Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple
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Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple, is a
Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...
dedicated to the
Lord Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as th ...
(also known as Kanda, Kartikeya, Saravana, Shanmukha, Skanda, Subhramanya) at
Thiruparankundram Thiruparankundram, also spelled Tirupparankundram or Tiruparangundram, is a neighbourhood in Madurai city in Tamil Nadu, India. It is about from Periyar Bus Terminus, the centre of the city and constitutes the southwest part of the Madurai cit ...
,
Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
,
Tamilnadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, India. It is regarded as first of the six temples of Murugan in Tamilnadu. The temple uses
rock-cut architecture Rock-cut architecture is the creation of structures, buildings, and sculptures by excavating solid Rock (geology), rock where it naturally occurs. Intensely laborious when using ancient tools and methods, rock-cut architecture was presumably combi ...
and is believed to have been built by the
Pandyas The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...
during the 6th century. According to legend, Murugan slayed the demon Surapadman and married his consort
Devasena Devasena (, , ) is the Hindu goddess of aspirations, and the consort of the war god Kartikeya (Murugan). She is also known as Devayanai, Deivanai, and Deivayanai in Tamil texts. Her name is also spelled as Teyvanai or Tevayanai (). Devasen ...
at the temple. Murugan is also said to have worshipped his father
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
at the site as Parangirinathar. The temple is located from
Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. In the main shrine, apart from Murugan, the deities Shiva,
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
,
Vinayaka Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
(Ganesha) and
Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...
are housed. The temple follows
Shaiva Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in ...
tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Kantha Sashti festival during the Tamil month of ''Aippasi'' (October - November) is the most prominent. The temple is under the purview of the
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu manages and controls the temple administration within the state. The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act XXII of 1959 controls 36,425 ...
.


Legend

Thiruparamkundram finds mention in the ''
Skanda Puranam The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest ''Puranas#Mahapuranas, Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivism, Shaivite literature, titled after Kart ...
'' detailing the slaying of Surapadman by the god Murugan. According to Hindu legend, the demon king Surapadman once obtained boons, or favors, from the god Shiva due to severe
penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of contrition for sins committed, as well as an alternative name for the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. The word ''penance'' derive ...
. He started ruling the world on account of the power attained. He married Padumakomalai and had several sons. Viramkendiram, a city created in the seas, became his capital, and he started troubling the
deva Deva may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster * Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
s (the gods). He imprisoned
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
(the king of the gods) and also desired Indra's wife
Indrani Indrani (Sanskrit: इन्द्राणी, IAST: ''Indrāṇī''), also known as Shachi (Sanskrit: शची, IAST: ''Śacī''), is the queen of the Deva (Hinduism), devas in Hinduism. Described as tantalisingly beautiful, proud and kind, ...
. Indra sought the help of Shiva's son and the god of war Murugan. Murugan sent his messenger Viravaku thevar to the demon, who remained unmoved. A severe battle was fought in Thiruchendur where Murugan killed all the sons of the Surapadman except Iraniyan. Surapadman hid under the sea. Murugan split him into two pieces, which went on to become the god's divine vehicles, peacock and rooster. The day when Murugan slayed Surapadman is celebrated as Skanda Sashti festival in all the Murugan temples. In gratitude, Indra married his daughter
Devasena Devasena (, , ) is the Hindu goddess of aspirations, and the consort of the war god Kartikeya (Murugan). She is also known as Devayanai, Deivanai, and Deivayanai in Tamil texts. Her name is also spelled as Teyvanai or Tevayanai (). Devasen ...
(Deivayanai) to Murugan at Thiruparamkundram. Murugan is believed to have worshipped Shiva here as Parangirinathar.


