Vaikunda Chella Pathi is one among the oldest
Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal ( ta, நிழல் தாங்கல்) ( ml, നിഴൽ താങ്കൽ) also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size than Pathis, built per the instructions of Akilatti ...
s in the Western
Kanyakumari district
Kanniyakumari district is one of the 38 districts in Tamil Nadu state and the southernmost district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Na ...
. It was located 6 km North-east of
Marthandam
Marthandam is a major trade centre in Kuzhithurai municipality across National Highway (NH 47) in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Formerly known as Thoduvetty (another name for the Marthandam market region), it was a portion o ...
midway between Marthandam and
Kulasekaram at
Thiruvattar
Thiruvattar is a panchayat town in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
About the town
This town is situated north-east of Marthandam and north-west of Nagercoil. The two main rivers Pahrali River and Kothai surround the ...
. It is also the only Nizhal Thangal in the district to conduct three
Thiru Eadu Vasippu
Thiru Eadu Vasippu is the festival celebrated in the worship centers of Ayyavazhi. It is celebrated for three, five, seven, ten or seventeen days annually. During these days the holy scripture of Ayyavazhi, the Akilathirattu Ammanai
Akilat ...
festivals annually.
Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal ( ta, நிழல் தாங்கல்) ( ml, നിഴൽ താങ്കൽ) also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size than Pathis, built per the instructions of Akilatti ...
at Attoor is located nearby.
Legend
The land where the Thangal stood today was owned by ''Sankaran Thamby'',
Changumugam,
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
until the 1940s. The legend goes that ''Chellan Samiyar'', was a
palmyra
Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early secon ...
climber. He being a staunch devotee of lord
vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
, had set a pedestal at his hut and used it to offer his daily prayers. He was said to be instructed by
Lord Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
in his dream to construct a
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. Samiyar, who was then a teenager, was unable to realise his dream as he had no land of his own. Disappointed by this, he appealed to Lord Narayanathat how he could construct a temple without any land. He was said to receive command to make all the arrangements and that the land would be made available when it was time.
Meanwhile, Sankaran Thamby received a dream the following day in which a Pandaram (
mendicant) ordered Thamby to offer land for a Temple to Chellan Samiyar, whom he did not know. Though Thamby ignored the dream initially, after he and his mother received repeated dreams in the following days, he came to
Thiruvattar
Thiruvattar is a panchayat town in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
About the town
This town is situated north-east of Marthandam and north-west of Nagercoil. The two main rivers Pahrali River and Kothai surround the ...
to find the person to whom he was to donate the land. He found Samiyar and the land was donated in 1944. The current Temple was constructed in 1959 C.E. and inaugurated by
Pattathu Ayya ''Krishnanama Mony''.
Festivals
The
Thiru Eadu Vasippu
Thiru Eadu Vasippu is the festival celebrated in the worship centers of Ayyavazhi. It is celebrated for three, five, seven, ten or seventeen days annually. During these days the holy scripture of Ayyavazhi, the Akilathirattu Ammanai
Akilat ...
is conducted during the
Tamil Months of Vaikasi, Avani and Margazhi. The Vaikasi festival lasts 10 days while the Avani and Margazhi festivals last 3 days each.
See also
*
Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal ( ta, நிழல் தாங்கல்) ( ml, നിഴൽ താങ്കൽ) also called Inai Thangals) are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size than Pathis, built per the instructions of Akilatti ...
*
Worship centers of Ayyavazhi
The ''Pathis'' and '' Nizhal Thangals'', are centers of worship and religious learning for the followers of Ayyavazhi which are established in different parts of India. They served as centres for propagation of the beliefs and practices of Ayyava ...
*
List of Ayyavazhi-related articles
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
* Nellai Malai Murasu Ayya Vaikundar Avathara Mahimai (2007), ''Nellai Malai Murasu'', Special Edition.
{{District of Kanyakumari
Ayyavazhi
Kanyakumari
Worship centers of Ayyavazhi
Nizhal Thangals