Unlike some Religions, Hinduism is a personal one,and not institutionalised.
It is a question of individual choice.
It accepts non believers as well as a part of it,as in the case of Carvakas.
Lord Rama engaged in conversation with Jaabaali,who was a Carvaka,the system that believes that Universe has no case and denies God.
Kurukuthurai Murugan temple .
And the way one realizes God or Self is left to him/her.
The Sruthi, Smriti,both provide guidelines and show the path chosen by those who followed certain procedures and been successful.
It is left to you take it or leave it.
Hinduism is a way of life,not merely a view.
The way one relates to God is left to him/her.
Some can not conceive of Abstract Reality.
So,we have Gods with Name,Form and Attributes.
One relates to God in a way he is comfortable with.
We have people relating to God as,
Father,like Gnanasambhandar,
Mother,as Devi Devotees do,
Child,as Anasuya did,
Friend,as Sundara Murthy Nayanar,
Lover like Meera..
It is also the practice of Hindus to deck up God as they like,
To endow God,the Reality without name and form,with Human attributes,
Quarrel with Him as one would with a fellow human being.
This is what makes Hinduism close to 💓 and it becomes a part of one’s Lifestyle.
In this vein,Lord Subrahmanya is treated as a child.
Subrahmanya is the only God with the Sanskrit ‘su’ to His name, meaning the best.
The word Subrahmanya means Best among Brahmins.
Su+Brahmana.
He is the Guru of His Father Shiva.
Yet He is loved as a child.
He is endowed with Human attributes.
Look at the way He is considered as Human being,just as Shiva is considered as the Family elder by Tamil Kings.
Subrahmanya has six important temples,called Arupadai veedu.
One of them is Thiruchendur,where he resides after Sura Samhara and marrying Devasena, daughter of Indra,chief of Devas.
So Thiruchendur is Murugan’s In laws Home.
What about His Maternal Home?
Krukkuththirai, Thirunelveli,Tamil Nadu.
Lord Subrahmanya, Kurukuthurai.
‘In Kurukuthurai, there are two Murugan temples, one at the bank of the Tamirabarani and another just above it, commonly called “Mela Koil”. The rocks at Kurukuthurai are called “Thiruvuruvamalai”, and are considered to be ideal for sculpting deities, which is why the Thiruchendur Senthilandavar deity was sculpted here. The sculptor who conceivedSenthilandavarsculpted two identical forms, out of which one is consecrated to the Thiruchendur Temple and the other toKurukuthurai Mela Koil. So, it’s because the deity was sculpted out of theKurukuthurairock that this place is called the Thiruchendur Murugan’s maternal house. When the Utsav deity (a deity used for processions) was stolen by Dutch thieves, a new one was immediately created byVadaMalaiappa pillai. In the meantime, the stolen idol was salvaged, and so the newly-made one was erected in Kurukuthurai’
Reference and citation.
Ramasubramanian in Quora.
How to reach. Kurukkuthurai Murugan Temple is located at about 9 Kms from Thirunelveli, 160 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram and 170 Kms from Madurai. Nearest Railway Station is located at Thirunelveli. Nearest Airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai..
About Kurukuthurai temple design.
‘
Even when the Tamirabharani carried over two lakh cusecs of water during the 1992 floods, the temple and the idol withstood its fury majestically while only a few tiles on the terrace alone got damaged.
“This is due to the quality of construction and thoughtfully designed structure by our ancestors. Since the ancient architects had fully understood the nature of the Tamirabharani, especially during floods, the western side wall of the temple has been designed like the front portion of a ship. Hence, even a furious flood does not affect the sturdiness of the structure,” says Yagna Narayanan, Executive Officer of Swamy Nellaiyappar Temple. The entire Tamirabharani – from Papanasam to Punnaikaayal — is dotted with a number of ‘mandapams’ with granite pillars.
When you publish a paper, it gains credibility if it has more sources,links,related articles and more sources that have references as in the earlier references.
This applies to ancient writings, epigraphs and other records as well.
When you look at closely, it boils down to one testimony, by word, preferably contemporary in nature.
Even here if there are more versions, the record becomes questionable.
And History is what one chooses to write.
And Conqueror’s History remains unless one is vigilant enough.
So authenticity of historical facts are dependant on oral evidence which could have been recorded in writing, epigraphs, literature.
