Emperumal Temple, Chiramadam, Kanyakumari

Emperumal Temple, Chiramadam, Kanyakumari

Emperumal Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located at Chiramadam Village near Azhagiapandipuram in Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu. Presiding Deity is Emperumal along with his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. The Temple is located at about 3 Kms from Derisanamcope, 5 Kms from Azhagiapandipuram, 6 Kms from Boothapandi, 4 Kms from Thittu Vilai, 17 Kms from Aralvaimozhi, 10 Kms from Thazhakudy, 18 Kms from Nagercoil, 19 Kms from Thovalai, 23 Kms from Suchindram, 36 Kms from Kanyakumari and 81 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is located at Nagercoil and Aralvaimozhi. Nearest Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram.

Location

Azhwar Swamy Temple, Cheramangalam, Kanyakumari

Azhwar Swamy Temple, Cheramangalam, Kanyakumari

Azhwar Swamy Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located at Cheramangalam Village in Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu. The Temple is located very near Cheramangalam Shivan Temple and on Thingal Nagar to Manavalakurichi Road. The Temple is located at about 500 meters from Cheramangalam Sivan Kovil Bus Stop, 4 Kms from Thingal Nagar, 7 Kms from Eraniel, 3 Kms from Manavalakurichi, 7 Kms from Muttom, 19 Kms from Nagercoil, 33 Kms from Kanyakumari and 78 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is located at Eraniel and Nearest Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram.

Location

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, Vellimalai, Kanyakumari

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, Vellimalai, Kanyakumari

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Murugan located at Vellimalai in Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu. This Temple is located atop of the hill Vellimalai. This Temple attracts lot of pilgrims from the surrounding areas. The 200 feet high Vellimalai hill is located in the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. South of this hill is the ocean and north of the hill are the Western Ghats. In this scenic area is located the ancient Balasubramanya swami temple on top of the Velli malai hill.

Legends

For brief details, please refer below mail;

http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/12/bala-subramanya-swamy-temple-vellimalai-legends.html

The Temple

For brief details, please refer below mail;

http://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/12/bala-subramanya-swamy-temple-vellimalai-temple.html

Festivals

Sasti Sura Samharam, Aadi Kirthikai, Vaikasi Visakam and Thai Poosam are the festivals celebrated in this temple with much fanfare. Kerala Tantram is the protocol of worship offered here as with most other temples in Kanyakumari district. As with Vellimalai, the last Friday in every Tamil month is considered to be auspicious and Kanji is offered as prasadam here. 

Prayers

It is believed that not only the devotees who come here for prayer are benefited, but also the people who visit the hill. It is because that the Lord of this hill blesses one and all without any discrimination. Those who make any request at this holy place would get relief from their impediments and attain happiness. The sick people may find much relief if they stay for some days here. Mental depression and worries can be reduced by the holy visit of this hill temple. The poor may find guidance to get relief from their poverty. The depressed may find peace and solace. Austeries and Vratha (restriction afford) taken for six days of Skanda Sasti period with deep prayers are equated with many years of penance and Yoga practices.

The Karthika Vratham, and the visit on that day for the Dharshan of the deity will bring more benediction than the one gets taking baths in several sacred rivers. The devotees get relaxation and mental peace when they sit before the deity and pray earnestly. Annadhanam and other charities bring prosperity in one’s life.  This place attracts the great and noble persons with spiritual turn of mind. Local belief has it that barren women go on to deliver healthy children upon worshipping at this temple.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 5 Kms from Eraniel, 7 Kms from Manavalakurichi, 10 Kms from Mandaikadu, 10 Kms from Thuckalay, 12 Kms from Colachel, 14 Kms from Nagercoil, 15 Kms from Villukuri, 5 Kms from Thingal Nagar, 7 Kms from Muttom, 32 Kms from Kanyakumari and 72 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. The frequent bus facilities are available to this temple from Nagercoil, Monday Market Bus Terminals. Apart from this, mini bus-services also touch this spot. Nearest Railway Station is located at Eraniel and Nearest Airport is located Thiruvananthapuram.

Location

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, Vellimalai – Legends

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, Vellimalai – Legends

Temple Construction:

Nearly 1200 years back the village Vellimalai was covered with thick forest. At that time, there lived a saintly person on the hill. He had the divine power of healing chronic diseases. So, the surrounding people visited this noble soul for getting his blessings and got their diseases cured. He was known as a great ‘Siddhar’. He lived in a cave which was at the foot of the present steps on the eastern side of the shrine. One day, a small crowd of the people came to see the Siddhar. He came out of the fire cave and reached the top of the hill where the sanctity of Sanatorium of the present Muruga Temple is situated. He then miraculously disappeared.

