Thiruparankundram Temple

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South-west from Madurai there is granite hill rising like an enormous elephant 300 metres above the surrounding plain and visible far away. Here is located one of the most sacred Tamil Hindu shrines - Murugan Temple in Thiruparankundram. Temple consists of more ancient rock-cut parts and newer constructions in front.

Ancient legends

It is possible that the worship history of this hill goes far into the past, may be even well before there appeared Hinduism. There are many legends associated with this mountain.

Thus, the hill is considered to be the "Southern Himalaya" where the gods assemble. There is also legend that this is the place where Sun and Moon take a rest.

Feat and marriage of Muruga

Thiruparankundram is one of the six main pilgrimage sites for the devotion of the son of Shiva - Muruga (also Subramanya), Tamil Hindu god of war and patron of Tamil Nadu.

Story goes that Muruga with his troops rested here after one of his famous six battles against demons. Finally he saved Heaven by defeating the evil rakshasa Soorapadman and returned to Thiruparankundram Hill followed by all the liberated deities. At this beautiful hill, where opens wide view on the lively landscape of Tamil Nadu, in the temple he married Devasena (Deivayanai), daughter of Indra given to him as a gift for victory. Marriage took place in the presence of all deities.

Temple of marriage

Since there have happened such important events, Murugan Temple in Thiruparankundram became one of the most revered shrines in Tamil Nadu. Up to this day Tamil people readily marry here. Especially many pairs get married in festival of marriage - Pankuni Uttiram - in late March.

Temple leads very active religious life with numerous festivities and Thiruparankundram for most part of the year is teeming with life.

As if there is not enough importance and reverance, on the top of hill there is also a Muslim shrine devoted to Sekunder - Alexander the Great! Local Muslims consider that Alexander the Great was the friend of King Murugan. Thus Thiruparankundram is a place where both Hindu and Muslims go well along.

Short history of the temple

According to another tale King Harichandra worshipped Shiva from this hillock and gained eternal wisdom. Thus he built a temple here - temple was complete with Praharams (ambulatories), walls, Gopurams (gate towers) and steps.

The "real history" (who can differentiate myths and reality in Indian past?) of the temple may start with 8th century AD when Pandya rulers built rock-cut temple.

Later, during the reign of Nayaks of Madurai (1559 - 1736 AD) the temple was supplemented with beautiful gopurams and beautified. There was built extensive and beautiful front part (mugha mandapam) with 48 ornate pillars carved during the rule of Pandya and Nayaks.

Description of the temple

Presiding deities of the temple are Lord Muruga and Goddess Devasena. Other deities - Shiva, Vishnu, Durga and Ganapathy - are represented as well.

Entrance in the ancient cave temple leads through a row of massive square pillars ornamented with lotus-shaped medallions.

Inside the cave temple there has been preserved ancient painting of Nataraja - dancing Shiva. Cave temple contains also the sculpture of presiding deity Sri Subramaniyaswamy (Muruga).

Rock-cut temple contains also 41 inscriptions revealing the early history of the temple.

Before the ancient rock-cut temple there is built front part - mugha mandapam.

Separate entrance leads into Sani Bhagawan - another shrine in this temple. In the western side there is rock-cut chamber which houses the lingam but in the eastern side there is one more shrine with Vishnu and Durga opposite to him. Temple contains many more carvings of deities.

In the south-eastern part of Kambaththadi mandapam there has been found a 30 m long tunnel.

Temple contains also two historical wooden carts which are used for ceremonial purposes in certain proccessions.

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Madurai has rightly earned for itself the epithet of being the temple town of Tamil Nadu. Other than the outstanding Meenakshi temple there are several other temples in and around Madurai that are well worth a visit. One of them is the Thiruparankundram Temple, Madurai. Located at a distance of about 8 km to the south of Madurai, the Thiruparankundram Temple is a rock cut temple that is dedicated to Lord Subramanya.

The Thiruparankundram Temple, Madurai dates back to the sixth century. It is considered to be one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya or Murugan. These six abodes of the Lord are popularly referred to as Arupadai Veedu. According to legend, the Lord married Deivyani, the daughter of Lord Indra at this place. This is also the site where he worshipped his parents Lord Parangirinathar and Avudainayaki.

The antiquity of Thiruparankundram Temple can very well be gauged from the fact that it finds mention even in the Sangam Literature. The Sangam poet Nakkiran has referred to this temple in his songs. Actually the oldest shrine of the Thiruparankundram Temple is the cave temple that is positioned at a height of 1050 feet. The current structure of the Thiruparankundram Temple was constructed in the 8th century A.D. during the reign of the Pandya kings. The saint poets Sundarar and Sambandar and Arunagirinathar have also bestowed a lot of praise on this temple.

What is sure to catch your attention immediately after entering the Thiruparankundram Temple are the 48 pillars with elegant carvings. You are sure to be impressed by the sculptural dexterity revealed in the seven tier gopuram. Each of the five cells within the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is dedicated to a particular deity. Some of the gods and goddesses who are worshipped in the shrines of the Thiruparankundram Temple are Murga, Durga, Vinayaka, Vishnu and Shiva Lingam. The images of Brahma, Indra, Surya, Chandra, Sri Devi and Bhoodevi carved on the walls adorn the interiors of the Thiruparankundram Temple.