History

The Sangam-era work
Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai ''Tirumurukātṟuppatai'' (, meaning ''Guide to Lord Murugan'') is an ancient devotional Tamil poem in the Sangam literature genre entirely dedicated to the god Murugan. Murugan is described as the nephew of the god Vishnu, who is called M ...
is a revered devotional poem that mentions six shrines dedicated to Lord Murugan, with the first being Thiruparankundram. This poem holds immense significance, not only for devotees of Murugan, for whom it is regarded as the most ancient and foundational text, but also for all Saivites. The Tamil Saiva saint (Nayanmar) Thirugnana Sambandar is believed to have visited this temple. A separate rock-cut cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva exists nearby at the foot of the hill, dating to 7th or 8th century CE. Kasi Viswanathar temple is at the top of the hill. In the month of May, the golden spear (Vel), a sacred symbol of Lord Murugan, is ceremonially taken from the Murugan temple to the holy water tank at the top and then returned. Macchamuni Siddhar is said to have attained jeeva samadhi here. At the top of the hill, two natural caverns contain rock beds believed to have been used by Jain ascetics. One of the beds bears a
Tamil-Brahmi Tamil-Brahmi, also known as Tamili or Damili, was a variant of the Brahmi script in southern India. It was used to write inscriptions in Old Tamil.Richard Salomon (1998) ''Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prak ...
inscription dating back to the 1st century BCE. This site is maintained by the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...
(ASI). One theory suggest that the Murugan temple existed much before the 6th century, and was converted into a Jain shrine by Jain monks under the aegis of Pandya king Koon Pandiyan. The temple was later converted into a Hindu temple under the tutelage of Gajapathy, the minister of a later Pandya King, during the latter part of the 8th century. The temple received several additions during the regime of
Madurai Nayak The Madurai Nayakas were a Telugu dynasty * * * * * who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh. * * * * * * ...
s, who commissioned the pillared halls in the temple. As of 2021, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the
Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...
.


Architecture

The temple is located from Madurai, on the Madurai -
Tenkasi Tenkasi () is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Tenkasi is the third largest city in tenkasi district after Kadayanallur and Sankarankovil. Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural ...
road. The temple is constructed with rock-cut architecture dating back to the Pandya period of 6th century and the life sized sculptures in the ''mandapa''s of the Nayaka period during the 16th century. An ''Aasthaana Mandapa'' with several artistically carved
pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
s lead one to the towering high seven-tiered rajagopuram at the entrance. The granite hill behind the temple is has a shrine of Kasi Viswanatha (Shiva) at the top. The image of
Vinayaka Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
(Ganesha) in the temple holds sugarcane and fruits. The inner rock cut image is made from a single stone. The Kambathadi Mandapam, Ardha Mandapam, and Mahamandapam, the three halls leading to the sanctum, are situated at varying elevations. The main shrine is an early rock-cut temple that has cells that house the sanctums of Murugan,
Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...
,
Vinayaka Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
, Shiva and
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
. All the statues are carved on the wall of the Parankundram rock. Shiva is worshipped as Parangirinathar with his wife
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
as Aavudai Nayaki. Panels depicting Shiva's dance of bliss are seen outside the sanctum. A notable feature of this temple is that the Shiva and Vishnu face each other in the main shrine, considered a rare thing in ancient Hindu temples. Outside the temple there is a
water tank A water tank is a container for Water storage, storing water, for many applications, drinking water, irrigation, fire suppression, farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many other uses. Water ...
, where the fishes are served with salt and rice flakes by the devotees. There is also a Vedic school on the banks of the temple pond. In front of the '' Dwajasthambam'', the flag staff, there is a carved Nandi (bull), Mayil (peacock) and mouse, the ''
vahana ''Vāhana'' () or ''vahanam'' () denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular Hindus, Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's "mount". Upon the partnership b ...
''s (vehicles) of Shiva, Murugan and Vinayaka. There is a flight of six steps called the "Shadashara Padigal", before Ardha Mandapam. The rock carvings of Mahisshasura Mardini (Durga), Karpaga Vinayagar (Ganesha), Andarabaranar and Uggirar are seen in the hall. There are five water bodies, namely, Saravana Poigai, Lakshmi Theertham, Saniyasi Kinaru (well), Kasi Sunai, and Sathiya Koopam.


