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THIRUPPARAPPU MAHADEVAR TEMPLE

Dr. S. Jeyanthi
Assistant Professor of History, Lakshmipuram College of Arts and Science, Neyyoor, Kanyakumari District.

ABSTRACT
As a sacred house of gods and goddesses, temple becomes a place of worship where people gather to think of god and pray to him. Kanyakumari District is noted for several ancient temples which exercised much influence of the life and culture of the people. The Thirupparappu Mahadevar Temple is most important and third among the twelve Sivalayams. The principal deity of this temple is known as Jatatharar. Generally the Siva temples faces the east. But this shrine face west.  It is reminiscent of the early Chola style of architecture.

Introduction
Kanyakumari District is noted for several ancient temples which exercised much influence of the life and culture of the people. Among the temples, twelve Shiva temples are peculiar and predominate possession in history. The Thirupparappu Mahadevar Temple is most important and third among the twelve Sivalayams. It is situated at the bank of river Kodayar. An inscription belonging to the Ay ruler Kokkarunandadakkan is found in this temple. The principal deity of this temple is known as Jatatharar. As a sacred house of gods and goddesses, temple becomes a place of worship where people gather to think of god and pray to him. Markali Thiruvathirai is celebrated in the temple in a grand manner and Sivalaya Oottam is also conducted on behalf of Maha Sivaratri. The art and architecture of this temple creates an aesthetic feeling in the human mind and the imposing scenes in and around the temple are useful and instructive.

Thirupparappu is a small village near Thiruvattar in the Kalkulam taluk. It is at the foot of the Western Ghats1. The place Thirupparappu was formally known as Srivisalam. Sri means “Thiru” and “Visalam” means “Parappu”. Thus it is known as Thirupparappu. The word “Thirupparappu” denotes a pavilion of beauty and sacredness2. An inscription belonging to the Ay ruler Kokkarunandadakkan is found in this temple. The panoramic view of the shrine with green hills and a perennial river Kodayar3 running in front of the shrine is really fascinating and attractive. The sparking waterfalls on the south-western side of the temple is a rich feast for the eyes. Thus the pavilion presents a peerless picture of scenic beauty and enchantment. Formally this place was famous for training elephants4.

Generally the Siva temples faces the east. But this shrine face west. Virabhadra, the principal deity of this temple, represents a ferocious aspect of Lord Siva, and He is also known as Jatatharar5. It is said that Nandi the vehicle of Lord Siva is unable to face the fierce look and hence it turns to the northern side of the shrine6. It is widely believed that Siva after the destruction of Daksha, selected this place of splendour and sernity for his meditation. The temple is situated in one and a half acres7 of land, and it has prakaras. The temple consists of a circular granite wall with a copper sheeted roof. In front of the main shrine, the mukhamandapam is sittuated. It is a square structure consisting of a granite basement and a copper sheeted roof with ornamental wooden ceiling8.

Balipeeta is in front of the mukhamandapam. At the entrance of the inner temple and at the central shine there are two “Dhwarapalakas” on the either side. The Nandi is in a separate chamber, built in the thirumuttam on the northern side of the mukhamandapam. This has granite side wall. There is a nalambalam which is a terraced granite structure. In the north and east ambalams, there are seven rooms. There is an outer varandha all around. At the nalambalam in which vilakkumadams made in wood and provided with iron pans are fixed. There is an ornamental wooden pillars covered with brass-sheets. There is a thirumuttam which is paved with granite and the nalambalam is also built in granite and terraced. There is an azhi around the nalambalam.

In front of the western ambalam is the belikkalpura. This is a terraced granite structure and has varandhas on either side with a passage in the middle. There is a wooden vilakkumadam fited upon either side of the entrance to the western ambalam. The temple has two enclosures. The shrines of Ambal and ganapathy of this temple are facing east an either side of the Mukhamandapam. This is built in granite. There is also a plakatchupurai in this varandha. On the north-west corner of the belikkalpura is the Jawareswarar temple, built in granite. The northern side of the belikkalpura is enclosed partly by wooden azhies. On the north-western corner of the prakaram is the Sri Krishna temple. The statue of Sri Krishna has balls of butter in both hands. This consists of a Srikoil with an Ambalam. The Srikoil has a Sikharam and the Ambalam is terraced, which faces to the east.

There is Mukhamandapam infront of this temple. On the north side of the prakaram is the Subramanya Swami temple, and it faces to the west. This consists of a srikoil, a mukhappu attached to it, and a granite varandha all around. On the southern side of the prakaram is the Hanuman temple, built in granite and terraced. There is a pradakshinavazhi round the temple with a terraced roof and masonry parapet wall.

The madappalli occupies the southern ambalam. Attached to the madappalli is the namaskaramandapam, close to which there is an underground cellar. It is 16 feet long, 5 feet wide and 10 feet deep, the walls of which are of hewn granite block9. The cellar is said to be the abode of cobras and is now out of use. On the south-west side close to the compound is the ootupurai with brick masonry walls and compartments. The compound wall is built in granite and three terraced granite mukhappus on the eastern, western and northern entrances of the compound. Outside the western gate there is a retaining wall and a flight of granite steps leading to the river.

