Compliance Engineering Journal ISSN NO: 0898-3577

KALUGASALAMOORTHY TEMPLE IN - A STUDY

M. SANTHANAMARI M.Phil. History, MANONMANIAM SUNDARANAR UNIVERSITY, TIRUNEVLVELI. [email protected]

ABSTRACT: The main deity at this temple is murugan.The main deity hall and entrance hall is excavated inside the foot hills at kalugumalai in the southwestern corner at the hill and with external scruptures.The core temple has a rock cut architecture exemplery of early pandyan art.The 8 th century kalugumalai jain beds and vatturan kovil and unfnished temple . Keywords – Temple History, poojas, festivals, Strucure, Statues.

Introduction Kalugumalai is a panchayat town in Taluk of district in the state of . Kalugumalai is 21km from kovilpatti and 22 km from respectively. The ideal Kalugasalamoorthy is a rock cut temple. The ideal kalugasalamoorthy is worshiped as God in vettuvankovil temple in kalugumalai.It is a rockcut monolithic temple. Jain beds can be seen vettuvankovil in kalugumalai temple. It has an average elevation at 105 meters.It is strategically located between kovilpatti and sankarankovil and sankarankovil and served as ancient trade route from kovilpatti to courtallam and senkottai. There are two divisions and they are south kalugumalai and kottai kalugumalai. Kalugumalai, a heritage hillock site, which desicts monolithic rock architecture of universal value will get face life in the coming day. Effort are to develop the century -old which has a unique tourism potential. These inscriptions also show that inscriptions also show that Jainism was a living religion and kalugumalai was then jain centre in the medieval period. Moreover from the study of the Inscriptions of donations offered, the chieftains and the pandyasThe administrative divisions of pandyas and cholas are mentioned.

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2020 Page No: 291 Compliance Engineering Journal ISSN NO: 0898-3577

History

The people who born, live and death from or because of or for the God, and always who think of the divine spirit, the Lord gives them the heavenly paradise. The Lord Muruga facing towards the west in the sanctum inside the hill is called as Sivasorubam and and the hill which is facing towards the east is called as Sakthisorubam, said in the sacred books.

Kachchiyappa Sivachchaariyar who is the author of Kantha purana points out in the Kantha purana that Kumaran, who dugged the cave, seated in three sites facing towards the west and among that Lord Muruga royally seated in Kalugumalai. Sambathi, brother of Jadayu, felt bad that he could not do proper funeral for his brother which was told by Hanuman that Ravanan killed Jadayu and Raman did some funeral processions to him and on his way while he met Raman he asked Raman a way and he told Sambathi that he should look at the Lord Muruga who is seated on the peacock in Kajamuga mountain and after taking bath in aambal river he should worship the lord Muruga and by doing this he will be free from his sins and will reach the heaven. As per the command of Raman, Sambathi obeyed, took bath in the aambal river and worshipped Kalugasalamorthy and he was freed from his sins, said in the myth history. In the sense of pointing out this note, one can see the shapes of Ramar and Hanuman are carved in the pillars of this temple. This holy place is called as Kalugumalai Thenpazhani Kalugasalam Uvanagiri Kajamuga parvatham Sambathiseththiram and also this place is highlighted in puranas as Thenpazhani. It is said that this place is called as Thenpazhani because as like in Pazhani Murugan shrine is facing towards the west.

Culture

Culture in kovilpatti is rich and many sided reflecting the true spirit of the people among the various cultural activities. Fastivals played a colourful role reveals the religious culturaland social traits of the people. The festivals celebrated in kovilpatti reflected the pomp and hand glory at the social custom and practicals at the people on the other. During the month of

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2020 Page No: 292 Compliance Engineering Journal ISSN NO: 0898-3577

margazhi, people in kalugumalai sing bhajanai before sunrise and put rangoli outsidetheir house every day hot curd rice is served early in the morning after the bhajanai.

During the month of January Tamil month, thai chariot festival is celebrated generally. In the festival approximately 430 people will come to gather to put the Chariot. During the month of margazhi, people in kalugumalai sing bhajan before sun rise and put rangoli outside their houes everry day hot curd rice is served eariy in the morning after the bhajans in the temples. During the morning after the bhajana in the temples. In that occation swamy lord siva, kulasekaranather and parvathi dharmasavaththiri and lord ganesh and murugan will come separate wooden Chariot Respectively.

Poojas and Festivals

Every day five times pooja is held. Once the gate is open at morning 5’0clock 5 poojas, Vila pooja at morning 8.30 pinnacle pooja at 12.15 saayaraatachai pooja at evening 6’0clock and arthasama pooja at night 8.30 following this palliayarai pooja are held.

Pramodsava festivals like and panguni uthiram are taking place. On the holy day of thaipusam like car festival, in the pooja star a small chariot will go on and at the festival of panguni uthiram in the poora star, a diamond chariot will go on throughout the area. Ten days will be celebrated on Kantha sashti festival in which on the sixth day will be the soorasamharam and on the 9 th day will be the marriage of Deivaanai. It will be like the spring festival during the period of vaikaasi and 10 will be celebrated.

