Kurathiyarai Cave Temple, Thovalai, Kanyakumari
Kurathiyarai
Rock cut cave temple is in Thovalai Taluk of Kanyakumari District of Tamil
Nadu. Although the presiding deity is Mahavishnu, the temple is locally called
Avvaiyaaramman Kovil and the image on the left side of Lord Vishnu is believed
to be that of Avvai. This is a uni-cellar cave temple is situated on the
Kuravan Thattupparai, which is also known as Chenthipparai. The survey record
mentions the hillock in which the cave temple is situated as Anju Giri.
History
The
worship of Avvaiyar in Thovalai taluk in Kanyakumari district is locally as
Avvai Nonbu or Avvai Vratham. The Tuesdays of Tamil month Adi is most
auspicious for Avvaiyar worship. Womenfolk offer Kozhukkattai (steam boiled
rice ball with sweet stuffing) to Avvaiyaaramman. From inscriptions from
Chitharal mountain, there was a Jain cave temple at the top of Chitharal
mountain and was known as Thiru Charanathu Malai. The monks belonging to
the Digambara sect established Thiru Charanathu Palli – the abode of Jain monks
during 9th century A.D.
Thiru
Charanathu Palli was a dynamic center of Jain learning - a monastery and a
school. The male teacher was called Kuravar and the female teacher
Kurathi. The word Kurathi also denotes a Jain nun. Influence of
Jainism in Kurathiyarai is evident from the first syllable Kurathi. The
inscription also cites the Ay king Vikramaditya Varaguna (885-925 AD). The
scholars assign the date of the cave to 8th century A.D.
The Cave
Temple
The
south facing rock cut cave is excavated on the slope of the hillock at the
outskirts of the village. The cave cell is excavated 0.95 cm in width and 1.77
m in height and east-west in orientation. The entrance is 80 cm in width and
1.30 m in height. Local people made provision for wooden door and walls coated
with cement. The horse shoe shaped cave excavation remains
incomplete and the floor, roof and walls of the cave appear coarse. The sanctum
is 1.52 m in east-west in length and 1.13 m north- south in width and 2.04
m in height. The niche carved on the rear wall measures 40 cm in height. The
niche, flanked by two square pilasters, houses Lord Vishnu.
The
pilasters support the angular potika and uttira. The prastara including
vajanam, valabi and kapota are absent. Lord Vishnu image appears in samapatha
sthanaka posture on the rear wall and image is dull and smudged with oil. The
Lord wears krita makuta, kundala ear-ring, Yagnopavita (sacred cord) runs
across his chest, and drapes dhoti as a fivefold tuck in wrap (Pankacha) and
the waist cloth (Idaikattu) is tucked with knot. He holds the chanku (conch) in
his back-right hand and his back-left hand holds Chakra (disc wheel). His right
forearm rests on the hip and the left forehand kept half folded. Scholars
assign the date of Vishnu as eighth century A.D.
Two
niches are carved outside on the rock slope one on each side of the
cave entrance. The niche on the west of the entrance is 89 cm in height and 63
cm in width and houses Vinayagar idol. The Vinayagar is seated in posture
described as ‘Lalitasana’ (posture of royal ease) with his right leg
drawn up and folded and the left leg resting on the ground. The Lord in Lalitasana
represents a calm and relaxed deity and the idol appear with trunk to the right
side is known as valampuri Vinayagar. The Lord wears karanda-makutam,
sarapali in the neck, armlets, bracelets and short robe around the
waist. The right tusk is present while left tusk is absent.
The back-left
hand is damaged and the back-right hand shows kapitha
mudra. The right fore-hand holds an object which is not
unidentifiable and left forehand rests on the lap. The image on eastern niche
is left incomplete and sculpting do not show any shape. However, the local
people worship this image as Avvaiyar. Although the presiding deity in
this cave is Vishnu, the temple is locally known as Avvaiyaaramman Temple. The
image on the left side of Lord Vishnu is believed to be that of Avvai.
Inscriptions
About
600 feet in front of the cave, an inscription in Vatteluthu characters engraved
on a rock is seen in Kuravanthattupparai. It belongs to 10th century
AD of the later Chola period of Parantaka I. The inscription refers to the 31st
regional year and the title of the King ‘Kopparakesari' without mentioning the
name of the king and the year. Two more inscriptions found, mention the name of
the king and the year. Two more inscriptions found mention only the reginal
year and the title of Kopparakesari in Guhanatheeswarar Temple in Kanyakumari
and Thanumalayan Swami temple in Suchindrum.
The
inscription records a gift of ‘pon’ to the seated Vishnu and the remittance of
seven pon as enhancement of tax by one ‘Ippik Kavisigyan Sathan Sravanan of
Kuntrap-palli’ to Sree Vaishravanan of that village. The Kazxhugumalai
inscription in Tuticorin District records a gift of two ‘Tirumenies’ by the
Thiruchranattu Kurattikal to the Kotturnattu Perumparrur Palli. The place name
mentioned in the inscription as ‘Munoor rivavi Niyamam’. Niyamam means
‘merchant guild’. The Kurathiyarai rock inscription mentions the gift of pon
made to ‘Veetrintharulina Emperuman’, i.e., the seated Vishnu.
Now,
this stone sculpture seated Vishnu is seen in damaged condition at about 30
feet from the rock edict. Like the cave temple at Kurathiyarai, the Jain temple
of Nagercoil was also converted into a Vishnu temple in the late half of the
16th century AD by the Venadu kings. Similarly, the Jain cave temple at
Thirunanthikarai converted into Siva temple during the period of Rajaraja Chola
I. Chitharal Jain temple was founded on the depiction given in the Manasara.
The
cropped head, handing ear lobes, the complete nakedness of the figures, the
meditative mood, the yogic padmasana posture, the Simhaasana with the figures
of Chauri bearing Yakshas and Vidyadharas and the other devotees are all
praiseworthy. The inscription is engraved on the south of the temple. It is
written in Vatteluthu. Characters are in Tamil language. Another inscription is
on a pavement stone in front of pagoda. They are in Koleluthu or Vatteluthu
characters that are in the old Malayalam-Tamil.
A stone
pillar about three feet fall above the ground is installed nearby the rock cut
inscription. Inscriptions are made on the four sides of the stone pillar. Apart
from these, the inscriptions found in this temple refer to numerous women Jain
ascetics which clearly explain the Jain religious activities of this temple.
At present,
the temple is being used by the Hindus. They believe that the temple is a Bhagavathi
temple. It appears that the temple has been converted into a Bhagavathi temple
before 1250 AD. The Tantri of pagoda is a Nambiyar, but the potti performs the
poojas as the Nambiyar’s deputy. The temple is called Bhagavathi Koil.
Connectivity
The
Temple is located at about 500 meters from Kurathiyarai Bus Stop, 2 Kms from Derisanamcope,
2.5 Kms from Azhagiapandipuram, 5 Kms from Boothapandi, 16 Kms from Aralvaimozhi,
17 Kms from Nagercoil, 18 Kms from Thovalai, 22 Kms from Suchindram, 35 Kms
from Kanyakumari and 76 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Kurathiyarai Village is
situated in the Nagercoil - Kadukkarai Road. Take diversion before Azhagiapandipuram
and find out muddy road and travel one km to reach this village. Nearest
Railway Stations are located at Thovalai, Nagercoil and Aralvaimozhi. Nearest
Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram.