Thiruchendur Murugan Temple – Mela Gopuram
The Temple Mela-gopuram, a massive structure of
nine storeys, is a striking landmark for many miles around both by land and
sea. It is about 137 feet high above yali-mattam, over ground-floor 90 feet
long north to south and 65-1/2 feet broad east to west. The finials stoopis at
the top are nine in number in consonance with the number of storeys as a
general rule with such temples. They are of plaster and stucco, 7 feet, 6
inches in height; and placed over a pedestal base 5 feet wide and 45 feet long.
The location of this principal gopuram on the western side of the temple
instead of on to the east as is usual to mark the entrance of any temple of
importance, is possibly to wisely take advantage of the hardened sandstone
rocks and the cliffs nearby to place its large foundations.
The gopura is said to have been constructed about 300
years ago by Desikamurti Swami, an Odukkath Tambiran of the then Maha sannidhanam
of Tiruvavaduthurai Mutt. He is said to have received his call for the purpose
from his place in the mutt, the Lord having communicated his desire both to the
Maha sannidhanam and the Tambiran in a dream. The latter had no funds for such
a huge task entrusted into his hands, but had apprised him of the solution. He
undertook it.
It is said the labour paid for by the Swami was in the
shape of pinches of sacred ashes (tiruniru) placed in the hands of workmen
after each day's work with instructions to open near the Thundu-kai-Vinayakar
Kovil. And those pinches of sacred vibhuti were converted into cash enough to
recompense their individual exertion, actually performed during the course of
the day.
It is remarkable that from the sixth storey upwards to
the ninth, the plasters on the walls have kept remarkably on, and they are
beautified with fresco paintings. The scenes depicted are from the life of
Saint Manikkavachakar, with labels in Tamil and those of the Pandya Nindrasir Nedumaran
and his times and also scenes from Tirunelveli Puranam and many others. A good
many of them are obliterated with age, dust and whitewash. As illustrating the
contemporaneous state of society they are well worth a study.
On the ninth storey is fixed a huge bell kadikara nalikai
Mani placed under the orders of one Mr. Eden (possibly the Collector of Tirunelveli
from 1832-1839). The clock formerly struck the hour of the day with a
mechanism, now in disrepair. The inscription in Tamil found on the bell relates
this to be a gift of Tiruppani Vicaranai Stalattar.
There is a tradition that when this clock struck at
mid-day, the call was taken up by a series of bell-fries on mandapas, said to
have been built by the Panjalamkurichi family, at regular intervals between Thiruchendur
and Ottapidaram. In all of them drummers were stationed to communicate along
the route and as far as the residence of Kattabomman Nayakkan the Poligar the
actual performance of puja in this temple. At his signal, Kattabomman turned
his thoughts to prayer before he took his daily meal. A square mantapa in front
of the Pillaiyar temple at Palaya-Kayal, one of such a series, is said to have
been built by this family. Similar mandapas exist at Mukkani and Arumuganeri.