Ilanji and Ayikudi - Twin Murugan temples around Tenkasi

Through this post, I introduce you to a couple of famous Murugan temples around Tenkasi, located in South Tamil Nadu. One is Ilanji and the other is Ayikudi. These are not extensive temples, being quite small in land area. Nevertheless, they carry their own charm and should not be missed, if you visit Tenkasi or the falls at Courtallam.

REACHING THERE: Both the temples are located around Tenkasi. If you are coming from Tirunelveli or Courtallam, you could visit Ilanji first, then visit the famous Tenkasi Viswanathar temple and could then proceed to Ayikudi. The nearest major town is Tenkasi which also has a rail head. Both the temples are located within 10 Kms range from Tenkasi, but in different directions. So, the best way to combine them is to visit in the order mentioned earlier.

ILANJI KUMARAN TEMPLE: Lord Muruga is known here in the name of Thiruvilanji Kumarar. The temple is located amidst a lush green locale and a mere visit to the temple surrounding is so pleasing. The temple is also rich in historical significance. It is believed that Courtaleeswar temple used to be a vaishnavite temple. Sage Agasthiyar was not allowed to enter the temple as he was a strong devotee of Shiva. The sage is said to have come to Ilanji and performed a penance. Lord Muruga, being the reigning god of the region, appeared before the sage and had asked him to visit the temple the following day, dressed as a vaishnavite.

It is also believed that Sage Agasthiyar also made two lingas out of white sand available in the region, which were then converged into one. This linga is found within the Ilanji Kumaran temple premise under the name Iruvulaga Nayagar (Lord of Two worlds, referring to the combination of two lingas). Since the linga is made out of sand, no abhishekams are performed to the linga. Lordess Parvati is known here as Iruvulaga Eeserkiniyal.

As you move around the temple premise, you can observe several tall trees and wonderful greenery, making it a great visual treat for your eyes. There are also shrines here for Kanni Vinayakar, Suriyan (Sun God) and Suradevar (God who is said to cure people with fever; suram in tamil stands for fever). Major lords of near-by temples like Courtaleswar, Tenkasi Viswanathar and Kuzhalvai Mozhi Ammal also have a shrine at Ilanji. Sage Agasthiyar also has a shrine here. The stala Vriksham (primary tree of existence) is Magizha maram.

AYIKUDI BALASUBRAMANYA TEMPLE: Here, Lord Muruga is known as Balasubramaniar. Here, you find a relatively small idol of Muruga in his younger days and hence aptly titled Bala Subramaniar. The temple architecture is very unlike a typical Murugan temple with the standard Tamil Nadu style of temple tower. Instead, it carries a Kerala style of architecture and even the temple practices have a Kerala touch to it. This is not surprising given its close proximity with the state.

Interestingly, there are five stala Vrikshams for this temple: Arasa maram, Vembu maram (neem), Kariveppilai maram, Madhalai maram and Maavilangu maram. Also, there is a small river besides the temple. The river is called Hanuman Nadhi. It is believed that Hanuman rested here for sometime before his journey to Lanka. Hence, the name for the river.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISITS: As mentioned earlier, when you visit these two Murugan temples, you pass through Tenkasi and the Viswanathar temple here should not be missed. The massive tower at the entrance is a great spectacle. Interestingly, apart from the exterior and interior sides of the tower being adorned with sculptures, even the sides of the temple tower here bear amazing work of art and one should definitely spend some time enjoying the beauty. The Tenkasi temple is reasonably huge in size with separate shrines for Kasi Viswanathar, Lordess Parvathi (known here as Ulagammai Nachiaar) and Lord Subramanya.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: The best way to schedule your trip to Ilanji and Ayikudi is to connect it with other popular and interesting places around. This includes Tenkasi Viswanathar Temple, Courtallam Falls, Courtaleeswar temple and Chitra Sabhai. You could get greater insight about Courtallam and Chitra Sabhai from my old post:

http://travelwithguru.blogspot.com/2010/01/chitra-sabhai-dance-floor-of-lord-shiva.html

Padmanabapuram Palace - The Royal Visit

Padmanabapuram palace is definitely one of its kind. The word palace immediately reminds one about grandeur, lavish decorations and wonderful works of art. Something along the lines of the Mysore Palace. However, Padmanabapuram palace was far off from it. It does not look massive at first glance with a single storey entrance. But the place definitely has its own charm.