Literary mention

The 7th-century Shaiva saint
Sambandar Sambandar (Tamil language, Tamil: சம்பந்தர், Romanization, romanized: ''Campantar''), also referred to as Thirugnana Sambandar (Tamil language, Tamil: திருஞானசம்பந்தர், Romanization, romanized: ...
visited Thirupparamkunram and praised the Shiva icon of the temple Uchinathar in ten verses in ''
Tevaram The ''Tevaram'' (, ), also spelled ''Thevaram'', denotes the first seven volumes of the twelve-volume collection ''Tirumurai'', a Saivism, Shaiva narrative of epic and Puranas, Puranic heroes, as well as a Hagiography, hagiographic account of ...
'', compiled as the '' First Tirumurai''. As the temple is revered in ''Tevaram'', it is classified as ''
Paadal Petra Sthalam The Paadal Petra Sthalams (), also known as Devara Sthalams, are 276 temples that are revered in the verses of Shaiva Nayanars in the 6th-9th century CE. The Divya Desams by comparison are the 108 Vishnu temples glorified in the poems of the ...
'', one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon. The temple is counted as the third in the series of the temples on bank of river Vaigai. Sambandar met the three Tamil chiefs, the
Chera The Chera dynasty ( or Cēra, ), also known as Keralaputra, from the early historic or the Sangam period in Tamil-speaking southern India, ruled over parts of present-day states Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Cheras, known as one of the mu-ventar ...
, the
Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
and the
Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...
in this temple and blessed them.
Sundarar Sundarar (), also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one of the most prominent Nayanars, ...
and Sambandar composed the Tevaram Pathigam here. Nakkirar composed many poems on the Murugan icon. ''Tiruppugazh'', ''Kandapuranam'' and other works speak of the glory of this shrine.


Religious importance and festivals

The temple priests daily perform the '' puja'' (rituals). The temple rituals are performed three times a day; ''Kalasanthi'' at 8:00 a.m., ''Uchikalam'' at 12:00 a.m. and ''Sayarakshai'' at 6:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: ''
abhisheka Abhisheka () is a religious rite or method of prayer in which a devotee pours a liquid offering on an image or murti of a deity. This is common to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism An abhiṣeka is conducted by pries ...
'' (sacred bath), ''alangaram'' (decoration), '' naivethanam'' (food offering) and ''deepa aradanai'' (waving of lamps) for Uchinathar (Shiva) and Uchinayagi (Parvati). There are weekly rituals like ' (Monday) and ' (Friday), fortnightly rituals like ''
pradosha Pradosha or Pradosham (IAST: Pradoṣa) is a bimonthly occasion on the thirteenth day ('' Trayodashi'') of every fortnight in the Hindu calendar. Aiya V. 1906, p. 103 It is closely connected with the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. The auspicio ...
m'', and monthly festivals like '' amavasai'' (new moon day), ''kiruthigai'', '' pournami'' (full moon day) and ''sathurthi''. Skanda Shashti festival celebrated during the Tamil month of ''Aippasi'' (October - November) is the most prominent festival of the temple. Murugan killing Surapadman is enacted during the last of the six days and the festive image of Murugan is taken in different mounts around the streets of the temple during the festival.
Brahmotsavam A brahmotsava (), also rendered mahotsava and tiruvila () is the principal festival of a Hindu temple. Commonly held in South India, the ''murti''s of a temple's deities are dressed in silk garments, decorated with ornaments, garlands, and other ...
here falls in the
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
month of
Panguni The Tamil calendar (தமிழ் நாட்காட்டி) is a sidereal solar calendar used by the Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in Puducherry, and by the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapo ...
. The Vishnu named Pavalakanivai Perumal, and Murugan are taken in procession to Madurai to celebrate
Minakshi Meenakshi (, ; also spelled as Minakshi; also known as , and ) is a Hindu goddess. She is the tutelary deity of Madurai and is considered a form of the goddess Parvati. She is the divine consort of Sundareśvarar, a form of Shiva and the si ...
's wedding ( Chittirai festival), with residents of Madurai dressed in festive clothing. Nakkirar's association with this temple is also celebrated as a festival. Karthigai Deepam festival is also celebrated during the Tamil month of ''Karthigai'' by lighting a lamp on top of the hill. Vaikasi Visakam, and the float festival in ''Thai''(Tamil month) are the other festivals celebrated in the temple. Since the image of Vishnu is in the temple,
Vaikunta Ekadashi Vaikuntha Ekadashi () is a Hindu occasion and festival. It is primarily observed by Vaishnavas, who regard it to be a special ekadashi. It coincides with Mokshada Ekadashi or Putrada Ekadashi. It is observed on the 11th lunar day of the wax ...
is also celebrated.


References


External links


Photo gallery of Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple
{{Murugan temples Hindu temples in Madurai district Hindu temples in Madurai Religious buildings and structures in Madurai Buildings and structures in Madurai Murugan temples in Tamil Nadu