Sthäëumälaya Temple, Suchindram
The
Suchindram Temple is located about thirteen km from Kanyakumari, and six km from Nagercoil.
It is considered one of the unique temples in the country.
The
Räjagopuram is 134 feet tall, richly decorated with Puräëic characters. After
the Räjagopuram is a tree believed to be 2,000 year old.
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Deity
It
enshrines Sthäëumälaya, the Trinity (Sthäëu=Çiva, Mäl=Viñëu and Äyan=Brahmä).
The single image of Sthäëumälaya represents all the three aspects. The bottom
part represents Brahmä, the middle Viñëu, and the top Çiva. (The understanding
becomes clear when one reads the legend of Åñi Atri, his chaste wife Anasüyä,
and her encounter with the Trinity).
Legend
Suchindram
is known as Jïänäraëyam. According to a legend, Maharñi Atri and his wife Anasüyä,
known for her chastity had their hermitage here. Anasuyä could bring rains to
the parched land by sprinkling the päda-tértham
of her husband.
Temple architecture/style/specialty
The
Temple is famous for its skillful architecture and beautiful sculptures. The
134-foot-tall gopuram is visible to
the pilgrim (including me) from a long distance. It
is the 8th tallest Gopuram in south India/India.
Famous Gopurams*
|
Place
|
Tier
|
Height
|
Builder
|
|
1
|
Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple
|
Trichy
|
13-tiered
|
240
feet
|
1980
|
2
|
Arunachaleswara
Temple
|
Tiruvannamalai
|
217
feet
|
||
3
|
Ekambareswara
Temple
|
Kanchipuram
|
194
feet
|
||
4
|
Sri
Andal Temple
|
Srivilliputhur
|
11-tier
|
192
feet
|
|
5
|
Southern
Rajagopuram of Minakshi
|
Madurai
|
9-tier
-1511
sculptures
|
160
feet
|
Sevvanti
Murty Chettiar in 1559 CE
|
6
|
Eastern
Rajagopuram of Minakshi
|
Madurai
|
153
feet
|
Maravarman
Sundara
Pandyan
|
|
7
|
Sarangapani
Temple
|
Kumbakonam
|
12-tier
|
146
feet
|
|
8
|
Suchindram
|
Kanyakumari
|
134 feet
|
||
9
|
Rameswaram
|
Rameswaram
|
126
feet
|
*Why do I give this Table every time. So that each write-up is
independent, and one can visualise immediately.
On the eastern corridor is the
shrine of Lord Dakñiëämürti. (Lord Dakñiëämürti is similarly placed in Äpadsahäyeçwara
Temple, Alangudi, near Kumbakonam).
The
face of the Gopuram is covered with sculptures and statues from Puräëas. There
is a covered area in front of the main entrance, and the entrance itself is 24
feet high with a beautifully carved door. There is only one corridor running
along the other wall of the Temple with many shrines and maëòapams scattered in the inner area.
History
The
structures were mutilated by iconoclastic invaders like Tipu Sultan, Chanda
Sahib (---1752), the Nawab of Karnataka etc. whose soldiers looted the temple
wealth. Some of the mutilated figures were later reconstructed.
There
are about 30 shrines dedicated to various deities within the Temple-complex.
There is a large Lingam in the sanctum,
an image of Viñëu. Facing the sanctum
is the nearly 800-year Nandi painted white. It is 13-feet tall, 21-feet long
and 10-feet wide, and is made of lime and mortar.
Hanuman
There
is an imposing image (22-feet tall) of Çré Hanumän facing Çré Räma’s shrine. It
is said to represent the viçvarüpa of
Çré Hanumän as shown to Çré Hanumän Sétä at the Açokavanam in Lanka. It is
sculpted out of a single granite block. The image is mostly covered with butter
offered by the devotees. The Hanumän figure was kept buried during the Islamic
invasions, and was reinstalled later.
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Navagrahas
Another
unique feature of the Temple is that the Navagrahas are not resting on a
platform, but are suspended from the ceiling. The Temple has also nine musical
pillars, one for each swaram and one
having the sound of the mådaìgam. The
pillars are carved out of monolithic granite blocks. The Temple, which attracts
both Vaiñëava and Çaiva devotees, is indeed an architectural wonder.
Tirumalä
Näyaka (of Madurai Temple and Srivalliputtur), and later on the Maharajas of
Travancore bestowed the temple with huge endowments. The temple is a storehouse
of some of the best specimens of south Indian art.
Festivals
The
two most important festivals are in Markazhi (December/January) and Chitrai
(April/may). During the Markazhi festival, on the 9th day, the
deities are taken out in procession around the streets on the three festival
cars.
In
the study of Vedänta, we have çravaëa
(listen), manana (reflect on what
is listened to), and nididhyäsana
(contemplate on that). Gradually documenting all the temples I have seen so
far, is becoming like darçana (seen
earlier), manana (happening now),
and nididhyäsana (as and when I
compare any similarities in the architecture, or growth of
temple-architecture, or development of styles).
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Work in progress
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