REACHING THERE: Padmanabapuram palace is located at a place called Thuckalay, in Kanyakumari district in South Tamil Nadu. The nearest major town is Nagercoil, around 20 kms away. The palace is also close to Kerala and Trivandrum is just around 50 kms from here. The nearest rail heads include Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Trivandrum.

HISTORY: Padmanabapuram palace belongs to the princely state of Travancore. Kanyakumari district was ruled by the Maharajah of Travancore in the pre-independence period. Post the state re-organisation, the palace came under the Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. As you near the palace, you would definitely see a strong Kerala influence. Therefore, it is also not surprising to find the palace too bearing a strong kerala style of architecture. The palace alone is still owned by the Government of Kerala, although it stands in Tamil Nadu.

ENTRY AND TICKETS: An entry fee of Rs.25/- is charged per person. If you carry a camera with you, you might have to shell out an additional Rs.25/-. The Palace is open from 9 AM to around 6PM, with no intermittent breaks. The Palace is closed on Mondays.

THE PREMISE: The palace is quite different from the regular ones right from the entrance. As you enter the palace, you would observe a small one-storeyed building right in front of you. There is quite a large amount of open space in front of the main building with a small well-maintained garden.

As you enter the main hall, you would notice a huge verandah with some artefacts that were used by the erstwhile rulers. Each of the major halls within the palace have a guide who take you through the various interesting things about the hall and for what reason that particular room/area/building was used. At the main hall, one can three very interesting things: Oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, wonderful wooden ceiling and a bed.

The uniqueness of the oil lamp is that it can revolve 360 degree and once rotated upto a certain extent, it would stay still at the new position and would not reverse back to its original position. The wooden ceiling is another great piece of art. The ceiling consists of over 90 flowers carved out of wood and each one of them is unique. one is sure to miss out on this real uniqueness on the ceiling unless pointed out by the guide. The bed on display is quite interesting as it completely made of stone.

As we move to the first floor, we get to see the actual courtyard of the palace from where the king conducted his daily business. The size of the courtyard is not massive as is shown in movies, but definitely had the right appeal. The unique style of windows of the courtyard, that facilitates wind and sunlight to radiate across the place brought its own charm.

Then, we moved into the Dining complex. It is a two-floored complex. It was not the place where the nobles dined. But, it was used by the king to perform Anna Dhanam (free offering of food for the poor) daily. It is estimated that around 2000 people had food here everyday. The halls can definitely accommodate 2000 people and the thought of so many people having food here makes you feel excited.

Moving on, we reached the central building of the palace that is four-storeyed. The building had several interesting things worth mentioning: Ambari Mukam, the window through which the king viewed the public and addressed their grievances; Hall of paintings, that carried wonderful pictures portraying the king, his army, family, valour and philanthropy; Indira Vilasam, the guest room for important dignitaries visiting the king; Wonderfully crafted verandahs; Giant swings; larger than life mirrors and the list is endless.

One interesting aspect of the palace is its amazing complexity. We just went around the palace following the signboards and we never were really able to gauge how massive or how well-spread the palace was. Wondered who the architecture would have been?

We then proceeded to the King's chambers. Here, one can observe the bed used by the king. Apart from being supremely crafted, it is said that 64 herbs with medicinal properties were used in the construction of the cot, to keep the king away from any disease. One could also observe the bed on Queen mother as well as the weapon room. The Puja room of the king was kept out-of-bounds.

Our next stop was at the dancing floor, where supposedly various cultural programmes used to occur. There is a separate wooden dressing room for the artistes. Tamil movies like Varusham 16 and several Malayalam movies including His Highness Abdulla, is supposed to have been shot at Padmanabapuram palace. After looking at the dancing floor, I was able to quickly connect with these movies. There is also a small temple, a well as well as a kitchen for making food to be specially offered as Prasad.

