Adikesava Perumal Temple, Kanyakumari
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The Adikesava Perumal Temple is a
Perumal temple Perumal (the 'Great One') is the name of a Perumal (deity), Hindu deity. It was also generally used as a synonym for the king or ruler in south India during medieval period. Some rulers explicitly referred to as "Perumal" in inscriptions include ...
located in
Thiruvattar Thiruvattar is a panchayat town in Kanyakumari district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. About the town This town is situated northeast of Marthandam and northwest of Nagercoil. The two main rivers, the Pahr ...
, Kanyakumari district,
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. 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 Indi ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and is one of the 108
Divya desams Divya Desam (, ) or Vaishnava Divya Desams are the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that are mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. By comparison, the Paadal Petra Sthalam are the 276 Shiva temples ...
, the holy sites of Hindu
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
in existing
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
hymns from the seventh and eighth centuries C.E. The temple is one of the historic thirteen Divya Desams of Malai Nadu. The temple is a picturesque setting surrounded on three sides by rivers namely, (River Kothai, River Pahrali and River
Thamirabarani The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi dis ...
) It was the Rajya Temple and Bharadevatha shrine of Erstwhile
Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
. After state reorganisation, the temple was handed over to Tamil Nadu H&RCE Dept. Since Vishnu resides here in a reclining position, and is surrounded by rivers, the temple is called as "The
Srirangam Srirangam is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first among ...
of Chera Kingdom". The temple was consecrated by
Parasurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...
and is admired by
Veda vyasa Vyasa (; , ) or Veda Vyasa (, ), also known as Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa (, ''Vedavyāsa''), is a ''rishi'' (sage) with a prominent role in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic Mahābhārata, w ...
in the sections which deal with temples in
Padma Purana The ''Padma Purana'' (, or ) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedic ...
. As per the stone inscriptions which dates back to 779 KE the temple is established in the
Treta yuga ''Treta Yuga'' (IAST: ''Tretā-yuga'') (Devanagari: त्रेतायुग), in Hinduism, is the second and second-best of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'' and followed by '' Dvapara ...
. The Adikesava temple is also where
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; ), born Vishvambhara Mishra () (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), was an Indian Hindus, Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bha ...
, founder of the
Gaudiya Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal (present-day Malda dist ...
Vaishnava movement, discovered the lost manuscript of the
Brahma Samhita The ''Brahma Samhita'' () is a Sanskrit '' Pancharatra'' text, composed of verses of prayer believed to have been spoken by Brahma glorifying Krishna. It is revered within Gaudiya Vaishnavism, whose 16th-century founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ( ...
.


