Chenthilandavar Temple, Tiruchendur is an ancient

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

dedicated to

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

. It is second among

six abodes of Murugan The Six Abodes of Murugan () are six temples situated in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan, also referred to as Kandaswamy, Kartikeya, Skanda, and Vadivela at various temples. These six sacred abodes o ...

(Arupadaiveedugal) situated in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is 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 India ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. This temple is the fourth Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu to get ISO certification. It is located in the eastern end of the town

Tiruchendur Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. Etymology Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns in the st ...

in the district of

Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...

. It is 40 km from

, 60 km south-east of

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...

and 75 km north-east of

Kanniyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

. The temple complex is on the shores of Bay of Bengal. Temple is open from 5 AM to 9 PM Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur is one of the six major abodes, or sacred temples, of the

Kaumaram __NOTOC__ Murugan is a Hindu denomination that primarily venerates the Hindu deity of war, ''Kumaran'', also known as Murugan (in South India), ''Kandan'', or ''Kadamban'', or '' Kartikeya, aarumugan,'' . Most devotees of Kumaran also revere m ...

religion.

Soorasamharam Sooranporu or Soorasamharam part of Kandha Sashti Vratham festival is a ritual folk performance that recreates the killing of Asuras by Lord Murugan. It is performed in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Sri Lanka and the district of Palakkad in ...

, a reenactment of the victory over Soorapadman, and Kanda Shasti, a devotional song in praise of Murugan are performed at the temple.

Vaippu Sthalam

It is one of the shrines of the

Vaippu Sthalam The ''Vaippu Sthalam'' :ta:வைப்புத் தலங்கள் also Called Tevara Vaippu Sthalam are places in South India that were mentioned casually in the songs in Tevaram, hymns composed in praise of the god Shiva during 7th-8t ...

s sung by Tamil Saivite Nayanar

Appar Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...

Architecture

The temple, which is built near the seashore, measures north to south, east to west, and has a nine-tier

gopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...

, or tower gate, that is 157 feet (47 meter) high. The principal entrance faces south, and opens into the first of two

prakaram A prakaram (प्राकारः in Sanskrit), also spelled pragaram or pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer part around the Hindu temple sanctum. They may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the innermost prakaram. As ...

s, the first of which is lined with rows of Yalis. The inner sanctum of the temple is in a cave and the main deity, or

moolavar ''Mulavar'' () or ''Mula-murti'' is a Sanskrit-Tamil term referring to the main deity, or a murti (cult image) in a Hindu temple. Location The central deity, ''mulavar'', is located near the centre of temples, than the images that surround them, ...

, is Murugan as a saintly child, portrayed in a granite carving. Naazhi Kinaru, a sacred well fed by a freshwater spring, is located south of the temple. Devotees undergo a ritual cleansing by bathing in water from the well after bathing in the ocean.

History

Dutch occupation of the Tiruchendur Temple

The Murugan temple at Tiruchendur was occupied by the

Dutch East India company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

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 sculpture depicting the 2 utsava murthis (this representation of the deities comes out only during Maasi and Aavani tirunal) which is made of an alloy named Shanmukhar, and took it with them. During their sea voyage, they encountered a strong storm and realised their mistake of stealing the murti. They dropped it in the middle of the sea and saw the storm stop immediately. Later, Senthil Aandavan appeared in a dream to Vadamaliyappa Pillai, an ardent devotee of Murugan, and revealed the place in the sea where the idol had been abandoned. Vadamlaiyappa Pillai in the Tiruchendur temple, went to the spot in a fishing boat and retrieved the murti in 1653. The story is shown in paintings inside the temple.

Administration

The temple is maintained and administered by the

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature ...

of the

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...

.Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959
/ref>

References

External links

Official --- Website
{{Vaippu sthalam Hindu temples in Thoothukudi district Thoothukudi Murugan temples in Tamil Nadu Kaumaram