Finally, we checked out the museum. It is well-maintained and one could see several artifacts found in the palace and items used by the king on display. Interesting among them were stone carvings marking significant events of the palace as well as wooden sculptures of gods. These sculptures are so akin to those made using stone and looked so new, despite each of them dating back to 10th and 11th century AD.

Overall, it is a wonderful experience not to be missed when you are in that part of the world.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISIT: Thirappu falls is located around 20 kms from the Padmanabapuram palace. One could give this a try. Alternatively, if you are coming from Kanyakumari, visit the Suchindram temple. It is one of the rare temples that has a shrine for the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: The best way to plan for a trip to Padmanabapuram palace, is to connect it along with a visit to Kanyakumari. You could view the sunrise at Kanyakumari, check out Suchindram and then push for Padmanabapuram palace. The palace visit is bound to take atleast 3 hours and you can then be back at Kanyakumari to catch up with the sunset.

Let the Royal journey begin!!!

Manimutharu falls - Water at its pristine best

In this post, I take you back to Tamil Nadu to one of the truly beautiful manifestations of nature. Manimutharu is a wonderful waterfall in South Tamil Nadu and when in full flow, a great spectacle to have a look at or to drench yourself. It may not be as famous as Courtallam, not located far away from here, but that is what adds to the charm of the place. It is relatively untouched by the tourist population and is definitely not commercialised yet.

REACHING THERE: Manimutharu falls is located in Tirunelveli district in South Tamil Nadu. It is located at a distance of around 50 kms from Tirunelveli town. The nearest towns are Tirunelveli and Tenkasi (around 45 kms away) and both also are the nearest rail heads. The best means to reach Manimutharu falls is by road. The road from Tirunelveli is good, but bad in patches.

ENTRY TICKETS: There are two locations at which an entry ticket is charged. The ticket prices are reasonably nominal at around Rs.25/- per person. First ticket is issued by the local municipality. The falls come under the purview of reserve forest area and hence a ticket is issued for entering the forest. However, no prior permission is required to enter the forest up to the falls. There is a hill station called Manjolai located further up the hill, which requires prior approval.

THE FALLS: As soon as you pass through the forest entry point, you are suddenly thrown open to a huge lake and reservoir. With beautiful hills as backdrop, the sight is amazing and could easily qualify as one your lovely desktop wall papers.

The road is narrow and the slope is gradual with gentle meanders. The drive, with wonderful view of rocks on one side and the lake on the other side, is undoubtedly among the best drives I have had. This is one of those rides which you wish that it continues for a long time. To add to the joy, a gentle drizzle kept following us.

This drive continued for about 10 kms after which we were right at the foot of the falls. The very first sight of the falls, made me feel there was something special about the falls. It is for one, less crowded and we had pretty much the entire falls to ourselves and could easily click it from every viewpoint. Water was not really gushing in from a great height. At least, we were not really able to see the source of the falls from a great height. Our view was restricted to around just 12 feet.

What really made the falls special was for one, its width. The falls definitely looked massive. And second, was its force. It was really surprising to see the water gushing with such a force when it was not really high. Given the fact, we were not able to see much of the source of the falls, except the point from which it was pouring down, added to the excitement.

After enough long shots at the falls, I ventured closer. I was able to literally feel the pace of water flow by the sheer sound of the falls. It was such a pleasant sound that truly added to the thrill. There are special bays created for bathing and some change rooms are available close to the falls, although understandably not as well organised as at other prominent falls.

Water flow was not uniform. You suddenly see the force dropping a bit for a minute or two and then it would immediately pick up pace, larger than the initial level. All this made the falls all the more interesting to look at. After having spent close to an hour at the falls, with our hearts filled with great happiness and joy, we pushed forward. Even long after we left the vicinity of the falls, the sound of water kept reverberating in our ears.

TIME TO VISIT: The best time to visit the forest would be between the months of November and March, when the falls are in full swing. Also, since it is part of the reserve forest, entry is allowed only till 4PM and falls need to be vacated by around 5:30PM. Make it a point to visit early, so that you get enough time to enjoy the beauty at leisure.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISITS: The Agasthiar falls and the Papanasam Sivan temple are not far off from here and is definitely worth a visit. Further, if you are coming in from Tirunelveli, you would pass by two important towns: Pathamadai and Ambasamudram. Pathamadai is a well-recognised place for wooden mats and other wooden handicrafts. You will definitely find something interesting to shop here. Ambasamudram is known for its wonderful landscape and the Brahmadesam temple (about which I would post soon).