Other noteworthy features of the Thiruparankundram Temple are the Brahmi inscriptions. The exquisite sculptures of Sivathandavam in a dancing posture, his celestial attendant beating a drum and his wife reclining on a bull to witness it are all very impressive. Do not miss out on the other group of sculptures where Nandi is standing along with other sages.


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The Skanda temple at Tirupparankundram, located 10 kilometres from the city of Madurai in India, has a long and fascinating history. This temple is able to provide us an insight into the historical and religious viewpoint of the area at the time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, a modest cave temple was transformed into a magnificent temple. These cave temples were carved out of the cliff-face, therefore determining both the site location and alignment, as cave temples could only be created at a suitable location. The earliest of these in the Tamilnadu state has been dated to the sixth or seventh centuries. As time went on, these cave temples were gradually abandoned, probably due to the creation limitations.

However there were some cave temples which were not abandoned; these were adapted to suit their creator’s designs. The Skanda temple typifies this expansion.

The temple was dedicated to Skanda, a Hindu deity who is also known as Murugan or Subramanya, and is extremely popular amongst the Tamil Hindus of the area. The hill of Tirupparankundram (which can be translated as ‘the sacred hill of the great god’) is sacred to both Hindus and Muslims. This spot was said to be the location where the god appeared after his battle with the demon Curan.

The heart of the temple is an early cave temple, the front of the temple is decorated by a gopura and three great mandapas, all embellishments of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that sensationalize the approach to the main shrine. The plans of the temples are based on an “entrance for an approaching devotee and exit for deities during festival processions, with a lesser emphasis on the remaining cardinal directions, that suggest the expansion from the centre of divine energy, and a concentric plan, with a series of layers along these axes. The Hindu temples of Tamilnadu are primarily experienced through movement, that of both devotees and deities. The whole structure of the temple at Tirupparankundram stresses the first planning principle, emphasizing the gradual approach of the devotee inward and upward, from light to dark, from open space to increasingly confined space, to the final destination at the very heart of the temple in the small cave temple in the side of the sacred hill itself. The cave temple is on the north side of the rock, and this position determines the whole align”.

The cave temple has been dated to the seventh century, based on inscriptions that archaeologists have found. One inscription on columns is dated to the sixth year of the reign of the Pandyan king Maranjadaiyan(also known as Jatila Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan, r. ca. 765-815).There are other inscriptions which date it to around the time of another ruler so it is unclear as to who it was really dedicated by.

For the next 800 years nothing was added to the temple until around the 12th or 13th century when structurally enclosed halls were added. Apart from fragments, nothing of these survives today. However, during the 16th century, the inner hall was completely rebuilt.

Bibliography:

Branfoot, Crispin (2003) The Madurai Nayakas and the Skanda Temple at Tirupparankundram, Ars Orientalis, Freer Gallery of Art.

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Thirupparankundram, which is one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga, stands 10km south from Madurai . It serves as the best among the Arupadai Veedu of Lord Muruga, attracting rolling crowds all the year. Thirupparankundram, the place where Lord Muruga was married with Devayanai, is considered as a sacred place for marriages.

This rock cut temple has separate shrines for Lord Ganapathy, Shiva, Durgai, Vishnu and other deities. The entrance of the temple is built with 48 Nayaka period pillars with artistic carvings engraved on them. The speciality of Thirupparankundram temple is that the innermost shrine is carved from a single rock.

Another interesting fact about the Thirupparankundram temple is the presence of subsidiary cave shrines excavated in the rock, with idols arranged so orderly like a military session. These small cave shrines can be approached through narrow dark passages. It is quite difficult to find similar group of cave shrines elsewhere.


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திருப்பரங்குன்றம் என்னும் இயற்கை எழில் சூழ்ந்துள்ள அழகுமிக்க சிற்றூரில் முந்நூறு மீட்டர் உயரமுள்ள மலையின் அடிவாரத்தில் ஊ ரின் நடுவே குன்றே கோவிலாக எழுந்துள்ள எழில்மிகு திருக்கோவிலே திருப்பரங்குன்றம் திருக்கோயிலாகும்.

முருகப் பெருமானின் ஆறுபடை வீடுகளில் முதற்படை வீடாகச் சிறப்புப் பெற்று விளங்குதலால், அவன் பெயராலேயே இத்திருக்கோவில் அருள்மிகு சுப்பிரமணிய சுவாமி திருக்கோவில் என்றே அழைக்கப்படுகின்றது. இத்தலம் 275 தேவாரத் தலங்களுள் ஒன்றாக, பாண்டிய நாட்டின் மதுரை மாநகரிலிருந்து தென்மேற்கில் ஐந்து கல் தொலைவில் மதுரை - கன்னியாகுமரி தேசிய நெடுச் சாலைக் கருகிலேயே அமைந்துள்ளது. மதுரை புகைவண்டி நிலையத்திலிருந்து தெற்கே செல்லும் வழியில் பசுமலைக்கு அடுத்த நிலையமாக இவ்வூர் உள்ளது.
மதுரையில் இருந்து அடிக்கடி பேருந்து வசதி உள்ளது.
மதுரையிலிருந்து திருமங்கலம், விருதுநகர், சிவகாசி, ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூர், இராஐபாளையம் வழியாக தென்காசி செல்லும் இரயில்களும், திருநெல்வேலி, நாகர்கோயில், தூத்துக்குடி செல்லும் இரயில்களும் திருப்பரங்குன்றம் இரயில் நிலையத்தில் நின்று செல்லும்.

Sunday, April 17, 2011 by deivam P Mohanraj · 0