View of Tamraparni river

The Tamraparni viewed from the padithurai

PREMA NANDAKUMAR Freelance Writer, Orator and Reviewer
d/o Prof. K R Srinivasa Iyengar
Originally published in "The Hindu" - Reproduced with author's permission


The Tamraparni civilisation is unique for it changed the spiritual map of India.  Nammalwar who was born at Tirukurukur on the banks of Tamraparni initiated the Bhakti Movement by inditing mellifluous hymns in the Tamil language. It was a bold act to storm the fortress of Vedic religion which had hitherto been ruled by the Sanskrit language, often referred to as a deva bhasha, the language of the gods.  Such a democratising instrument like the regional language led to an extraordinary flowering of the temple culture as a social integrator throughout South India.

Tirunelveli's innumerable villages today are witnesses to more than ten centuries of a great socio-religious activity.  The Tamraparni's flow has seen the rise of this Movement, smiled happily at its meredian glory and now flows by silently as most of the villages present a look of neglect, with the lovely temples crumbling away.  Fortunately, there is a new spirit abroad and the children of the villages who are scattered throughout the globe have been making a bold attempt to restore their ancestral temples.  One such is the temple of Brihanmadhava in Kodaganallur on Tamraparni.

Kodaganallur is justly famous for its scenic beauty that is an inspiration for those inclined to lead a spiritual life.  This is why the legendary Sankaracharya of Sringeri, His Holiness Abhinava Narasimha Bharati who visited the village in the first decade of the twentieth century called it the Dakshina Sringeri.  Under his auspices a Sankara Matam was established.  The village gets its name from the legend that the great snake Karkotaka (who had been saved by King Nala) received a vision of Narayana in this place.

The few available epigraphic details point out to the temple being established around eight hundred years ago when Srivaishnavism was sweeping the sub-continent.  A ruling Pandyan King might have presented the village as a deva daana, for the stone inscriptions speak of the village as Kulasekara Chathurveda Mangalam and of Lord Brihanmadhava as Kulasekara Vinnakara Emperuman and the temple as Kulasekhara Vinnakara Alwar.  It may be recalled that for a very long time the Maharaja of Thiruvananthapuram gave a grant for the annual Brahmothsavam. 

It is quite possibe that at some distant date in the past, Vedic scholars from the Godavari delta migrated towards the south and a few of them came to settle down on the banks of Kaveri, as they would have loved the grand river which reminded them of Godavari.  A further migration of a few might have brought them to the banks of the perennial Tamraparni with its crystalline flow and its association with Nammalwar. Till fifty years ago, one could come across old Telugu books in the cupboard of a local lawyer, R. Bangaruswami who would say that they belonged to his great-grand-father. Incidentally, the utsava vigraha of Brihanmadhava is Ranganatha that indicates  a direct connection between Srirangam and the village temple.

Originally the temple is said to have been at a location north-north-west of the present site.  Perhaps repeated floods or a change in the course of the river necessitated the relocation.  The village's origin associated with the snake Karkotaka lies buried in legends  just as the ancient Sarpa Sannidhi now remains  covered by thick bushes and ant-hills as the residence of snakes.  Milk is offered as worship to counteract the effects of sarpa-dosha.

The worship of the presiding deity Brihanmadhava is famous for remedy of
chevvai dosham.  Angaraka, also known as Kuja and Chevvai is the third in the order of the nine planets and is said to be the helper of the defenceless.  Reciting his mantra formed in Trushtubh metre is said to assure one of relief from all diseases.  As the temple is located at a place which is open to the southern breeze from the Podikai hills famed for its herbal riches,  the village definitely has all the good associated with a health resort.  The special prasada of Amrutha Kalasam prepared in the temple has been famous as a cure for poisoning and skin diseases.  The prasada globules  are made of green gram, jaggery, shredded coconut, maida, ghee, cardomum.