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: Tirunelveli is a great base for tours for all reasons. If you have a spiritual inclination or if you are a nature lover or some one who just want a mix of everything in your trip (more like me), then Tirunelveli could serve as a good base. You could start from Tirunelveli, complete a circuit of temples there and then cover Manimutharu falls and Papanasam and then proceed for Courtallam and Tenkasi. That will make it a truly great trip.

Catch up with Manimutharu falls before the tourist interest picks up in a big way.

Gir Forest - The only habitat of Asiatic Lions

I have always enjoyed wildlife travel and a visit to Sasan Gir or Gir forest in Gujarat, India was no exception. It is regarded as the only place in the world that serves as a natural habitat for Asiatic Lions. The other major breed of Lions are the African Lions and needless to say, they are found in Africa, well across the continent. While there are several options available for you to spot a tiger in India, if you wish to view the king of the jungle in his own territory, the only place you need to head to is Sasan Gir.

REACHING THERE: Sasan Gir or Gir forest is located in Gujarat in West India. The nearest major towns are Veraval ( 45 kms away) and Junagadh, that is around 60 kms away. From Ahmedabad, the primary city of Gujarat, the best way to travel is to take a train to either Junagadh, Veraval or Rajkot (150 kms away) and then to take a cab. Sasan Gir too has a meter-gauge station, but the only train connecting it from Ahmedabad is said to be very slow. For those interested to travel by road, one could cover the entire distance by road (around 400 kms). Roads connecting Ahmedabad to Junagadh are said to to be in good condition. We reached Sasan Gir from Dwarka. We took an overnight train from Dwarka to Rajkot and then hired a cab to Sasan Gir.

ACCOMMODATION: The best way to experience Gir is to stay there for a couple of days and enjoy a few safaris and not to just rush through a quick safari and leave. There are several accommodation options available outside the marked forest region. We stayed at Gir Jungle Lodge (91-9998220252, hope it's still the same number) quite close to the forest. The rooms are well-maintained and the food and service here was excellent. The hotel personnel serve as the best guide for the region and you can get all your queries clarified from them.

SAFARIS AND TICKETS: With respect to Gir, you can make two sets of visits. You can first check out the Gir Interpretation Zone. This is a smaller region carved out of the forest and is enclosed in all directions. In absolute land area, however, the zone is quite huge. You can take a mini-bus ride into the interpretation zone. Tickets for the ride can be obtained from the counter at the entrance. The region was created to provide tourists with a higher probability of spotting the beast. There is quite a good chance for you to spot a pride of lions within the interpretation zone.

Once done with the interpretation zone, you can explore the entire forest by taking jeep safaris. Only designated jeeps and drivers are allowed to enter the forest. Your hotel personnel should be able to assist you with a booking for the safari and would arrange for you to be picked up and dropped at the hotel. They are the best means for arranging the safari. I suggest at least two jeep safaris, one in the early morning and one in the evening, for both have their own charm and is once in a life-time experience.

THE EXPERIENCE: My friends and I, started with the mini-bus ride into the Gir Interpretation zone. The landscape in Gir was quite in contrast to the forests we have previously been to. The place was extremely dry, sandy and almost all the trees in the region were barren with hardly any leaves. The immediate thought was how good the location would serve as a camouflage for lions and whether we would be able to spot them even if they were actually close to us.

Deers invariably would be the first set of animals anyone would spot. There were several species of deers we spotted, starting with spotted deers and sambars. Then, to our great excitement, we spotted a couple of black bucks, one of the endangered form of deers. They looked so beautiful. Following on, we then caught hold of Nilgais. Nilgai is a form of antelope, quite huge in size and looks like an ox. The male nilgais are blue in colour and are also called blue bulls.