Hence at times I am faced with problems like this as I research Indian history.
One such is the information about Thiruchendur Subrahmanya temple,Tamil Nadu.
Thiruchendur Subrahmanya,An Arupadai Veedu
Temple records state that the Idol of the temple was looted by the Dutch and when they set sail with it, they encountered a severe storm and only after throwing away the Idol, the storm ceased.
And the idol was restored through the efforts of Mr.Malayappa Pillai.
I have provided three versions below.
I consider Sri. Neelakanta Sastry as a credible source.
But his report has been quoted by some one in the Tamil magazine, Kalaimagal issue of 1939.
The magazine was founded in 1932.
But the original paper or reference to this issue or the basis on which Sri.Neelakanta Sastry arrived at his conclusion, is not available.
I am not sure whether this information is the usual secularist’ misinformation.
Hence I am unable to arrive at a conclusion.
Those who have information may share.
“The Murugan temple at Thiruchendur was occupied by the Dutch East India company from 1646 to 1648, during the course of their war with the Portuguese. The local people tried to free their temple, with no success. The Dutch finally vacated the temple on orders from the Naik ruler. However, while leaving, they removed the idol of the main deity of the temple, and took it with them. While they were sailing away, they encountered a strong storm and realised their mistake of stealing the idol. They dropped the idol in the middle of the sea and seen the storm stopped immediately. Later, Lord Senthil Aandavan appeared in a dream to Vadamaliyappa Pillai, an ardent devotee of Lord Muruga, and revealed the place in the sea where the idol had been abandoned. Vadamlaiyappa Pillai and Athitha Nadar, a sponsor of services in the Thiruchendur temple, went to the spot in a fishing boat and retrieved the idol in 1653. The story is shown in paintings inside the temple.
The Nayak and his agent Vadamalai Pillayyan sent an embassy of four men to the Dutch in to demand the return of the temple idols. The Dutch Governor referred the demand to Dutch Government at Batavia, who directed the return of the idols to the temple at Tiruchendur, accepting however whatever amount they were offered.
Accordingly the idols were brought back to Tiruchendur in January 1651 and re-installed at the temple after consecration. And the inscription of Vadamalai-appa Pillayyan mentions this incident as in kollam 866.
he loss of the idols was discovered and duly communicated to Vadamalaiyappa Pillaiyyan, the local administrator of the Nayakkan ruler at Tirunelveli. A great devotee that he was, Pillaiyyan was sorely affected and knew not what to do. He ordered for a similar idol to be made in panchaloka. As the duplicate one was ready, and was on its way to Tiruchendur to be installed, in 1653 Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyyan had a dream.
Acting to the advice conveyed to him by the God, he put out to sea and following the instructions that the idol was to be found at the spot whereon a lime fruit would be found floating, and the place marked by the circling overhead of a kite, the bird of Vishnu.
Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyyan recovered the original idol and reinstalled it in the temple in the year 1653. The replacement idol was then consecrated in the shrine of Tiruppirantîsvarar alias Venku Patcha Kovil situated east of Palamcottah (known as Murugan Kurichi).
Vadamalaiappa was greatly struck by the Lord’s grace in giving him this great relief, in memory of which he erected a mantapa at Tiruchendur in his name and endowed it largely for the performance of a Kattalai abhishekam and pujas for Subrahmaniam on the seventh days of Masi and Avani festivals. An inscription at the mantapa relates the incidents referred to.
Among many others, kirtanas composed by Venri Malaik Kavirayar, are sung at this mantapa at the time when Shanmukhar is brought here for Ubaya Mandagappadi on the seventh day of the Masi and Avani festivals. The poem relates the incidents and their rejoicings at the Lord being got back again. “Vadamalai Venba” is another poetic panegyric on Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyyan.
M. Rennel, the French author of A Description, Historical and Geographical, of India (published in Berlin, 1785), gives a picture of the temple, which, he says, he got from a soldier in the service of the Dutch Company. He relates an incident which offers a reasonable explanation of the Tiruchendur tradition. “In a descent made by the Dutch off the Coast in 1648,” he says, “the Dutch halted in the temple and on leaving did their best to destroy it by fire and by a heavy bombardment. But they only partially succeeded and the tower defied all their efforts.” Possibly the capture of the idol was one of their achievements.