The river runs close by and serves for puja and bathing purposes. Out side the temple in the Sreepada Siva parai on which there is a shrine dedicated to Siva. This is said to be the moolasthanam of the temple. This has a granite enclosure. There is a granite thalakkal leading to this temple from the main temple. On the north-eastern corner of this temple has a nagar platform. To safe guard the Muslim invasions the golden idol of Mahadeva (utsava murthy) was sent to the famous Adi-Keshava Perumal temple of Thiruvattar on the out skirts of the village. It is still preserved in the “sanctum” of this temple. This temple was a famous Saivite pilgrimage center in the 12th century A.D., and it attracted pilgrims from distant places like Madurai10.

Festivals are the symbols of the way of like and culture of a country. Most of the festivals have a religious and scientific background for their celebration. They do reveal the customs and the civilization of the people11. The routine puja time of this temple is morning 5-11’o clock, evening 5-8’o clock. Karnataga potties are performing the daily pujas and ceremonies.

The annual festival of Thirupparappu Shiva temple falls on the Tamil month of Pankuni. The flag is hoisted on the month of Purattasi and the arat is conducted on thiruvathira, the asterism of lord Siva. In the month of Markali, Thiruvathirai is celebrated in the temple in a grand manner and it is popularly known as “valiya Thiruvathirai”12.

A Mahotsava, according to the agamas, should celebrate some ceremonies and all these are most carefully conducted in this temple. They are, the Dhwajarohana or the hoisting of the flag at the top of the dhwajastambha. The initial ceremony of the utsava, the dhwajarohana announces the commencement of the festival. Ankura or germinating seeds of the navadhanya, the nine varieties of pulses are kept in a vessal. Associated also with Hindu marriages, this feature is believed to symbolize growth and prosperity13.

Theerthavari arat represents the sacred bath of the deity. Unlike the daily abhisekha, this is a pompous celebration, and the image is taken in procession to the sacred tank (theppakulam) for the holy bath. There at the bathing ghat, neivedyam and puja are offered. The nine varieties of corn, made to germinate since the night of the dhwajarohana, are now offered, along with the cooked rice, as oblation, with the return of the procession to the temple, the arat festival terminates. The last ceremony connected with the utsava is the formal lowering of the flag. Immediately preceding it is the elaborate celebration of the maunabali. It is quite a unique ceremory . No image is carried. No musical party accompanies the procession. In fact, the group consist only of four men14.

Another one important festival conducted in the Sivalayams is Sivaratri. It is celebrated in the month of February – March. People spend the whole night in Japa and Dhyana of Siva, without any thought of food and sleep and offer bilwa leaves to the Sivalinga15. Sivalaya ottam is conducted for the occasion of Sivarati, the famous twelve Siva temples of Kanyakumari District. From Thirumalai, thousands of devotees start in many groups uttering the words “Govinda, Gobhala” under a leader Guruswamy16. The devotees take short routes from Thirumalai and reach Thikkurichi. They take a holy bath at Thikkurichi before entering the temple therein.

Immediately after worshipping at the Thikkurichi Mahadevar Temple, the ottam continues for fifteen miles and the pilgrims enter the Thirupparappu Mahadevar Temple. The ultimate stage of the ottam now reaches at Thirunattalam17. The twelve Sivalayams will be vibrant with the spirit of festivity and jubilation on the ottam day.

Temple architecture became a common medium for expressing the view point of our literary people. The Cholas, Cheras, and Pandayas paid special attention to architecture18. The art and architecture are found in a highly developed state in most of the Siva temples in Kanyakumari District. The vast majority of them have been built in the Kerala style with their characteristic srikoil and predominance of wood architecture19. This is probably due to the intimate connection that  has excisted between Travancore and the adjoining districts of Tirunelveli and Madurai where  the Dravidian races  flourished and constructed some of their best architectural works20. The ancient Siva temple of Thirupparappu, has a distinctness of style in that the vimana (roof) of its central shrine containing the garbhagraha dominates the whole temple structure. It is reminiscent of the early Chola style of architecture21.

Referrences

  1. V.Nagam Aiya, The Travancore State Manual, Trivandrum, 1996, Vol. III, p.599.
  2. A.V.Shankaranarayana Rao, Temples of Tamil Nadu, Heritage Series-3, Bangalore-2001, p.69.
  3. Important Papers relating to the Kodayar Project, Vol. I, paper from 20.02.37 to 19.03.96, The Travancore Government Press, 1908.
  4. V.Nagam Aiya, Op.cit, p.599.
  5. Souvneir, Kanyakumari Devaswom Board, Suchindram, 1971, p.10.
  6. P.W.D., File No.316,1914.
  7. M.Gopalakrishnan, (Ed.) Kanniyakumari District Gazetteer, Madras, 1995, p.1221.
  8. P.W.D. File, No. 316/1914.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Travancore Archaeological Series. Vol. Vl, Part-I, p.74
  11. K.K.Pillay, The Suchindram Temple, Madras, 1953, p.217.
  12. Personal Interview with Sankaranarayan Potti, dated on11-5-2016.
  13. Ibid.
  14. Ibid.
  15. Sharma, Sivaratriyin Perumai, Dinamalar, 16-2-1984, p.4
  16. Anantha Vikadan (Tamil weekly) dated 17-1-1971, p.3
  17. Personal Interview with C.Cheralathan, dated on 15-5-2016.
  18. K.K.Pillay, Op.cit, p.326.
  19. V.Nagam Aiya, Op.cit, p.165.
  20. Ibid.
  21. K.V.Soundara Rajan, Art of South India, Dalhi, 1978, p.100.