Suchindram

Suchindram is a panchayat town in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu with Indian postal code as 629704. It is an important pilgrim centre and the site of the famous Thanumalayan Temple. There is an Anjaneya, (or Hanuman), statue which stands at 22 feet (6.7 m) and is carved of a single granite block. It is one of the tallest statues of its type in India.

Suchindram
city
Suchindram temple
Suchindram
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates: 8.155°N 77.465°E / 8.155; 77.465
Country India
StateTamil Nadu
DistrictKanniyakumari
Elevation
19 m (62 ft)
Population
 (2001)
 • Total11,953
Languages
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
629704
Telephone code04652
Websitewww.suchindram.com

Geography

Suchindram is located at Kanyakumari District.[1] It has an average elevation of 19 metres (62 feet).

Suchindram is a temple town situated in the southernmost district of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, India. It is 11 km from Kanyakumari city and 7 km from Nagarcoil town 105 km from adjacent Tirunelveli district and approximately 81 km from Trivandrum city. The town of Suchindrum is renowned for the Thanumalayan Temple and was an important citadel of Travancore.

Suchindram temple is unique in the whole of India in that it is dedicated to three different deities represented by one image in the sanctum and is called Sthanumalayan (Sthanu-Shiva; Maal-Vishnu and Ayan-Brahma) kovil. The temple is rich in sculpture and architecture and a visitor to this temple is amply rewarded with the sight of such exquisite art of hundreds of years old

Location

Suchindram is about 11 km from Kanyakumari and about 7 km from Nagarkoil lying between these two towns. Busses ply from Thirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Trivandram. The nearest railway station is Nagarkoil on the Trivandrum - Kanyakumari section of the Southern Railway.

The Temple

The entrance tower to this temple is visible from a distance as it rises majestically for 134 feet. The face of the tower is covered with sculptures and statues from Hindu Scriptures. There is a covered area in front of the main entrance and the entrance itself is about 24 feet high with a beautifully carved door. There is only one corridor running along the outer wall of the temple with many shrines and mandapams scattered in the inner area. This temple attracts both Vaishnavites and Saivites in large numbers. About 30 shrines to various deities within the temple complex, the large Lingam in the sanctum, the idol of Vishnu in the adjacent shrine and a large idol of Hanuman at the Eastern end of the Northern corridor represent almost all the deities of the Hindu pantheon.

Legends

There are many legends associated with this temple. Anasuya, the wife of Atri Maharishi was famous for her chastity and her devotion to her husband - an embodiment of a Hindu wife. She could perform miracles by sprinkling the 'paatha theertham' (water with which she washed her husband's feet) to bring rain to a parched earth or to transform objects to her desire.

When the three Devis, - Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathy and Parvathy(athishakthi) heard through Sage Naradha the powers of this earthly woman they wanted to test her chastity. They approached their husbands Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to test Anasuya's devotion to her husband. The three Moorthys transformed into three old mendicants and went to the hermitage where Anasuya was living and sought alms from her. When Anasuya was about to serve them food they told her that they had taken a vow whereby they could not accept alms from a person wearing clothes. As it was a sin to refuse alms to mendicants she prayed to her Lord and sprinkled a little 'paatha theertham' on the three old beggars. They were all immediately transformed into babies and throwing off her clothes she offered them food.

The Goddesses learning what had happened pleaded with Anasuya to grant them 'maankalya biksha' (gift of married life) and to give them back their husbands. Anasuya showed them the three babies. The Devis ran to the cradle and picked one baby each. Anasuya then prayed to her Lord to restore them back to their original form. Lo and behold! Lord Sri Vishnu was in Lakshmi's embrace, Siva in Parvathy's lap and Saraswathy with Brahma. They accepted that Anasuya's fame as the chastest woman on earth was justified. Thus the Thrimoorthy came to be represented by the Lingam at Suchindram; the bottom represents Brahma, the middle represents Vishnu and the top Shiva.