As a matter of fact M. Rennel calls the place Tutucutin, but from the picture and an accompanying sketch-map it is clear that Tiruchendur was meant. The Dutch were incessantly at war with the Portuguese on the coast.
A familiar local tradition runs to the effect that about 1648 AD, a race of seafaring men, identified later as Dutch, descended upon Tiruchendur and carried away the idol Shanmukhar and Śiva Natarajar, thinking that they were made of gold. Their attempt at melting it proving futile, they tried to carry them away by sea. But the sea suddenly grew boisterous, and rocked the ship violently, so the sailors threw the idols into the sea.
The loss of the idols was discovered and duly communicated to Vadamalaiyappa Pillaiyyan, the local administrator of the Nayakkan ruler at Tirunelveli. A great devotee that he was, Pillaiyyan was sorely affected and knew not what to do. He ordered for a similar idol to be made in panchaloka. As the duplicate one was ready, and was on its way to Tiruchendur to be installed, in 1653 Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyyan had a dream.
Acting to the advice conveyed to him by the God, he put out to sea and following the instructions that the idol was to be found at the spot whereon a lime fruit would be found floating, and the place marked by the circling overhead of a kite, the bird of Vishnu.
Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyyan recovered the original idol and reinstalled it in the temple in the year 1653. The replacement idol was then consecrated in the shrine of Tiruppirantîsvarar alias Venku Patcha Kovil situated east of Palamcottah (known as Murugan Kurichi).
Vadamalaiappa was greatly struck by the Lord’s grace in giving him this great relief, in memory of which he erected a mantapa at Tiruchendur in his name and endowed it largely for the performance of a Kattalai abhishekam and pujas for Subrahmaniam on the seventh days of Masi and Avani festivals. An inscription at the mantapa relates the incidents referred to.
Among many others, kirtanas composed by Venri Malaik Kavirayar, are sung at this mantapa at the time when Shanmukhar is brought here for Ubaya Mandagappadi on the seventh day of the Masi and Avani festivals. The poem relates the incidents and their rejoicings at the Lord being got back again. “Vadamalai Venba” is another poetic panegyric on Vadamalaiappa Pillaiyyan.
M. Rennel, the French author of A Description, Historical and Geographical, of India (published in Berlin, 1785), gives a picture of the temple, which, he says, he got from a soldier in the service of the Dutch Company. He relates an incident which offers a reasonable explanation of the Tiruchendur tradition. “In a descent made by the Dutch off the Coast in 1648,” he says, “the Dutch halted in the temple and on leaving did their best to destroy it by fire and by a heavy bombardment. But they only partially succeeded and the tower defied all their efforts.” Possibly the capture of the idol was one of their achievements.
The Sivamalai of today is also known as Sivamamalai, Sivachalam, Sivathri, Sivasailam, Sivagiri, and Shakthi Sivamalai. The deity is so powerful because it is supposed to be an integrated embodiment of Siva, Vishnu, Brahama, Murugan, Vinayaka and Indra. In each “yuga” ( the Hindu term to mean eon) Sivamalai has been referred to with special names. Panamalai. Vellimalai, Sembumalai, and now in the Kali yuga as Kamarupa Jothigiri. Such is the antiquity of this sacred mountain.
The Names of The Deity :
Devotion to the deity manifests in many ways. One of them is giving the Lord new names in each era. Perhaps this is a sign of people’s love of the deity. It is also likely that poets and thinkers came up with new names as days went by, and found many ways to re-kindle the Bhakti of pilgrims. Here are the various names by which Sivamalai Murugan is known as : Kandaswami, Kangeyan, Guhan, Kumarar, Guruswami, Shanmukhan, Sivathrinathan, Saravanan, Sravanabavan, Sivasubramanaian, Sivachalan, Sivachalapathi, Sevalavan, Duraiswami, Maragathamayuran, Murugan, Murugayyan, Muthayyan, Vadivelan, Vallimanalan, Veluswami, Visakar, Velayudhan, Velan, and Kalyanasubramaniar.
Origin of Sivamalai :
One of the well known myths associated with Siva is his conquest of Tripuram – the three celestial cities which the Asuras (demons) had taken over, and wreaked havoc over them. The Devas ( celestial gods) appealed to Siva for help and asked him to save them from the demons. Siva made mount Meru his bow, and Vasuki the serpent his bow-string and prepared to wage war against the Asuras. The very tip of Siva’s bow ( Mount Meru) fell on earth and that became Sivamalai according to legend. It is also known as Sakthimalai because Parvathi the goddess did penance once on this hill.