After having seen the preys, we grew quite eager to spot the wild beast, for which we had travelled the distance. We kept looking around with eyes fully zoomed out. After some time we were getting anxious, and were about to give up when the bus stopped. A forest officer informed us that they have spotted a group of lions that morning at a particular place. Soon the driver drove in that direction and before we realised we were staring at a huge pride of lions. They were close to about ten in number.

Our joy knew no bounds. we were just waiting for a chance to look at one and here we were staring at ten of them. I was just not sure what to do. I just went on a rampage clicking photos, one after the other without a minute of pause. Those ten minutes were quite amazing and I would remember that all my life. When I was done and the bus was about to leave, I, to my great surprise, noticed a lion walking by quite close to my window seat to join the group. That was again an unbelievable moment.

In the evening, we went for our first safari inside the forest. The forest environment, sandy roads and bumpy jeep rides have their own charm. As we stepped into the jungle, we noticed several breeds of deers, Nilgais, monkeys and several other birds and smaller animals. We were just hoping for an other miracle and it happened. We were informed by some forest guards about the presence of a couple of lions slightly deep inside a particular range of forest. We immediately turned excited and kept our cameras in ready-to-click mode.

After venturing further in a particular direction, the forest officials pointed to a couple of lions resting under a tree. We initially were not able to really spot them. They were so well camouflaged in the surrounding, that it was tough to catch them. Finally, when we made out their presence, we were deeply thrilled. As usual, they never bothered about our presence and were just happily relaxing. We were the ones who were terribly enthused and kept clicking photos in full swing.

Following this, we also had a chance to spot several other creatures, notable among them were peacocks and vultures. Also, of notice was a human habitat settled well inside the forest. They were the local inhabitants who have been living inside the forests fearlessly for ages. I was amazed by the way they were going about their tasks like in any other village, without the slightest of feel that they live in a place surrounded by lions and other wild life.

We did one other safari the next morning. Starting before sunrise, the ride had its own flavour. We noticed peacocks adorning our paths right through the morning, and that too in large batches. We took a different route inside the jungle this time. We were not third time lucky, as we did not spot the beast this time. However, in our ride, we came across a huge lake deep inside the forest. We were pleasantly surprised at that sight. When the entire forest was so dry and barren, we wondered how did this water body emerge.

Overall, it was a great trip for us to cherish and even if you do not end up seeing the beast, you would not feel disappointed as the forest has a lot more to offer.

TIME TO VISIT: The best time to visit the forest is between November and June, more so the later months, since you have a better chance of spotting lions when heat is really on.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISIT: You could check out the Junagadh fort and Buddhist caves, although we never explored it ourselves.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: The best way to schedule your trip is to plan with Gir as your primary place of travel and combine a few things along with it. Give yourself at least a day and two safaris to explore the forest to the fullest. Once done with Gir, you can proceed to the union territory of Diu, the holiday destination, to relax and unwind yourself. Diu is around 110 kms from Sasan Gir. You could also proceed to the famous Somnath temple, located by the seaside and regarded as one of the 12 Jyothirlingas of Shiva. Diu to Somnath is around 75 kms and from Sasan Gir it is around 45 kms away.

Gir forest is not just a place to visit, but rather an experience to enjoy and is truly worthwhile one.

Patan Stepwell - Epitome of Indian Craftsmanship

Moving away from Tamil Nadu, in this post I wish to discuss about Patan, a small town in Gujarat, India. The place does not not boast of great infrastructure nor it is termed a must visit destination in tourist itineraries. Yet, this place boasts of Rani-ki-Vav (Queen's well) that is undoubtedly among the finest examples of Indian craftsmanship.

STEPWELLS IN GUJARAT: Vavs or stepwells are quite unique to western India, located predominantly in Gujarat and Rajasthan. A stepwell is basically a well where one has to descend several steps to fetch water. Apart from providing water, the stepwells also served as a place of leisure for the royal families. When ever the summer heat used to be scorching, it is believed that kings and queens used to spend a few hours chilling out at the stepwells. Stepwells could be in various shapes (circular, rectangular, oval) and could have several tiers. Tiers largely signify the depth of the step-well. As one descends each tier, one can easily feel the sudden drop in temperature and things turning cooler. The walls of most of these stepwells were also adorned with wonderful sculptures to help the royal family members spend time admiring the work of art. Gujarat has hundreds of stepwells of which the one in Patan called Rani-ki-vav is regarded the largest.