In this holy temple many holy services had been done and at 23.01.1994 a reform has been done. On panguni uthiram wooden wheel has been replaced by iron wheel in the diamond chariot at 1996 and the car festival has been held.

Structure of Temple and Statue

The Murugan temple in Kalugumalai is the cave temple. It is said that the temple is built on 8 th century AD. The shrines of Aimpulingeswarar Akilandeswari is built on 11 th century AD. It is said that it is built in the imitation of Thiruvaanaiaaval temple in Trichy and also it serves as

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2020 Page No: 293 Compliance Engineering Journal ISSN NO: 0898-3577

Chola Pandya’s temple. The inscriptions related to the temple are in the south wall of Aimpulingeshwarar shrine.

A large sized cave is seen in the southern side of Kalugumalai. This is the biggest cave among all the caves in Kalugumala as it is 10 feet high from the ground level. The researchers say that this is the cave which is turned later and has become Murugan temple. The interior of the cave which was natural was carved there and has been tuned. Its rock is cut evenly and a temple should have been built there. Lord Muruga’s sanctum must be the finely carved cave. It has fbeen said by the people that in the beginning it served as the Samana and only after the 12 th century AD onwards it could have been changed to Murugan’s temple. Till 8 th and 9 th century AD the Samana religion has been stuck with influence. Maybe after the fall of Samana religion, Murugan’s temple would have built here.

It is said that only at the 12 th century AD a separate building has been created for Lord Shiva and also only after that Kalugasalamoorthy’s temple would have been built. It has to be noted that they claim the Sculptural forms of architectural structures of Kalugasalamoorthy’s temple is after the 13 th century AD. The temple which has covered the small area in the beginning only because of the kings the hall and the pond is built.

This place is seen as the place where various religious witnesses including Arunagiri Nathar sannathi. In the 300feet high hill 16feet hall is built in front and a hall is built inside and also 7to 7 square feet sanctum is built in the temple. Lord Murugan’s statue which is in the sanctum of the temple has an amazing layout. The structure is incarnated in one rock at the height of 4feet. One face and six hands along with Peacock Lord Muruga rarely shows up. Valli and Deivanai are seen on the right and the left side. The shield and the vachchiram is seen in the left hands which are at the back. The Sathi weapon and the knife is seen in the right hands which are at the back. A danger seal is in the front right hand and a boon seal is seen in the back left hand. Murugan’s left leg is on the skin of Peacock and the right leg is hanging to the detriment of the devotees is amazing. It is more devotional. It is said that at first only Lord Muruga is consecrated first and then only Valli and Deivaanai are consecrated. It seems that the sanctum is built in the height of the west side and Murugan’s blessing is seen if one is at the upper threshold of the temple. It is built like Murugan is blessing Agathiyar who is in Pothigai hills.

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2020 Page No: 294 Compliance Engineering Journal ISSN NO: 0898-3577

The Peacock which is not seen on the right side but at the left side is another speciality of this temple. Like the Murugan temple here leaf vibhuthi offering is given. Murugan is seen in the royal decoration. The statue of the artisanal dwarfs is located here on the either side of the great hall. Vaali Sukkrivan’s war scene is carved in a single rock is its greatness. The sculptures of , Gopala is also seen there. The shrine of Vinayaga is set in the southern doorway like Vinayagar is worshipping Aimpulingeshwarar and Akilandeshwari.

This temple is set in the Dravidian style of architecture. This temple is also seen as one of the finest shrines of the ancient Pandyas. The artistic pillars erected in the temple attract the eyes. A girl knitted her hair is standing with the basket, Shivalingam with thiruvaachi, the latest gangster, Sakthi worshipping Shivalinga, Kannan with his flute including various sculptures is the best looking for eyes.

The tunnel has a simple layout. The façade is covered with copper and silver sheets. The arrangement is amazing as the way to exhaust the forest water is set in the mother rock itself. The face mandapam and the meaning mandapam is aesthetically set. The gate guards known as the dwarf guards are adorned with sculptures.

Conclusion

They are not quarrelled with them they are understanding the people. They main occupation is agriculture crop like banana,chillies ,flowers cultivated in this village economically they are developed.They are given move belief on the region people are workshipped small duties religious festivals. Pooja is conducted daily in temples.poojas are related to the mind of the people school is constructed for educational purposes. However are also available for the people panchayat make more welfare activities for the development of the people kalugumalai inscription are of great historic value.

References

1. Virupa Kumaresan, “Palnokku parvayil Muruga Thathuvam II”, Proceeding of the International conference on Murugabhakthi. (2014). 2. “Sthala varalaru”, Hindu Religions and Endowment Board, Government of Tamilnadu, (2015).

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2020 Page No: 295 Compliance Engineering Journal ISSN NO: 0898-3577

3. Good and Anthony, “The car and the palanquin. The Rival Accounts of the 1895 riots in kalugumalai, south ”, Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge university press, (1999). 4. Ganapathi, “Kaalamthoram Kayathar, “Sangathamil Publishers, Kalugumalai, (2009). 5. “Sri Kazhugachalamurthi Temple”, Dinamalar, (2011). 6. “Kazhugumalai deserves universal recognition”,The Hindu, Tuticorin, (2012).

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2020 Page No: 296