The sage Agastya came to this mountain and performed penance in order to gain knowledge about the Agamas. He also created a natural spring on this mountain from the waters of the Ganga which he brought in his Kamandalam. It is said this miracle took place on Karthigai Pournami day ( full moon in the month of Karthigai) and thus it is venerated by devotees as a special day.
Source.
The five special poojas that are conducted daily are called the AINDU KALA VISESHA POOJAKKAL. They are:
► Vizha Pooja ( 6 am)
► Kala Sandhi Pooja ( 9 am)
► Ucchi Kala Pooja ( 12 noon)
► Sayaratchi Pooja ( 6 pm)
► Artha Samam Pooja ( 8 pm)
Monthly poojas. Every month during Amavasai, Shasti, and Kiruthigai, special poojas are performed when devoties visit the temple in large numbers to seek the blessings of Sivamalai Andavar.
• Tirupur (24 KMs)
• Coimbatore (85 KMs via Palladam), Erode (45 KMs via Arachalur)
• All Express and Trunk Route trains to the South pass through these two stations.
Nearest Airport :
• Coimbatore
• This airport is well connected to Chennai, Bangaluru, Mumbai, & Delhi
• Star Hotels are availble at Erode, Tirupur & Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,India.
Among the six Major Subrahmanya Temples in Tamil Nadu( Subrahmanya is called Murugan in Tamil), Thiruthani is believed to be the place where Subrahmanya married Valli.
Thiruthani is in the northern parts of Tamil Nadu and a small hillock.
But historical evidence suggests that it is not so and Murugan married Valli in Kumaran Koil in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu and it was a part of Ancient Chera Kingdom of the Tamils.
Nachinarkiniyar , a commentator of ancient Tamil Grammar mentions this fact.
Silapaddikaram, one of the Five Epics of Tamil penned by the brother of the Great Chera King Cheran Chengkuttuvan, mentions this as well.
He was Illangovadigal.
So Thiruthani is not the place where Lord Murugan married Valli and it was Kumaran Koil.
‘
Wherever there is a hill, there is an abode for Lord Murugan.’ True to this saying, there is a beautiful temple for Lord Murugan at the foothill of Velimalai, on the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, fifteen kilometers northwest of Nagercoil on the road to Thiruvananthapuram, bordering the town of Padmanabhapuram.
Set in scenic surroundings, the temple is renowned among all the Murugan temples in Kanyakumari District. There are many versions as to how the hill derived its name veli malai. Vel was the surname for the Ay rulers. The Ay kingdom was a medieval Hindu feudal kingdom on the Malabar coast of South India. The hill that belonged to the Ay rulers came to be called as Velimalai. It is also known as Velvi Malai since Lord Murugan performed a yagna of sublime love, for the purpose of union of jivatma with Paramatma.
Kumarakovil is also known as Kumara Kshetram and Subrahmanya Sthala in Malayalam. The early Tamil epic Cilappatikkaramrefers to the temple as Chera Nattu Aeragam.
Kumarakovil is a very ancient temple, as attested by the massive sculpture of Lord Murugan in a style dating from the Buddhist period. Buddhism probably flourished from 650-850 CE in Kerala. However, the available inscriptions about the temple date from from the 18th century CE only.
The temple is accessed through a flight of forty steep steps. Lord Murugan graces the devotees with His consort Valli. He is faces the east and said to be facing Sthanumalayan (Lord Siva) of Suchindram. The idol of Lord Murugan is a monolithic sculpture measuring eight feet and eight inches in height. Its long ears indicate that it belongs to the Buddhist period. Goddess Valli who adorns the sanctum is six and a half feet tall. Nandipadam and Murugan Padam on the top of the hill are believed to be the imprints of Nandi and Murugan.
Kalyana Vinayakar, who aided His brother in His marriage with Valli is in the right side of the entrance to the inner circumambulatory path. On the western circumambulatory path there is a shrine for Kasi Lingam and on the southern circumambulatory path there are shrines for Mahadevar, Sivakami and Chadikeswarar. The unique feature of this temple is that there is a shrine for Daksha, the maternal grandfather of Lord Murugan.