REACHING THERE: Patan is located at a distance of around 110 kms from Ahmedabad, the most prominent city of Gujarat. The best means to reach Patan is by road. The road from Ahmedabad to Patan is well-laid and one can have a comfortable ride. On reaching Patan, locals should be able to easily guide you to the step-well. There are also signboards placed en route for your convenience.

HISTORY: For those interested, this stepwell is said to have been constructed under the Solanki dynasty and is said to date back to the 11th century AD. The well has seen some testing times and part of it stands damaged. The stepwell is now maintained by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). They have undertaken maintenance work and ensured whatever remains is well-protected. It also stands among the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites.

RANI-KI-VAV: Rani-ki-vav is a 7-tier structure and arguably one of the biggest stepwells in the country. From afar, the place is hardly appealing. It even looks a bit dilapidated. However, as one moves closer and closer to the structure one is sure to have a sudden change of heart and as one starts descending the well, one is bound to get lost in great architectural splendour.

The walls in each of the tiers are filled with amazing sculptures. It is always tough to choose when you have too many options. Likewise, when the entire wall is filled with wonderful carvings, you are just not sure where to begin and what to observe. Only four of the seven tiers were accessible when I visited the well, but still it was just too many sculptures to sight at one go.

I would notice something interesting and as I try and come to terms with it, my friend would point me to something more interesting, an other friend to an even better spectacle while other fellow tourists would be marvelling at a totally different piece of art. This kept going on for hours and I was just not able to say, I'm done. Finally, it was the fading sunlight that eventually forced me to move out of the place.

There are several sculptures dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his dasavatars. There are also sculptures of other gods, warriors, kings and queens. Interestingly, there are also some stone carvings associated with South India like Lord Ranganathar from Srirangam in Tamil Nadu. Apart from real-life sculptures, there are also some very fascinating designs carved out of stones that carry their own charm. As I looked at the enormity of the architectural work, I kept wondering how many sculptors would have been involved in this mammoth exercise and how long would this have taken.

A truly breath-taking experience that I would cherish all my life.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISIT: If you visit Patan, you should definitely make a visit to the Patola silk making unit. Patola silk materials are one of the finest hand-woven silk materials of the country. One Patola silk saree is said to take anywhere between 3 to 6 months to make. It is said that only two families still are aware of the exact know-hows of making it and previous attempts to replicate the process using machinery have failed to yield the desired quality. The unit members are very friendly and they take you through the entire production process. It is a nice experience to familiarise with one of the oldest arts of the country.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: A trip to Patan is best combined with a trip to the Motera sun temple, which is along the way as one proceeds from Ahmedabad. The sun temple is an other piece of architectural wonder and is very well maintained. The temple pond in front of the temple is also a great attraction with amazing sculptures. For those, who may not be able to make it to Patan and are keen to visit a stepwell, you could visit the Adalaj stepwell in Ahmedabad. It is a four-tier well and is again (sorry for being repetitive, but truly deserving) a great architectural marvel.

Wonders of Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple

Nellaiappar temple is regarded the primary landmark of Tirunelveli, a famous district/town in South Tamil Nadu. As such, no trip to the town would be complete without a visit to the temple. The temple premise is quite huge and by land area it is bigger than the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai. The temple is also quite popular with pilgrims and tourists alike, and is also well written about on the web.

So, in this post, I would like to just focus on some of the key highlights and unique features of the temple not extensively covered elsewhere on the information highway.

1. WOODEN ART: As you enter the Nellaiappar temple, the first thing that would strike you is the wonderful wooden entrance, in the form of arches, with intricate carvings. Each wooden sculpture is unique and serves as a perfect sample for the wonderful art work inside the temple.

2. DAKSHINAMOORTY SHRINE: The idol of Dakshinamoorthy is commonly found in most temples in Tamil Nadu. However, the idol is generally placed attached to the wall. At Nelliappar temple, one could witness a separate small shrine for Dakshinamoorthy and one can circle the shrine (do a pradarshanam) individually for Dakshinamoorthy.