Entering the temple through the rather plain front gate, one steps close to the dhwajasthambha in the antarala. An emotive legend is associated with the dhwaja sthambha said to have been raised in 1883.  It is said that a Harijan called Kuttaiyan was commanded in his dream by Lord Brihanmadhava to gift him a flagstaff.  Kuttaiyan went all the way to Shencottah where he was able to procure a solid tree trunk.  As he was nearing the village with the tree in a cart being drawn by bullocks there was an accident close to disaster and the bullocks could not heave the cart anymore.  A hefty young man turned up and gave his hand to help the bullocks and Kuttaiyan and the cart began to move forward with ease.  Kuttaiyan turned to thank the stranger but there was none beside him.  It then became obvious to him that the Lord had come to him disguised as the stranger.  This legend shows how close the ties of all castes has been in the village, each following a time-honoured occupation and yet united in their devotion for Brihanmadhava.

Turning leftwards in this passage gives us the parikrama.  Throughout the left side of the parikrama one has niches for keeping vahanas and the temple kitchens.  At the back a huge door opens to reveal the steps from the elevated temple which lead down to the river Tamraparni.  It is an enchanting sight to look across the river and into the trees beyond with the Kozhundunaga Malai looming at a distance.

Within this open parikrama is the mukha mandapa where a sculpted Garuda has been installed within an enclosure. From here one can get into the transverse, rectangular, pillared ardha mandapa that has at its rear the garbha griha.  Brihanmadhava is seen in standing position facing east, with the conch and discus adorning his upper hands while the lower right is in abhaya mudra and the lower left holds a lotus.  Sridevi and Bhudevi are also present.  Among other images installed in the temple are Nammalwar, Tirumangai Alwar, Ramanuja and Santhana Gopalan. 

The utsava deity is Ranganatha.  The bronze images of Ranganatha, Sridevi and Bhudevi are of striking grace.  Immediately outside the garbhagriha is the niche where Vedanta Desika's image has been consecrated.  About seventy years ago, the image of Santhanagopalan was consecrated during the Samprokshanam of the temple.  Narayana Iyengar who had been an active trustee at that time was also instrumental in building a vasantha mantapam and Nandavanam for the temple.  The temple has large vahanas like Garuda. Adisesha, Horse and Swan.  The temple chariot has, however, been vandalised and the chariot shed looks forlorn.  The annual Vedanta Desika Utsava is held for ten days during October-November.  The Vaikhanasa mode of worship is followed in this temple.

As for the village as a whole,  Yogeswara Shiva is considered the Prabhu of the area.  There are two temples dedicated to Shiva in the east Street.  This has no doubt made the place a favourite for aspirants taking up yoga sadhana.  For instance, Kodakanallur Sundara Swamikal (1831-1878), author of Nijananda Vilasam, chose this village for his austerities and is said to have spent several years performing tapasya in the Nanal bushes (penreed grass) that abound on the banks of Tamraparni.  In his later years he became famous for lecturing on Suta Samhita and for renovating innumerable temples in South India.  Incidentally, he has been immortalised as Sundara Munivar in the Tamil classic, Manonmaniyam by Professor Sundaram Pillai.  Swami Shivananda also spent several years in his youth performing austerities in this village.  It is certainly interesting to note that this village that lies almost forgotten on the banks of Tamraparni was once famous for the musical genius, Subbiah Bhagavathar who had been trained by Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer.  He had also mastered the Gottuvadhyam and Mridangam instruments.  The account will not be complete without mentioning Vikatam Sankara Iyer and Rajapart Krishna Sastri who had attained dizzying heights of popularity on the stage.  Kodakanallur has also been a seed-bed for scholars.  In our own time the two brothers, R. Bangaruswami Iyengar and K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar who lived in the last century had attained an enviable mastery of English as well. And so the perennial  river Tamraparni continues to flow quietly leading the village into the 21st century.

It is an enchanting sight to look across the river and into the trees beyond with the Kozhundunaga Malai looming at a distance

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