The sacred tree of the temple is a venerated vengai tree that is a hundred years old. Here, Arumuga Nayinar (Lord Murugan) is flanked by both His consorts, Valli and Deivayanai. This temple is associated with the legends of Valli’s marriage with Murugan. This is said to be the birth place of Valli.
Valli guhai is on the top of the hill which is two kilometers off the main temple, Valli sunai, a pond where Valli took bath, Valli colai,the millet field that Valli guarded, and kizhavan colai is where Murugan came in the disguise of an old man to woo Valli. The protocol of worship offered here is Kerala Tantram.
Celestial Wedding
The divine wedding of Valli and Murugan is celebrated with great fervor in the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April) and is attended by thousands of pilgrims all over the state. Kuravar Patukalam, the war waged by Valli’s relatives against Murugan, is colourfully re-enacted during the divine wedding. The seven-day festival begins in the star of Anuradha in the month of Panguni. On the day of the wedding Manavalakkumaran (processional deity) seated in a palanquin proceeds towards Tiru Kalyana Mandapam which is at a distance of two kilometers from the temple. After the celestial wedding the deities are taken in procession back to the temple.
En route we witness the ceremonial Kuravar patukalam. Kuravas (tribal folk of the hill) wage a war against Lord Murugan in line with the legend associated with Murugan and Valli’s marriage. When the wedded couple reaches the rear entrance of the temple, Kuravas surrender to Lord Murugan and happily consent to the marriage. Then Lord Murugan is propitiated with abhishekam and deeparadhanai and a formal wedding is celebrated at night in the decorated temple mandapam bedecked with flowers. During the marriage, Valli colai, Vatta colai, Kizavan colai…etc are given as gifts to Lord Murugan from the bride’s side. This gift list is read aloud in the assembly. Kum-kum, honey and millet flour are given as prasadam after the divine wedding.’
The temple is considered to be one of the “Padai veedu” (the places where the Lord showered devine powers) of Lord Muruga. The sangam literature “Thirumurugattu Padai” written by poet Nakkeerar refers to the place unique in the sense that the devotees there wear only wet clothes only in the lower part of their body and enter the temple in the early morning with flowers to have oblation. This unique feature of worship is being followed there at Kumaran Koil till date. Prof. N.K. Mangala Murugesan in his book “Muruganin Arupadai veedugal” write, As per Thirumurugattupadai, in Earagthu Murugan temple, the Brahmins who observed a bharamacharya viradha for forty eight years sang veda mantras and the Aruchagas wearing wet lower garments and saying the six letter manthra (ohm saravanabhava) performed archanas. This practice is in vogue in Kumara shetram even now. On this basis, Earagam is Kumara shethram or Subramania Sthala besides the western ghats.
The Tamil epic “Silappathykaram” written by Illangovadigal refers four shetras (temples) as Padai veedu of Lord Muruga. Silappathikaram Vanji Kandam refers to,-“seerkezhu Senthilum, Sengodum, Venkuntum, Eragamum Neenga Eraivankai Vel …..” These are perhaps Thruchendur, Palani, Thirupparankuntam, Kumarakoil (Thiruveragam) situate in present-day Madurai, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari Districts. Some say that venguntu is Swamimalai. How it could be that scholars like Elangovadigal omit the place at which murugan married Deivanai, that too very near to the city of Madurai which is the theme centre of Silappathikaram. After burning Madurai, Kannagi went alongside Vaigai river and reached Western ghats. There, the people saw Kannagi and enquired about her. They exclaimed that you are like our Valli, but you are in distress. Who are you? Mangala Devi Koil dedicated to Kannagi by the Madurai King Cheran Chenguttuvan is in the Mangaladevi mountains alongside Periyaru river. This enhance the belief that Valli was brought up in western ghats.
Nachinarkuenier who had written meaning (arumpathavurai) for the poetry Thirumurugattupadai asserted that Earagam is ‘Malai Nattu Oru Thiruppathi’. Malai Nadu means Cheralam now known as Kerala. Veli Malai was part of Travancore Samasthanam in olden days. The place was part of Cherala Nadu when Silapathigaram was written. After Independence too this place was part of the present Kerala State. After a prolonged agitation under the leadership of great leaders like Nesamani Nadar, Ponnappa Nadar etc., the taluks of Thovalai, Agastheeswaram, Kalkulam, Vilavancode, and half of Neyyatinkarai were ceded to Tamil Nadu.