3. NELLAI GOVINDAR: Nellaiappar temple id dedicated to Lord Shiva (known here as Nellaiappar) and Lordess Parvati (known here as Kanthimathi). However, very next to the Nellaiappar shrine, in a seperate sanctum, one would find the idol of Lord Vishnu (known here as Nellai Govindar) in a reclining position (in Anandha Sayanam). It is a massive idol and the Lord could be seen in complete rest with his eyes closed. All major pooja practices associated with Lord Vishnu is performed to Nellai Govindar. It is said that the marriage of Nellaiappar and Kanthimathi was presided over by Lord Vishnu and hence, he is provided a special sanctum here.

4. ARUMUGAN: Nellaiappar temple has a seperate hall for Lord Muruga. Muruga is also known as Arumugan as he is said to have six faces. Generally, we would not get to see all the six faces of Lord Muruga in any of the temples that carry the Arumugan idol. However, at Nellaiappar one could move around the Arumugan idol and can view all the six faces and have a complete darshan. In fact the priests would raise aarthi twice to the idol, one for the three faces seen from the front and one for the remaining three faces seen behind.

5. PILLARS OF MARVEL: Similar to all major temples in Tamil Nadu, Nellaiappar temple also has extensive corridors adorned with towering pillars carrying wonderful carvings. In specific, the thousand pillar mandapam (hall) is a place of great architectural excellence. Also, the temple boasts of musical pillars, located near the sanctum of the Lordess, that produce musical sounds of varying pitches when stuck. The pillars are said to date back to 7th century AD.

6. KUBERA LINGAM: Nellaiappar temple boasts of a seperate sanctum dedicated for Kuberan. It is widely believed that prayers to Kuberan would bring one great prosperity and wealth. Kuberan is present here in the form of a lingam. The entire sanctum is gold-plated and is a wonderful spectacle.

7. THAMIRA SABHAI: A hall inside the Nellaiappar Temple is one of the five revered locations, where Lord Shiva is said to have displayed his cosmic dance (see my previous post on Chitra Sabhai, for more on the five Sabhais). Each of these five locations is decorated in an unique way and the halls or sabhais are named accordingly. The hall within the Nellaiappar Temple is beautifully surrounded by wooden walls with amazing carvings and the roof adorned with copper. Thamira means copper and thus the name, Thamira Sabhai.

BASIC DETAILS: The temple is located in Tirunelveli town and hence is easily accessible. Tiruneveli in South Tamil Nadu is well-connected by trains and buses. Good accommodation options are also available here. The temple is open in the mornings from around 7AM to 12PM and is open the evenings from 4PM to 8PM.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: Tirunelveli is a good place to keep as a base and one could cover several temples and other natural attractions like Kutralam and Papanasam from this town.

So, get set to explore Tirunelveli and Nellaiappar temple!

Chitra Sabhai - The Dance floor of Lord Shiva

In this post, I introduce you to one of those places in India that illustrate how wonderfully arts flourished in India in the past. The place is however yet to receive its due share of recognition and tourist interest. The place is known as Chitra Sabhai, located in South Tamil Nadu and is one of the five significant locations where Lord Shiva is said to have performed his cosmic dance. The name, Chitra Sabhai, literally means Hall of Paintings. The place is indeed a treasure trove of wonderful mural art.

THE FIVE SABHAIS: Lord Shiva, in the form of Nataraja, is said to have displayed his dance in various locations, of which five of them stand out and are highly revered. In each of these locations (sabhais), he is associated with a particular dance form or Thandavam. The five sabhais are termed: Por sabhai (hall of gold) located at Chidambaram, Rajatha sabhai (hall of Silver) located within Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Rathina sabhai (Hall of ruby) located at Tiruvalangadu, Thamira sabhai (Hall of Copper) located within Nelliappar Temple in Tirunelveli and Chitra Sabhai (Hall of Painting) located in Kutralam. The best part about these five locations is the fact that each of these dance floors is decorated in a fashion that perfectly matches its name. Accordingly, Chitra Sabhai is all about wonderful wall paintings.