There is another lore associated with this temple. Once Indra was infatuated with Ahalya, the wife of Rishi Gautama. One night he came to the hermitage where Gautama was living and crowed like a cock indicating the approach of dawn. Rishi Gautama thinking that dawn was imminent awoke from his sleep and went to the river for his ablutions prior to commencing his prayers. Realising that it was too dark for dawn and too early for morning to break he returned to his hut. In the meantime Lord Indra took the physical appearance of Rishi Gautama, approached Ahalya and satisfied his desire. Rishi Gautama returning from the river was enraged when he saw his wife in another man's embrace and cursed the man's entire body be covered with 'yoni' (the female organ) and his wife Ahalya to become a statue of stone. Lord Indra in order to get rid of this curse went to Gnanaranya and prayed to the Three Moorthys to rid him of this curse. When he was rid of his curse and transformed into his original form he built a temple and installed the Lingam to represent the three Moorthy - Thanu-Maal-Ayan, and the name of the place came to be known as Suchi-Indran (the place where Indran was purified).

Festivals

There are two important festivals, one in Markazhi (December/January) and the other in Chiththirai (April/May). During the Markazhi festival, on the 9th day the deities are taken out in procession around the streets on three festival cars.

visit: http://www.suchindrumfestival.com/

Interesting Features

The temple has quite a few sculptures and art. In the 'Alankara mandapam' adjacent to the Northern corridor there are four large pillars each formed by a group of smaller pillars all carved from a single stone. Two of these large pillars have 33 smaller pillars and the other two 25 each. These are the famous musical pillars. Each of these smaller pillars produce a different musical note when tapped. Unfortunately these pillars are surrounded by iron grills to prevent vandalism.

Step out of the 'Alankara mandapam' and you come face to face with a gigantic figure of Hanuman. The figure is 18 feet high and depicts 'visuvaroopam'. There are other carvings and sculptures on every pillar and panel throughout the temple, which are a feast to the eye and the imagination.

The town along with Kanyakumari was part of Travancore. It became part of Tamil Nadu in 1956. The place is not far from colachel where the historic naval battle between the Dutch and Travancore was fought.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[2] Suchindram had a population of 11,953. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Suchindram has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 89%, and female literacy is 84%. In Suchindram, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

List of Temples
  • KanniVinayagar Temple
  • Peramabalam Natarajar Temple
  • Sri Arulmigu Thanumalayan Temple
  • Munuthithanankai Amman Temple
  • Dwaraka Krishnan Temple
  • Asramam Anusuya & Athri Munivar Homa Kundam
  • Asramam Anchanam Ezhuthia kandan Sastha Temple
  • Karupasami koil
  • Asramam arulmiku sree bhoothathan maadanthampuran eaaskiamman kovil
  • Thampuran Thampurati Temple Akkarai
  • Mutharamman Temple (karkadu)
  • veeramarthanda vinayakar temple
  • abimanam katha vinayakar temple
  • karukali amman temple
  • arulmigu vandimalachi amman temple
  • krishnan kovil (double street)
  • satshi vinayar kovil
  • Asramam gramam Balakrishnan temple

Neighborhoods
  • Marungoor
  • Kannanpathy
  • Nalloor
  • Myladi
  • Kumarapuram thoppur

List of Schools
  • MAHARISHI VIDYA MANDIR. SOUTH CAR STREET
  • S.M.S.M. Higher Secondary School
  • Government Primary School
  • Government Middle School
  • Arasu thodakkappalli, Karkadu.
  • dwarakai krishnan Hindu vidyalaya
  • St. Teresa Matriculation Higher Secondary School

Companies
  • Srijaas mobiles & printpoint, near Stanumalayan Swamy temple
  • Shalu beauty clinic and tailoring institute, Theppakulam Street
  • Chenbaha Neela Stone Industries, Vazhukamparai.
  • LS Engineering and Construction, Suchindram


Notable People
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References
  1. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Suchindram
  2. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
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