Sree SUBRAMANYAR SENTHILNATHAN, TIRUCHENDUR

Sree SUBRAMANYAR  (SENTHILNATHAN), TIRUCHENDUR

                                  Western Entrance and Rajagopuram, Tiruchendur

While going for the Pushkaram Snanam at Tirunelveli, the previous day, that is on 13th October 2018, I had early morning darshan at Tiruchendur.  

Tiruchendur, one of the Aurpadai veedu (six army camps of Lord Muruga) is on the seashore of Bay of Bengal.   All other padai veedu temples are in Hills.  A large temple with an imposing Rajagopuram on the Western Entrance with 9 tiers and a height of 137 feet is a temple where the snanam in the sea and worshipping with wet clothes also is followed by some devotees.  This temple follows the tradition of men without shirts, lungis and only dothis for entry.

                                       Urchavar thrown into sea by Dutch after theft

Dutch pirates looted this temple around 1648 A.D. and damaged the granite vighrahas and taken the Lord Murugan Panchaloga vighraha, thinking they were made of gold.  Their attempt to melt it proved futile.  Then they carried it to the sea and the sea became rough with a storm and they threw the vighrahas into the sea.  It was communicated by the temple authorities to Vadamalaiyappa Pillaiyan, the local administrator of the Nayakkan ruler of Tirunelveli.   Pillaiyan, a great devotee, was not knowing how to rescue the vigrahas from the sea and ordered for another vighraha to be made in Panchaloga.  When this was ready and to be installed in Tiruchendur in 1653, he had a dream.  As directed by the God in the dream, Pillaiyan searched in the sea where a lime fruit was floating with a Garuda flying over that place and recovered the original vighrahas and the same were installed in 1653 in Tiruchendur.  The once made in 1653 as ordered by Pillaiyan was installed in Thirupurantheeswarar Koil in the nearby Palayamkottai.  In memory of successful recovery of the vighraha from the sea, Pillaiyan erected a great mandapa in his name with inscription of the incidence in the walls of this Mandapa.

Veeramahendrapuri was ruled by the Asuran, Surapadma.   Upon meditating on Lord Shiva he got boons from Lord Shiva and he became arrogant and was giving problems to everyone.  He captured all the three worlds and the Devas could not bear the torture given by him and they complained to Lord Shiva.  Lord Shiva then created Lord Subramanya in Saravana Poigai to defeat Surapadma.  Lord Shiva advised his son Subramanya when he grew up, to kill Surapadma and save people who were suffering.  Lord Subramanya came to Tiruchendur with his army and sent his lieutenant Veerabahu to Surapadma to release the Devas, a war ensued when Surapadma refused to do as asked for.  In the intense battle that followed, in the first 5 days, all the brothers of Surapadma were killed and on the sixth day, Surapadma came to war.  In the fight, Lord's lance pierced Surapadma's body and he transformed himself into a frightful mango tree and broke into two.  The two peices changed into a Peacock and a cock.   Lord Muruga took the peacock as his Vahana and the cock as his banner.  This happend on the Waxing Moon - Valar Pirai - Sukla Paksham and on the sixth day - Shasti and the event is celebrated in the temple as Surasamharam during every tamil month Puratasi (October-Novemebr) suklapaksha Shasti day as Skantha Shasti. This year it falls on 7th November 2018.

After Surasamharam, Muruga wanted to worship his father and the divine architect Mayan constructed this temple at Tiruchendur for that purpose.  Lord Subramanya, known as Senthil Nathan here is seen worshipping his father in the sanctum sanctorium.

There are the sannidhis of Jeyanthinathar and Shanmughar (Urchavar) adjacent to the main deity.  In the prakara, Kumara Vidanga Peruman the urchavar's shrine is there followed by 63 Nayanmars in the left and then Medha Dakshnamoorthy in Koorma vahana on the right bless the devotees.  Sree Dakshinamurthy had advised Lord Muruga on the war between Murugan and Surapathman.  The next three pillars in the prakara are embellished with the figures of Kasi Swami, Mauna Swami and Desikamoorthy swamy who brought about the Tiruppanis of the temple.  Next to them is the beautiful Valli shrine.  Behind Valli's shrine are the shrines of Sankaranarayanar, Visalakshi, Vedapuriswarar, Vathapuriswarar and Yekambaranathar. Further there are sannidhis for Chandikeswarar on the northern side and Natarajar (Sivagami is by the side of the Natarajar with karaikal ammaiyar enjoying the ananda thandavam),  Sanesswarar and Bhairavar are on the opposite side.

In the second prakaram, there is a small Dakshinamurthy at the southern side and on the western end is 108 lingas.  Next to Nootreetu lingas in the Soorasamhara moorthy and here Arunagirinathar is in a separate sannidhi.  

Naazhikkinaru (நாழிக்கிணறு)

This is a well in two different levels.  This is nearer to the see but the water in the smaller well inside the nazhikinaru is of very good quality.  The square well with the circumference of 14 feet square has a small well within it.  When army men of Lord Muruga wanted water after the war with Surapadma, Murugan with his Vel (Lance) created this well.

This place in the ancient tamil age was also called as Thirucheeralaivaay and Nakkeerar in his Thirumurugaatrupadai has sung on this place.

Pictures except the deities are taken from my mobile camera including the Western Entrance Gopuram.  The temple has 12 kala poojas and the table below is taken from the temple website.

Period	Time	Pooja Detail
Morning	5.10	Subrapadam - Thirupalli Eluchi
Morning	5.30	Viswaroopam Darshan
Morning	5.45	Dwajasthamba Namaskaram
Morning	6.15	Udaya Marthanda Abishegam
Morning	7.00	Udaya Marthanda Deeparadhanai
Morning	8.00 to 8.30	Kalasandhi Pooja
Morning	10.00	Kalasha Pooja
Morning	10.30	Uchikala Abishegam
Noon	12.00	Uchikala Deeparadhanai
Evening	5.00	Sayaratchai Pooja
Night	7.15	Arthasama Abishegam
Night	8.15	Arthasama Pooja
Night	8.30	Ekanda Seva
Night	8.45	Ragasia Deeparadhanai, Palliarai Pooja
Night	9.00	Nadai Thirukappiduthal

Temple timings:
5 AM to 9 PM