Thiruchendur Murugan Temple – Valli’s Cave (Dattatreya’s
Cave)
A little removed from the main shrine and on the
northern seashore under a cliff of over-hanging hardened sandstone there is a
picturesque grotto carved out of it. Two images are installed there, one
dedicated to Valli and another to Dattatreya.
The frontal shrine has been embellished by a stone
mantapa of 16 pillars, 24-1/4 ft. long 21-1/4 feet broad. Behind the frontal
cave, there is a circumambular passage with another grotto carved from inside,
with a figure of Valli in a niche. The cave overlooks the sea as its wave’s
dash against its sides.
The walls of the mantapa have recent paintings of
Nambirajan. The king of the clan of hunters and his men had followed the flight
of Valli with Muruga; and here they were confronted by the divine consorts and
are shown their grace. On this account the cave is also known as Valli
Olittavalanadu.
To the left of the mantapa, a plastic representation of
Muruga's conquest of Surapadma and of his transformation into a peacock and a
chanticleer (cevalum mayilum) is seen with Veerabahu and Veera Mahendran
Muruga's generals looking on. Pujas are conducted here twice in the day out of
the temple paditharam.
The cave and the expansive sea in front of it have a
special charm; and the worshipper is reminded of the immanence of god Muruga.
The cave has received recent renovations with granite flooring and a layout on
the sea beach.
A counter part of this rocky cave is to be found nine
miles away on the rocky edge of Manalpad Beach. Curiously enough it had been
occupied as early as 1542 A.D. by the early Roman Catholic Church, and bears a
tablet saying, "This cave once, the dwelling of a Saivite Sanyasi, has
been sanctified by the prayers and penance of Saint Francis Xavier." This
is spoken of as another of Valli's caves, and had gone into the use of the
earliest followers of Jesus.
