A quick trip to Madurai

A short trip to PandiyaDesam

Everyday of this year has been eventful! We have spent every day in the company of one Perumal or other.

We came to Madurai by train Intercity express which was clean, on time and fast. We checked in at  M.R . International on Danappa Mudali Street, the hotel is right opposite to where I’ve spent many a good time. My grandparents house and I have very fond memories of it. We walked to Meenakshi temple from here ,a mere 5 minutes walk, accompanied by one pf my childhood family friend, who was sweet enough to await us in the hotel itself.

What strikes one in Meenakshi temple is the cleanliness . It is very well maintained   ,cleaning takes place continuously ,the street that runs just outside the temple is paved  nicely and few battery cars operate. As we go inside we are struck by the sparkling cleanliness inside the koil too. The temple staff roam around with tags around their necks, politely guiding the pilgrims, setting the queue alright,  seeing to it that the queue moves fast. Inside a high rise platform sloping down towards the sanctum sanctorium , has been made so that pilgrims who go in can have a view of Meenakshi from the distance of about 100yds. The beautiful sculptures are very well maintained ,well protected from oily hands, by steel fences around them. Meenakshi temple handles the simillar unruly crowd that Srirangam does but the temple staff regulate ,guide properly. In Srirangam there is no way one can get proper information on any system. There is no help desk, no guidance for devotees, no discipline either inside or outside.

The kalI sculptures look awesome , the meenakshi sundareswarar thirukalyana sculpture is beautiful, and the best thing was the attitude of the temple authorities, they take pride in their treasure and protect it well. My childhood memories of the koilkadai, the unique fragrance of the temple vadakkuvasal are fresh in my memory and I re-lived all those precious moments spent with my mamas, chithis and other relatives.

We left for Alagar koil at 3pm reached at 4pm and joined a queue. Here all the pillars have sharp carvings and were shining as if they were wet, but no they were not wet nor did they have any oil on them, the quality of these stones shine through. Even here continuous cleaning takes place. Sunderaja perumal looks well fed but to me he looks stern, with a prayoga chakram. The consorts on either side stand tall, bejeweled in 9 yds saree, the utsavar is Sundaraja perumal also with ubaya nachimars. A Thanikoil Nachiyar is in kalyana kolam always—sundaravalli thayar.

To Narasingapuram in 30 minutes, the drivers seem to know the beaten track. In the background is yanaimalai, so named because the rocky mountain resembles  a little like a yanai sleeping. This koil is very clean too, yoga narasimhar, is carved out in the rocky hill side. HE has two white lion teeth and looks a little frightening, and angry still. The utsavar is a standing narasimhar with a lion face. Unique as normally Narasimhar utsavar has human face in other places. The thayar is very beautiful, graceful , sitting and looked very reposed. She is narasimhavalli.

We enquire about Jothishkudi and an archakar escorts us there. It is also called kudikulam. We drive along the yanai malai and go around it behind the Tail part to the back side which looks quite forlorn. The sannidhi of Veda Narayana perumal is quite difficult to reach under normal circumstance  as the Archakar told us he goes there only in the mornings to do puja one time , he said there were many Serpents that  come to the Garbhagriha in the evening time. No proper roads, no signposts  but with the help of the archakar we coud reach it. The sannidhi is about 12feet by 12 feet and a Adhi Brahma with one head ( as he has lost the 4 vedas) , sits in prayerful pose with clasped hands. We go around the sannidhi to another different one reached by few steps, Pillai Loka chariyar, who is said to have protected Namperumal with his life when the Muslims invaded ,some gentle men have built a sannidhi for him but that’s about all, the archakar tells us there is almost no income and as such not even a cup of rice can be made for Pillailokachariar as there is no money. From here to a cave where he is said to have hid Namperumal, under a naturally formed stone canopy, there is a small thiruvadi here indicating that Namperumal must have been here.

Well , as the archakar says if one builds a sannidhi one must maintain it, it could well be a great tourist location ,with trekking and many fun activities. But as usual we don’t know how to showcase our tradition.

Next we go to Thirumogur where the Vazhithunai perumaal stands tall and thin, looks fit as HE has to escort all HIS devotees  on their last journey. He holds 5 ayudhams, vil, vaal, gathai, sangu and chakram. The thayar is petite small made and looks enticing ,Mohanavalli thayar , with huge silver elephants on either side of moolavar and golden elephants for utsava thayar. As perumal takes Mohini avatharam here she is mohanavalli thayar.

On 6^th Jan morning we reach Srivilliputhur , the magical birthplace  of Andal  , huge temple ,the gopuram is famous as it is the TamilNadu symbol. As we enter we see every other shop selling only Thirattupaal. Srivilliputhur palkoa is famous. We first go into Vatabathra sayee’s temple, the figures are beautiful, made of sudhai, coloured in natural vegetable colors, and Rangamannar looks very handsome ,the sannidhi for Periyalwar is big and has its own procedures. The Andal koil is very  clean, Andal and Rangamannar on the same peetam/bench, and Garudalwar also seated on par with them. The Moolavar again looks awesome and we leave  reluctantly. Rangamannar  looks very handsome and imposing ,no wonder then that this wonder baby girl fell for him and dreamt that “Kaithalam patra kana kanden”.

We drive to Thiruthangal, on the way to Sivakasi This is on the Sivakasi - Virudhunagar belt. We come upon the koil all of a sudden and are surprised to see such a beautifully maintained temple literally on the main road. The thayar stands on the groundfloor tall and graceful,  Arunakamalavalli nachiyar, and the Perumal with his entire family stands on  the Mezzanine floor. Ninra Narayanan -Thiruthangalappan, stands with some members of family. The family consists of Sree devi, Bhoodevi and Jambavathi, grandson Aniruddan and his wife Usha. Here again the moorthis are made of sudhai, and Perumal looks enticing in green and red…literally “pachai mamalai pol meni and pavala vai kamala sengann” ,  we feel like belonging to this here family and surrendering ourselves totally.

That was the short trip to pandiya desam.