There are six major temples dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya, called Murugan in Tamil Nadu.
They are,
Palani,
Thiruparankundram,
Thiruchendur,
Pazhamudhir Solai,
Thiruthani and
Swamymalai.
These six temples were called thus by Saint Arunagirinathar in the fourteenth century.
I have been checking on the special temples of Murugan from Tamil Classics, Skanda Purana, Silappadikaram, one of the Five Epics of Tamil from Sangam age and Thirumurugatrupadai by Nakkeerar , the earliest hymn on Murugan in Tamil.
I also checked with ancient Tamil Land Lemuria and Mu.
The landmass was different then.
Please check my articles on Lemuria, Mu, Rodina, Pangea, Sundaland.
Now Murugan is considered to be the personification of Tamil language which was founded by Lord Shiva and Sage Agastya.
Murugan was also involved.
When we look at the location of the six abodes of Murugan, ஆறுபடை வீடு, we find that none of them seem to fit perfectly with the landmass associated with Murugan.
Murugan is described as the God of Mountains and adjoining lands called Kurinji in Tamil, குறிஞ்சி.
Thiruchendur is on the seashore.
Palani, Thiruthani, Swamymalai and Thiruparankundram are small hills.
Pazhamudhir Solai is a forest.
So, going by Sangam definition I checked.
I have found that Kumaran Kovil near Thackalay in Kanyakumari district seems to fit one of the major temples of Murugan.
IT is in the Western Ghats, down deep south in agreement with ancient landmass and Lankan chronicles call Murugan as Kattrama and Valli the consort of Murugan.
And Thiruveragam, the old name seems to fit Velimalai in Kumaran Koil.
So it looks as though Swamymalai is not Thiruveragam.
And Thiruthani is not where Murugan married Valli.
‘Tiruttani constitutes one of the six Padai Veedu shrines of Skanda (Lord Subramanya), and it represents the site where Subramanya stayed after destroying the demon Surapadman. Tiruttani is said to be the place where the Lord Subramanya married Valli – one of his two consorts.‘
‘Here is the famous Subrahmanya (Muruga ) Temple by the name of “Velimalai Kumaraswamy Temple’. The temple was built on a hill named ‘Velimalai’. The name “Veli” was named from the malayalam word “veli” means marriage.It is the place where marriage of Murugan and Valli was done. Koravans used to come to the temple for marriage of valli ,since valli devi belongs to koravan community.Lord Muruga and his consort Goddess Valli are the main deities. It is believed that they married here. It is built on a rocky terrain about 200 feet in height.… The rock cut temple with stone carvings is a splendid structure. A large water body is seen in the surrounding. Majority of the devotees are from Kerala state. A police party and band from Kerala state is present on certain celebrations of this grand temple. Many children get their first feed (choor\Oonu kodupu) in this temple. There is a shed for holy animals- cow, bull, peacock in the temple courtyard. Kuramakoil is one of the holiest places for Hindus. It is about 34 kilometers from Kanyakumari and around 50 km from Trivandrum airport.…
Kumarakoil is one of the important and renowned among the Murugan temples in the district of Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu. It is located near Thuckalay, 15 km from Nagercoil. Kumara Koil, also called “Kumara Shethram” and “Subramania Sthala” in Malayalam language, and “Thiruveragam” in ancient Tamil scripts is at the foot hills of the Velimalai Hills also known as “Velvi Malai”, and Merkada malai means the southern end of the western ghats. Prior to 1950, Kanyakumari District was first with Chera Kingdom (Chera Nadu) and later with Trivancore samasthanam (province) and then with present-day Kerala State. During Tamil Sangam period, Kumara Koil was known as Thiruveragam as evidenced from Thirumurugattupadai, the sangam literature written by poet Nakkeerar. The name of the temple has changed since Tamil Sangam period, under the successive rulers of the area. Thus, Kumara koil is also known as Thiruveragam (Thiru Earagam), Malai Nattu Oru Thiruppathi, Subramania Sthala, Kumara Shethra etc.