From that incidence, the people believed that the holy person was none other than the God himself. From that time onwards, people came there on every Friday to worship the God by lighting lamps there and a small temple was built. In due course, it developed as a pilgrimage centre of Lord Muruga. A small temple was built by erecting a thatched shed on the hill top.
The devotees felt the need of improving the thatched shed temple. With their service of enthusiasm, they erected a tile structure for the temple. People of all communities namely Nadars, Brahmins, Washermen, Parayas, came on every Friday and worshipped the idol of Muruga.

Till 1937, the people worshipped the God in the tiled building. After that, the devotees revealed their intention of building a full structured temple in this place. At that time, there was no facility for the devotees either to take rest or to eat food. There was hardly a place to sit for some time. There was no road or path to reach the temple. A strong plan was developed then in the minds of the surrounding villagers to improve this place. The credit of the development of the Vellimalai Temple goes to Mr. A. Palaniyandi Pillai of Thalakulam who was a staunch Muruga devotee.

With his earnest effort, he collected Rs. 100/- as contribution from the people of the surrounding places and handed over the amount to Mr. Unnithon, Chairman of Kochi Devasom Board, as caution money and requested him to erect a new temple by replacing the tiled building. Mr. Swaminathan Pillai became the Chairman of the Temple Endowment Committee and Mr. Brammananda Swamy Nadar became its Secretary. With the help and interest of these members who hailed from South Travancore, a new mandapam was built for the temple.

As a matter of fact, there was no road or path-ways then to reach this temple. With the efforts of the local people and by the grace of Lord Muruga, two roads were laid, one through Kalpadi and another from Manavilai to reach the base of the hill. There was a great hurdle to construct the eastern side road. The lands spread on the eastern side of the hill belonged to Dr. Chellakkan from Nagercoil. The eastern road from Manavilai was laid up to the boundary of Dr. Chellakkan.

Mr. Palani Appan, son of Arumughan, who was a staunch believer of Muruga led a delegation to Nagercoil, met the doctor and explained to him that a road had already been constructed up to his plot. They requested him to part with some area of his plot so that the already constructed road could be extended up to the Sannidhanam of the temple. He did not accept their request. Again Mr. Gnayam Pillai Nadar, a pious teacher from Manavilai, personally requested Dr. Chellakkan to donate a piece of his land stating the social, cultural and religious need of the public.

Though he was a rich man having several acres of land there, he flatly denied their request and the delegation and the teacher returned with broken hearts. On the same night, the doctor had a miraculous dream in which Lord Muruga appeared before him and instructed to donate the land for the extension of the road to reach the temple. He summoned the members next day and narrated them the dream that he had seen the previous day. He came forward to give his land for the road purpose. Thus, the first road was formed to reach the Temple of Muruga at Vellimalai.

Birthplace of Valli:

It is popularly believed that Valli was born here, and raised by a tribal king and she got married to Lord Murugan in a Love marriage. Nonetheless, similar story is associated with another namesake place, Vallimalai in Vellore district and Thiruthani of Tiruvallur district in the far north of Tamil Nadu.

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, Vellimalai – The Temple

Bala Subramanya Swamy Temple, Vellimalai – The Temple

The temple of Lord Muruga at Vellimalai, on the 200 feet hill, comprises of about 30 acres area. The top surface has an area of one acre where the temple stands and 106 steps have been recently constructed from the lower plain. The presiding deity here is Balasubramanya enshrined as a monolithic image facing east in the sanctum of the Vellimalai temple which is accessed through a flight of steps. The temple is a small one, the image of Balasubramanya is said to face the Shiva temple (Sthanumalayan) at Suchindram. On top of the hill are the Nandippadam and the Murugappadam believed to be imprints of the feet of Nandi and Murugan here.

From the top of the hill the major part of the green Kanya Kumari District can be viewed, which will be a mind-blowing experience for nature lovers. This temple is coming under the Tamilnadu Hindu charitable trust. The tower of Gopuram over the Garbhagraham is about 30 feet height. The sculptures and other designs on the tower were made by the temple artisans of different places in Tamil Nadu. These sculptures were cherished similar to the images found in the six abodes of Muruga.

Idols of Vinayaka, Muruga and Ayyappa are fixed on the entrance Gopuram. The entrance Tower rests on two pillars. One can see on the left pillar an image of a lady carrying a lamp and other puja materials. In the right pillar, a sculpture of a maiden carrying abisheka is carved. These exquisite carvings were designed under the supervision of Mr. Mahadevan, son of Subbiah Pillai who hailed from Eraniel. There are 99 steps from the entrance tower at the foot of the hill lead to a plain surface on the eastern side. Then there are seven steps leading to main Mandapam of the temple.

