tiruchendur Sri Subramanya Temple

Śrī Subrahmanya Swāmi Devasthānam, Tiruchendur

Śrī Subrahmanya Swāmi, Tiruchendur

The seashore temple of Subrahmanyam at Tiruchendur is one of the delightful spots sanctified and venerated by every Hindu. As one of the first spiritual centres for the salvation of man, His shrine has been an attraction for Hindus for ages. This sacred house of God is in the extreme southwest of the Indian peninsula. The rising sun bows in adoration of it each morning as he rises from the rippling expanse of the ocean, and spreads light and life over every living object. Bordered by the sea on the East and the North, the temple walls on these sides are washed by the foaming waves of the Gulf of Mannar. The date of the temple is hidden in the Puranic past. The nucleus of the structure however has been here for more than 2,000 years as the Tamil Classics inform us. Lord Muruga's association with Tiruchendur is highly significant. It is described in extenso in His epic, the Skanda Puranam. The young Muruga as the Devasenāpati vanquishes evil in the form of Surapatuma. The Tamils have ever since been celebrating the event as an annual festival during Skanda Sashti. Tiruchentil means as it does, the House of Victory. It borders the sea and has all the natural charm of a hero's fortress. It is verily a haven of Peace and Bliss. The Tamils in this part of the peninsula have such an attraction for the place and its presiding Lord Arumuga Nayinar. An attempt is here made to give His bhaktas all over a close account of His shrine at Tiruchendur; and with this additional desire of impressing that the Temple is one worthy of a pilgrimage in this life. The divine inspiration and His grace that the bhakta is sure to secure will more than recompense his labours.

Tiruchendur Map

 

 

Tiruchendur's Annual Festivals

Twice a year, once in Māsi and once in Aavani, the temple brahmotsavams are held and they go on for 12 days. These two principal annual festivals of the year are undoubtedly the best attractions for thousands of worshippers from near and afar.

Hundreds of devotees offer angapradakshina to Lord Senthil Andavar during festival times.

Avani Festival

Of these, the Brahmotsavam of Masi during February-March each year wherein all the three temple cars are dragged and the festival is conducted for twelve days concluding with a Teppam or Float festival is much esteemed. On the seventh and eighth days of the festivals, Lord Shanmukha is housed in the Shanmukha Vilāsa mandapam before and after the processions. The Ratha Festival is conducted on the 10th day and the Teppam (float) Festival on the following day.

Avani Festival (August - September)

Devotees numbering about two lakh participate in Avani festival. On this Avani festival 7th, 8th and 10th day functions are more important.

• 7th Sikappu Sathi Festival
• 8th Pachai Sathi Festival
• 10th Car Festival (Big cars will not be available)

The Avani festival of twelve days in August-September comes second in importance, when only two of the temple cars are drawn and also concludes with the Theppam. The 7th and the 8th days of both the festivals are the most attractive, when Shanmukha is brought outside his sanctum in the temple to grace the several Mandagapadis in and around the town. It is particularly an occasion for jubilation, as one and all and especially those who could not till recently enter the temple precincts can have his darsan which is so dear to the heart of his bhaktas. The Pachchai Sattuppadi or the floral decoration of the deity in all green on the eighty morning is especially one which none would wish to miss in the two festivals. The temple cars are drawn on the tenth day of each festival, and the Theppam float on the 11th day concluding the festivals. They are huge attractions to all the country folk around, who come in large numbers and participate in dragging, and bringing them to their stands.

Masi Festival - 12 days (February - March)

Masi Festival begins at the Tiruvizhā Mandapam.

More than three lakh people participate in Masi festival at Tiruchendur.

• 7th day Sikappu Sathi
• 8th day Pachai Sathi
• 10th day Car festival - (yearly twice) - Big cars will be available
• 11th day Floating festival (yearly once)

The Masi and Avani festivals are noteworthy also for the reason that during most of the days, popular discourses on religion are arranged to be given by scholars of merit and also musical performances, in furtherance of the cultural advancement of the congregation, propagation of religious knowledge, and the resuscitation of arts.

Vasanta Festival - 10 days (April - May)

The Vasanta festival is an annual festival of ten days in the month of Chittirai (April-May). Senthil-Nayagar, the utsavar processional deity of Subrahmanyam with his consorts Valli and Teyvayānai, are taken from their sanctum in the temple to the Vasanta Mantapa on the giri-prakāra which is suitably decorated with festoons for the occasion and made specially cool with waters filled in the trough which runs around the pedestal on which the deities are placed. It is an enjoyable and pleasant festival, wherein only the blessed who gather there have communion with the deity without much of a crowd.

