Thanumalayan Temple, Suchindram – Legends
Suchindram:
As per
legend, Indra got relieved of a curse here. The term
"Suchi" in Suchindrum is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit
meaning that stands for "purify". The place purified Indra from his
curse. Hence it got the name Suchindrum. Accordingly, Lord Indra is supposed to
visit the temple for performing "Ardhajama Pooja", or worship, at
midnight every day.
Story of Anusuya, wife of Sage Athri:
Anusuya,
the wife of Athri Maharishi was famous for her chastity and her devotion to her
husband - an embodiment of a Hindu wife. She could perform miracles by sprinkling
the 'Paatha Theertham' (water with which she washed her husband's feet) to
bring rain to a parched earth or to transform objects to her desire. When the
three Devis, - Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathy and Parvathy (Adishakti) heard
through Sage Naradha the powers of this earthly woman they wanted to test her
chastity. They approached their husbands, Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to
test Anusuya's devotion to her husband. The three Moorthys transformed into
three old mendicants and went to the hermitage where Anusuya was living and
sought alms from her. When Anusuya was about to serve them food they told her
that they had taken a vow whereby they could not accept alms from a person
wearing clothes. As it was a sin to refuse alms to mendicants she prayed to her
Lord and sprinkled a little 'Paatha Theertham' on the three old beggars. They
were all immediately transformed into babies and throwing off her clothes she
offered them food.
The
Goddesses learning what had happened pleaded with Anusuya to grant them 'Mangalya
Bhiksha' (gift of married life) and to give them back their husbands. Anusuya
showed them the three babies. The Devis ran to the cradle and picked one baby
each. Anusuya then prayed to her Lord to restore them back to their original
form. Lord Sri Vishnu was in Lakshmi's embrace, Siva in Parvathy's lap and Saraswathy
with Brahma. They accepted that Anusuya’s fame as the chaste woman on earth was
justified. Thus, the Trimurthy came to be represented by the Lingam at
Suchindram; the bottom represents Brahma, the middle represents Vishnu and the
top Shiva.
Indra got relieved of his curse here:
There is
another lore associated with this temple. Once Indra was infatuated with
Ahalya, the wife of Rishi Gautama. One night he came to the hermitage where
Gautama was living and made a sound like a cock indicating the approach of
dawn. Rishi Gautama thinking that dawn was imminent awoke from his sleep and
went to the river for his ablutions prior to commencing his prayers. Realizing
that it was too dark for dawn and too early for morning to break he returned to
his hut. In the meantime, Lord Indra took the physical appearance of Rishi
Gautama, approached Ahalya and satisfied his desire.
Rishi
Gautama returning from the river was enraged when he saw his wife in another
man´s embrace and cursed the man's entire body be covered with 'yoni' (the
female organ) and his wife Ahalya to become a statue of stone. Lord Indra to
get rid of this curse went to Gnanaranya and prayed to the three Moorthys to
rid him of this curse. When he was rid of his curse and transformed into his
original form he built a temple and installed the Lingam to represent the three
Moorthy – Thanu – Maal – Ayan, and the name of the place came to be known as
Suchi-Indran (the place where Indran was purified).
Narada foiled Lord Shiva plan to marry Devi Kanyakumari:
Narada Lord
Siva started from this place to wed Kanyakumari Amman, but returned when he
heard the cockcrow made by sage Narada. Thus, successfully foiling the plan,
the Goddess Kumari resides here as a virgin, unable to marry Lord Shiva.
Agnipariksha:
Another
story of note about Suchindram Temple is the age-old practice
of Agnipariksha that was practiced here up until the 1860's, when it
was forbidden by the government. This ritual could only be engaged if the king
gave his consent, and then it was done on a designated date. The ritual
involves Kaimukkal, or 'dipping of the hand', in which any Namboothiri, or
a high caste Brahmin who was under threat of excommunication due to immoral
behavior, had to prove his innocence. A small silver ox statue was placed in a
copper vessel of boiling ghee. The accused Brahmin had to reach in and pull the
figure out of the ghee. A complex ritual followed in which the hand was
bandaged, and the Brahmin taken to the home of a senior man, who watched over
him. On the third day his hand was unwrapped. If the fingers were black and
burned, the Brahmin was excommunicated, and pushed to the fringe of society. If
his honor was vindicated, and the hand was normal, he was returned to his post,
given gifts from the king, and all due respects were given to him by the temple
community. One can only imagine the level of integrity required of Brahmins who
faced such a method of oversight.