Architecture and history

The temple architecture is a fusion of
Dravidian Dravidian, Dravidan, or Dravida may refer to: Language and culture *Dravidian languages, a family of languages spoken mainly in South India and northeastern Sri Lanka *Proto-Dravidian language, a model of the common ancestor of the Dravidian lang ...
and
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
styles of architecture, with wooden pillars, doors and roofs. The Temple is surrounded by a thirty-feet-high fort wall. The outer corridor stand on 224 stone pillars. The adjacent forward facing mandapams includes sculptures and art works which depicts events from
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
. It also portrays Gods and Goddesses from
Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...
including
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
,
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
and
Sri Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is w ...
etc. The Lord is lying on His snake couch and has to be viewed through three doors. We could see Lord Shiva near Lord Adikesava Perumal inside the sannidhi. Deepalakshmis are many but none resembles the other. The Otraikkal Mandapam (single stone hall), made of a single stone 3 feet thick, is a marvel. Oorthuva Thandavam, Venugopala, Rathi, Manmatha, Lakshmana and Indrajit are all excellently carved. The temple is also renowned for its murals. The composite columns of
Virabhadra Virabhadra (), also rendered Veerabhadra, Veerabathira, and Veerabathiran, is a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is created by the wrath of Shiva, when the deity hurls a lock of his matted hair upon the ground, upon hearing of the self- ...
, holding a sword and a horn, are found be additions by the Vijayanagara kings in the early 1500s. Similar columns of Virabhadra are found in
Meenakshi Temple Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the go ...
at
Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
,
Nellaiappar Temple The Nellaiappar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunelveli, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar (also called Venuvananathar) represented by the ''lingam'' and his ...
at
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (), also known as Nellai and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the fourth-largest munici ...
, Kasi Viswanathar temple at
Tenkasi Tenkasi () is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Tenkasi is the third largest city in tenkasi district after Kadayanallur and Sankarankovil. Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural ...
, Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple,
Ramanathaswamy Temple Ramanathaswamy Temple (''Rāmanātasvāmi Kōyil'') is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 275 Paadal ...
at
Rameswaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about from ...
, Soundararajaperumal temple at
Thadikombu Thadicombu is a panchayat town in Dindigul district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a famous temple for Lord Vishnu Soundarraja perumal temple considered to be as sacred as the Kallazhagar Temple near Madurai. Arulmighu Soundarraja ...
, Srivilliputhur Andal temple,
Srivaikuntanathan Perumal temple Srivaikuntanathan Perumal Temple (also called Srivaikuntam temple and Kallapiran temple) in Srivaikuntam, a town in Thoothukudi district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is located 22 km from Tir ...
at
Srivaikuntam Srivaikuntam, also referred to as Thiruvaikuntam, is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the river Thamirabarani. Thiruvaikuntam has a temple dedicated to Vishnu, known as S ...
, Avudayarkovil, Vaishnava Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar temple at Thirukkurungudi. The temple complex includes a
Ayyappan Ayyappan, also known as Dharmasastha and Manikandan, is the Hindu deity of truth and righteousness. According to Hindu theology, he is described as the son of Shiva and Mohini (the female avatar of Vishnu), thus representing a bridge between S ...
temple behind which stands the ''Ksetra bala Balikkal''. It also includes ''Sree Bali Prakaram'' and the ''Yanaikottil''. Other deities being located in the south-western corner, the flagmast is located at the west at the ''Sree Balippura''. As per the stone inscriptions in the pedestal of the flag mast it was renovated by Sree
Moolam Thirunal Sir Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI (1857–1924) was Maharajah of the princely state of Travancore between 1885 and 1924, succeeding his uncle Maharajah Visakham Thirunal (1880–1885). Moolam Thirunal is considered as the first in India ...
Rama Varma VI in 1071 KE. The granite entrance of the ''Chitra Sabha'' includes sculptures of the Dwara Palakas known as Jaya and Vijaya. Sculptures of Lakshmana and Pathanjali Tandava carved to the left of Sabha Mandapam while that of ''Indrajith'' and ''Muralidhara'' and ''Kalabairava'' are carved to the right. The image of the chief deity in his sayana posture is sculpted on the wooden entrance door.
Vatteluttu ''Vatteluttu'' (, ' and , ', ), also transliterated as ''Vattezhuthu'', was an alphasyllabic or syllabic writing system of south India (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and Sri Lanka formerly employed for writing the Tamil language, Tamil and Malayalam ...
inscriptions of
Shilpa Shastra ''Shilpa Shastras'' ( ') literally means the Science of Shilpa (arts and crafts).Stella Kramrisch (1958)Traditions of the Indian Craftsman The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 71, No. 281, Traditional India: Structure and Change (Jul. - Sep., ...
are found in adjacent walls. It also includes details about the 11th century Chola King
Rajendra Chola Rajendra I (26 July 971 – 1044), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, was a Chola Empire, Chola Emperor who reigned from 1014 to 1044. He was born in Thanjavur to Rajaraja I. His queen was Vanavan Mahadevi and he assumed royal power as ...
. Sculptures of
Rati Rati (, ) is the Hinduism, Hindu Devi, goddess of List of love and lust deities, love, carnal desire, lust, passion, and sexual pleasure. Usually described as the daughter of ''Prajapati'' Daksha, Rati is the female counterpart, the chief consor ...
and Manmadan is found opposite Udaya Marthanda Mandapam. The epic scenes ''Vinayaka Kalyanam'', '' Bharata War'' and deities
Varuna Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky ...
, ''Niriyati'',
Yama Yama (), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of ''Dharm ...
,
Kubera Kubera (, ) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (''Dikpala''), and a protector of the ...
,
Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes Indra is the m ...
,
Agni Agni ( ) is the Deva (Hinduism), Hindu god of fire. As the Guardians of the directions#Aṣṭa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Eight Directions"), guardian deity of the southeast direction, he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. ...
,
Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
and ''Monks in penance'' are sculpted in a row above the Mandapam. A variety of mural painting are found along the walls of the inner prakarams. A secret passage leading to the Palace is found beneath the west of the inner prakarams which is covered with a large stone slab. Going by extant legends, the temple is closely associated with the famous Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple deity lies in the direction as to see the Thiruvattar Adi kesava deity. The main deity was originally covered with gold kavachams in which diamonds and other precious stones were embedded which the Kerala kings had presented to the temple. There is also a small shrine for Lord Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy near the river and opposite to the Adikesava Perumal Temple.
Alvar An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prairie ...
saint
Nammalvar Nammalvar was one of the twelve Alvars, Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, Naalayira Divya Prab ...
had sung 11 pasurams in praise of ''Adi Kesava Swamy'' in the 6th ''Thiruvai mozhi''. There are Three temples related to Adikesava Perumal Temple.