The temple is built on the foot hills of Veli Malai where, according to legends, Lord Muruga enacted a drama to win the heart of Valli the divine child found in the hillock by Nambi Arasan, a chieftain ruled over the place with Thirukurangudi (Valliyoor) as his capital. The temple faces east and can be reached by a flight of thirty eight steps. Beyond the comparatively small but beautiful rajagopuram, Veerabagu and Veeramagendra stand guard of the Lord. The statue of Muruga in the Moolasthanam is in standing posture…..
In the history of the temple written by Shri Annalar Adigal, it is stated that, the present day Kerala was known as Malay Nadu(Sandalwood Country-Malay in sanskrit means sandalwood)aka MalayAlaya ( Abode of Sandalwood). The present day Veli malai was known as Velvi malai. Before that it was known as Merkadamalai, means last part of the western ghats. As an evidence, he refers to a stone carving found in Thirunanthikarai, about ten miles from Kumarakoil wherein it reads ‘Rajaathitha Thevan Perumpadai Nayagar Malai Nattu Nanthikarai Puthur’ and another stone carving found at Thiruvithangode, reads “Malaimandalathu Ravivarmaraya Kulasekaraperuman peruntheruvil chetti Velayuthaperuman” These evidences conform to the assertion of Nachinarkiniyar that Earagam is Malai Nattu Oru Thirupathi… Velimalai is the southern tip of western ghats and Kumarakoil is in the foothills of Velimalai There are ample evidence to show Kumarakoil is the Earagam referred to in Silappadikaram.
Prof. N.K. Mangala Murugesan in his book “Muruganin Arupadai veedugal” write, As per Thirumurugattupadai, in Earagthu Murugan temple, the Brahmins who observed a bharamacharya viradha for forty eight years sang veda mantras and the Aruchagas wearing wet lower garments and saying the six letter manthra (ohm saravanabhava) performed archanas. This practice is in vogue in Kumara shetram even now. On this basis, Earagam is Kumara shethram or Subramania Sthala besides the western ghats.
The Tamil epic “Silappathykaram” written by Illangovadigal refers four shetras (temples) as Padai veedu of Lord Muruga. Silappathikaram Vanji Kandam refers to,-“seerkezhu Senthilum, Sengodum, Venkuntum, Eragamum Neenga Eraivankai Vel …..” These are perhaps Thruchendur, Palani, Thirupparankuntam, Kumarakoil (Thiruveragam) situate in present-day Madurai, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari Districts. Some say that venguntu is Swamimalai. How it could be that scholars like Elangovadigal omit the place at which murugan married Deivanai, that too very near to the city of Madurai which is the theme centre of Silappathikaram. After burning Madurai, Kannagi went alongside Vaigai river and reached Western ghats. There, the people saw Kannagi and enquired about her. They exclaimed that you are like our Valli, but you are in distress. Who are you? Mangala Devi Koil dedicated to Kannagi by the Madurai King Cheran Chenguttuvan is in the Mangaladevi mountains alongside Periyaru river. This enhance the belief that Valli was brought up in western ghats.
Nachinarkuenier who had written meaning (arumpathavurai) for the poetry Thirumurugattupadai asserted that Earagam is ‘Malai Nattu Oru Thiruppathi’. Malai Nadu means Cheralam now known as Kerala. Veli Malai was part of Travancore Samasthanam in olden days. The place was part of Cherala Nadu when Silapathigaram was written. After Independence too this place was part of the present Kerala State. After a prolonged agitation under the leadership of great leaders like Nesamani Nadar, Ponnappa Nadar etc., the taluks of Thovalai, Agastheeswaram, Kalkulam, Vilavancode, and half of Neyyatinkarai were ceded to Tamil Nadu. In the intermittent period, when Earagam was with Cheralam, the scholars like Arunagirinathar ( 15th century) a staunch devotee of Lord Muruga was probably interested in creating one of the padai veedu in the vicinity of Kumbakonam, one of the temple cities in Tamil Nadu. In the belief that the people of Tamil Nadu had lost track of Thiruveragam, one of the Padai Veedu referred to in ancient scriptures, he had written that Earagam is Swami Malai, without considering the fact that Illangovadigal, lived thousands of years before him had written that Earagam is in Chera Nadu. Swami malai is in erstwhile Chola Nadu. The temple dedicated to Lord Muruga there is in the top of a man made hillock and the existing landmarks and practice referred to about Earagam in Thirumurugattupadai is lacking there.
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