There are two exit doors, one in the north and another on the southern side of the point portion of the Mandapam hall. The devotees and musicians would sit near the south exit door and sing bhakthi and carnatic songs during Mandala Puja times. For the convenience of the devotees to have the ‘darshan’ of the idol, two parallel iron rods are fixed in the middle of the hall or mandapam, the right side for males and the left for females. The idol of Muruga is installed with his peacock Vahana.

The main deity is so sculptured to represent the adolescent stage of Lord Muruga with smile and peaceful look on his eyes. The charming look of the deity would make the onlookers to forget this materialistic world and try to dissolve in the heavenly bliss of the Almighty Lord Muruga, stands in the Garba Graha to bless the devotees. It is believed that the enchanting look of this deity has no parallel in any of the deities of Muruga elsewhere in this district.

On the south-western side, there is a banyan tree. It is the Sthala Vriksham or the holy tree of the place. At the corner of the temple, the Sannidhi of Siddhi Vinayakar is established.  Adjoining this structure, Sastha Sannidhi is maintained. On the northern side of the temple, Siva Temple is erected, the idol facing the west. The Navagraha Temple is situated at the Eesana of the temple plot. The madapalli or temple kitchen is arranged on the southern side of the Mahamandapam. There are four lean steps in front of the eastern entrance door of the temple.

There is another door on the southern side of the surrounding wall of the main temple. The Devasom Office building is situated on the southern side of the surrounding wall of the main temple, facing east. The steps (99) leading to the front door of the temple have two restring Mandapams. These Mandapams are constructed on 7.11.2003 by Mr. Kamaraj Chellappan.

Before the reorganization of the States in 1956, Kanyakumari region was under the rule of Maharajah of Travancore. This temple was under the jurisdiction of Kochi Devastanam which had made some renovation work in the temple first. After the integration with Tamil Nadu in 1956, this temple came under the control of Tamil Nadu Temple Endowment Department. The temple is under the category of non-integrated temples of the Temple Endowment Department. With the permission of the Endowment Department, the Temple Development Committee looks after the administration of this temple.

The department appoints the Senior and Assistant Priests of this shrine. The garland maker and the watchman are appointed by the Department. The Senior Priest or Pujari does the rituals and various pujas in the morning and evening, while the junior performs the pujas in the noon time. The last Jeernotharana Ashta Bandana Kumbabishekam was performed on 2.7.2001. The “Sri Vivekananda Ashram” is located nearby of this temple. Swami Ambikananda, who is a direct disciple of holy mother Sarada Devi, started this Ashram. This ashram is the branch of “Sri Ramakrishna Mutt” Charity. “Thiru Vilaku Puja” (Lighting worship) and religious classes are the services associated by this ashram.

Thovalai Murugan Temple, Kanyakumari

Thovalai Murugan Temple, Kanyakumari

Thovalai Murugan Temple is a small yet beautiful shrine located on a small hill in Thovalai in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. The Temple, being located on a small hill, offers beautiful views of the surroundings. The village is famous for the production of flowers. The Western and Eastern Ghats extend through the village. The Wind Farms located in Muppanthangal near by this temple is quite a nice one to see.

Thovalai was among several in Thiruvananthapuram district that with the passage of the States Reorganization Act of 1956 were transferred from Thiruvananthapuram district, Travancore-Cochin State to the newly created Kanyakumari district of Madras State (the latter later renamed as Tamil Nadu State).

The Temple

Thovalai Murugan Temple, being located on a small hill, offers beautiful views of the surroundings. The temple is dedicated to Subramanya, the younger son of Shiva. The temple enshrines a beautiful idol of Kumaraswamy or Lord Muruga in standing posture. Paintings of the six adobes of Murugan or Arupadai Veedu can be seen inside the temple walls.

Festivals

Soora Samharam or Sooranporu and Malar Muzhukku Vizha are the important festivals celebrated at Muruga Temple at Thovalai.  Shasti and Kiruthigai days are considered important to Murugan and hence special poojas are prayers are conducted on the temple. At this temple, the Pushbabishekam festival is commonly celebrated at the end of May. The temple at festival time is filled with all varieties of flowers.

Connectivity

Thovalai Murugan Temple is located at about 13 Kms from Boothapandi, 14 Kms from Suchindram, 23 Kms from Kanyakumari, 14 Kms from Nagercoil, 4 Kms from Aralvaimozhi and 84 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is Thovalai Railway Station located at about 1 Km from the Temple. Nearest Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram. Thovalai Murugan Temple is located on the National Highway running between Tirunelveli and Nagercoil near Aramboly gap. Frequent bus services are available, as the village is situated in between the Nagercoil and Tirunelveli. All the passenger trains and some express trains are also having stop at this Thovalai Railway station.

Location