Treasures and connections

The entire present day Kanyakumari District formed part of erstwhile
Travancore Kingdom The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananth ...
. Up to Marthanda Varma, all kings ruled the erstwhile Venad Kingdom (which was expanded by Marthanda Varma to form Thiruvithaamkoor) from Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari District. It was Dharma Raja, the nephew and successor of Marthanda Varma, who shifted the capital to Thiruvananthapuram. Padmanabhapuram Palace, the erstwhile royal abode of Travancore Kings, is still preserved in all its glory and is situated at
Padmanabhapuram Padmanabhapuram () is a town and a municipality near Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 21,342. Padmanabhapuram was the capital of Travancore state in the past. In 17 ...
in
Kalkulam Kalkulam is a small village located in Kalkulam taluk, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. The taluk was among several in Thiruvananthapuram district that, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, were transferred from ...
Taluk of Kanyakumari District. Marthanda Varma was a staunch devotee of Lord Adikesava and used to worship at the temple before all the major war campaigns undertaken by him. The presiding Deities of
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
and
Thiruvattar Thiruvattar is a panchayat town in Kanyakumari district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. About the town This town is situated northeast of Marthandam and northwest of Nagercoil. The two main rivers, the Pahr ...
had a deep connection which reflects in the quantitative measurement of commodities utilised etc. The Perumals of Thiruvattar and Thiruvananthapuram remain closely bound to each other with this closeness being mirrored not only in festivals which coincide, special days, and many rituals, but also in their structural patterns, including the Ottakkal Mandapam. In both cases the Moola Vigrahas are of ''Katu-Sarkara'' and are containing Salagramas. The strong affiliation of the Venad kings to both Thiruvattar and Thiruvananthapuram temples in their privileges and responsibilities provide ample evidence of enduring interconnections.


Legend

The Lord AdiKesavaSwamy means 'Foremost Friend'. Legend says that Lord AdiKesavaSwamy defeated the demon Kesi. The demon's wife prayed to the River
Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
and to River
Thamirabarani The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi dis ...
and created a destruction. But it was in vain and she surrendered to the Lord. Thus, the formation of the rivers made in a circle came to be known as Thiruvattaru. On 10 June 1741, Anizham Tirunal
Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ; 1706 – 7 July 1758) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") ...
, the then ruler of Travancore, before going for the
Battle of Colachel The Battle of Colachel (or The Battle of Kolachel) was fought on between the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company. During the Travancore-Dutch War, King Marthanda Varma's (1729–1758) forces defeated the Dutch East ...
offered 908
panam Panam may refer to: * ''Panam'' (film), a 1952 Indian Tamil-language film * Panam (money), a type of currency issued in South India *Pan Am, a former American airline *Panam (brand), a Mexican footwear company * ''Pan Am'' (TV series), a 2011 tel ...
s,
yataghan The yatagan, yataghan, or ataghan (from Turkish ''yatağan''), also called varsak, is a type of Ottoman knife or short sabre used from the mid-16th to late 19th century. The yatagan was extensively used in Ottoman Turkey and in areas under imme ...
, and silk on the feet of Lord Adikesava and prayed for victory.


Festivals and prasadhams

Vaikunta Ekadesi is celebrated with pomp and glory. Paal Payasam (Milk Kheer), Aval and Appam are delicious prasadams at this temple. The pujas are done in the same manner as that of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple,
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
.


References

* Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi (1995), ''Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple'', Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulapati Munshi Marg, Mumbai. * K.V. Ramachandran Nair (2011), ''Thiruvattar Adikesava Perumal Kshethra Mahathmiyam'', Published by Author, Thiruvattar.


Citations


External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20080117091347/http://www.sriadikesava.org/ *http://www.srivari.com/malayalatirupathigal/thiruvattaru.htm {{Famous Vishnu temples Divya Desams Hindu temples in Kanyakumari district