indran, Sakahi Ganapathi, Indra Vinayaka, Kala Bhairava, Kasi Viswanathar, Muruga with Consorts, Kankalanathar, Venugopala, Lakshmana, Mahavishnu, Garuda, Nataraja, Moodu Ganapathy, Durga, Sankaranarayana, Amarabhujangaperumal, Suchindraperumal

Thanumalayan Suchindram is a large east facing temple with a superb 134 feet 7 tiered Rajagopuram at the entrance. A large temple tank is adjoining the temple in the North. The main deity is a 1 foot Lingam, the top, middle and bottom portions of the image in the temple represent Siva (Sthanu), Vishnu (Maal) and Brahma (Ayan) respectively. Thus this temple is that of the Holy Trinity of Hinduism. Thanumalayan Suchindram is an architectural marvel with excellent carvings and exquisite features including music pillars carved out of single rocks and rising to about 18 feet. The Nandi here is made of lime and mortar and not in granite as usual. It is one of the biggest measuring 13 feet tall, 21 feet length and 10 feet wide. The corridors in the Prakarams are long and with many pillars.The 22 feet tall monolith Anjaneya idol is a specialty. It was discovered only in the past century having been buried for more than 2 centuries due to the threat of invasion by Tipu Sultan. Behind the shrine of Lord Muruga are six small shrines for Mahadeva, Narayana, Rameswara, Krishna, Srichakra and Durga. These are together with the Muruga shrine called Jayantheeswara Temples. Jayantheeswaram is another name for Thiruchendur and the Muruga idol here resembles the one there. Lord Krishna here at Thanumalayan Suchindram is seen standing with a ball of butter in one hand and a peeled plantain in the other like in Guruvayur Temple. South of Thanumalayan Suchindram in the car street is the Perambalam Natarajamoorthy temple dedicated for Lord Nataraja, a form of Shiva in the dancing posture.

Holy Water (Theertham) – Temple Tank

Sacred Tree (Sthala Vriksham) – Konnai (Indian Laburnum)

History

Stone Inscriptions from the 9th century are found in Thanumalayan Suchindram. Parts of the Konnai tree here were sent for analysis to experts abroad and it was observed that it could have flourished even about 2000 years ago. Most of the shrines in the Prakaram were built in the 12th Century CE. The Udaya Marthanda Mandapam and Subramanya Swami Temple were built in 1213 AD. Between the years 1417 and 1819 further constructions were added by Chera, Chola and Pandya Kings. Travancore Kings and Thirumalai Nayak have served and contributed to this temple to a large extent too.

Legend

Lord Indra is believed to have been relieved of a curse, from Sage Gautama for seducing and spoiling his wife Ahalya, and was purified by bathing and worshiping here at Thanumalayan Suchindram giving the place its name Suchindram (Suchi is Purifying, Indra for Indra). It is believed that Indra visits the temple every day for performing “Ardhajama Pooja” in the night. The Jayantheeswaram temples mentioned above is believed to have been worshiped by the Pandava Princes.

Sage Atri’s wife Anusuya who was living here was envied by the the Holy Trinity’s Goddess because of her chastity and unstinted devotion to her husband. It was so high that she could bring rain down in times of drought by just sprinkling the water after washing the sage’s feet. They sent their husbands, Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma as old Brahmins to test her. Reaching the sage’s abode begging for alms and requesting for food when he was not there, they insisted to Anusuya that they will not partake food unless served nude by her. Realizing that something was strange she sprinkled the same water and transformed them into babies and fed them and made them sleep. The sage returned and heard the whole incident. In the meantime the goddesses also arrived to find three babies and they could not identify the right babies as their respective husbands. After severe penance at the Theertham here they returned to find the gods in their original forms and all of them gave darshan to the great Sage and Anusuya.

Directions

Thanumalayan Suchindram is in the center of the town and the temple town is visible from all around. Suchindram is 5.5 kilometers from Nagercoil and 15 kilometers before Kanyakumari on the Nagercoil to Kanyakumari road.

Stay and Food

None locally except small eateries. Nagercoil or Kanyakumari are the places to stay.

Saivite Temples - Kanyakumari District

Tamilnadu Temples