REACHING THERE: Chitra Sabhai is located at the picturesque location of Kutralam in Tirunelveli District in South Tamil Nadu. Kutralam is a well-known town for its several beautiful falls. Chitra Sabhai is at a walkable distance from the Main falls of Kutralam, although not easily visible. It is on one of the adjacent lanes, but the locals should be able to easily guide you from the Main falls. The best way to reach Kutralam is by road. The nearest major towns are Tenkasi (5 kms away) and Tirunelveli (55 kms away). The nearest major rail head is Tirunelveli, where several trains from Chennai and from the neighbouring state of Kerala stop by. There is also a Tenkasi express from Chennai that stops at Tenkasi.

HISTORY: Chitra Sabhai has a long history. It is believed that once there was an imbalance on earth, as everyone flocked to the Himalayan range in north India to witness the divine sight of Lord Shiva marrying Parvathi. To stabilise the earth, Lord Shiva had requested sage Agastyar to head south. The sage came down to Kutralam but was depressed that he was not able to witness the divine wedding. Understanding sage Agastyar's desire, the Lord along with the Lordess is said to have presented himself before Sage Agastyar at Kutralam and to have performed the Thirupura thandavam along with Lordess Parvathi for the sage. Later on, the ruler of the region is said to have constructed the hall to commemorate the event.

THE PREMISE: From a distance, Chitra Sabhai may not appear to be a great spectacle. The hall has a simple rectangular structure with a wooden entrance and pyramid style of roofing that resembles temples in Kerala. This is not surprising given the proximity of Kutralam to Kerala. The real beauty, however, lies inside.

As you enter the hall, you get transported to a totally different world. There are broadly two compartments within the hall, in the form of two rings. So you can first tour the outer ring and then enter the inner ring. As you move through the two rings you are faced with wonderful mural paintings on the walls.

The paintings are of various sizes and forms. Each painting has its own story to tell. They represent the history of Kutralam, the divine marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvathi, Lord Vishnu in sayanam, form of various other gods and goddesses, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharatha and the list is endless. One could easily spend an entire day if one gets immersed in the intricacies of these wonderful mural arts in detail.

Paintings are not restricted to the walls inside the hall. As one moves around the Sabhai, one can observe wonderful paintings on the outer walls too, including the doors and windows. Interestingly, the measuring scale that was used to construct the sabhai has also been left behind just outside the sabhai. However, it has been kept in such a way that one can only view it and would not be able to hold it.

HIGHLIGHTS: A couple of paintings that really attracted me strongly were that of Gangalanathar and Natarajar. Gangalanathar is a form of Lord Shiva as a human. The large size solo painting is so very real and soulful that for a moment you forget it is actually a work of art. Natarajar painting depicts the dance of the lord being watched by a huge gathering of people. This painting is a great example of detailed sketching. As one observes closely through the gathering in the painting, one could see that no two people have a similar feature. Each one in the gathering seem to be different from each other and one wonders how many artists were involved in this highest level of artistic exercise.

TICKET AND TIMINGS: Chitra Sabhai is open through out the day from morning to evening with no intermittent breaks. An entry fee of Rs.25 is charged per person. The ticket wala is quite knowledgeable and he can easily double up to be your guide. You can get to know a good amount of history about the region from him, in case you are interested.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISITS: If you visit Chitra Sabhai, you should not miss out taking a bath or at least a few snaps in front of the wonderful falls, although the falls do dry up quite a bit during off-season. Also, Kutraleeswar temple at the foothill of the Main falls is also a must visit. As you move around inside the temple you would constantly hear the sound of water gushing in the falls. However, you would be able to view the falls from only a single location inside the temple. The Lordess shrine here is also of great significance and is one of the 64 sakthi peedams.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: A Visit to Chitra Sabhai is best combined with a visit to the Tirunelveli Nelliappar Temple and the Tenkasi Viswanathar temple. Both these temples are quite huge and deserve a post on their own. For those interested, one could add Papanasam temple, Agasthiar falls and Manimuthar falls to their schedule.

Do make a visit to Chitra Sabhai. I can assure that you would not be disappointed.