Vaikasi Visakam

Kanda Sashti

Vaikasi Visagam (May - June)

A large number of devotees, numbering about two lakhs, participate in the festival. A procession of Śrī Jayanthinathar with Valli and Deivanai is conducted in the night.

Skanda Sasti Festival - 7 days (October - November)

Devotees numbering about five lakhs will participate in Kanda Sasti festival at Tiruchendur. On this festival occasion, devotees fast for all six days. On the sixth day Surasamharam is enacted before a gigantic crowd of devotees on the very beach where Lord Murugan fought Sura Padman. On the seventh day His Tirukkalyanam (wedding) to Teyvayanai is celebrated in a grand manner.

Vows and Offerings

Devotees who take a vow place their offerings during festivals and other days. They austerely fast and carry kavadi, palkudam, offer abishegam etc. to the Lord. The Golden Chariot procession, Chandana Lebanam, Dharabhishegam, and Dharahomam are performed by devotees in fulfillment of their vows. Devotees who perform such austerities get relieved of their mental worries; the unmarried get married; and the childless beget children by the grace of Arulmigu Subrahmanya Swami.

 

Skanda Sashti Festival

Skanda Sashti, the sixth day in the bright half of the month of Aippasi, is celebrated in Saivite temples all over Tamilnadu, and with an extra measure of grandeur in temples dedicated to Subrahmanya. Skanda Sashti commemorates the destruction of evil by the Supreme General Kartikeya, son of Shiva, and is celebrated with the dramatic enactment of Soora Samhāram.
Mention must be made of the grand celebrations at Tirupparankunram, Tiruchendur, two of the six 'Padai Veedu' temples of Murugan. At Sikkal, the festival image of Subramanya receives a spear, from the Ambal shrine, and breaks out in sweat, a day before the climax of the festival. In this article Vijay Raghavan explores the background of this festival.
Skanda: Skanda is an ancient deity mentioned in stone inscriptions and shown on coins (1st cent. to 5th cent CE). The story of Skanda is found among others in the Mahabharatha, Śiva Purana and is retold in Kalidasa's Kumara Sambhavam. Chandogya Upanishad identifies Skanda as Sanat Kumara. In Tamil, Arunagiri's Thiruppugazh, Nakkeerar's Thiru Murugātrupadai, and scores of other literatures praise the glory of Muruga in devotional poetry.
The Story of Skanda Shasti is the story of the birth of Skanda or Kumara and the fulfillment of the purpose of His divine incarnation. "Tormented by the asura (demon/anti God) Tarakasura, the devas with Indra at their head went to the world of the self born the creator" (Kumara Sambhava 2.1)
Lord Brahma the Creator said " only the spark of Shiva can produce the hero who will defeat the powers of the evil" Unfortunately, Shiva The king of yogis was lost in a deep state of meditation and samadhi. None of the Devas dared to disturb him... least of all convince him to create a progeny.
Upon Brahma's suggestion, they sought the help of Parvathi and Kama (the god of love). Parvathi agreed to help and engaged herself in severe penance to attract Shiva's attention. Kama also agreed to help and engaged himself in the

Surasamhāra

suicidal mission of arousing Shiva from His state of Samadhi. Kama shot his arrows of love at Shiva who was eventually disturbed and the fire of anger from his third eye burnt Kama into ashes.
The penance of Parvathi and the sacrifice of Kama paid off. Shiva was aroused from his Samadhi. However, none could bear the sparks of His fiery seed. It fell into the mouth of Agni, and afterwards received by Ganges, who in turn threw it into Sara Vana (forest of arrow like grass). Thus Saravanabava was born. He was also Skanda - Shiva's power of chastity preserved through penance.
Skanda was raised by the six mothers of the divine constellation of Krithikai (pleiades) . Karthikeya divided himself into six babies to be nursed by six mothers. When Parvathi came and gathered all the six babies, He became Shanmukha - the one with the six faces and one body.
Shanmukha became Kumara - the powerful virile adolescent who was also the beautiful and the handsome (Muruga) . He was made the General (Deva Senapathi) of the God's army. "....Of the army generals I am Skanda."..(The Gita). Skanda received from his mother Parasakthi an all powerful Vel (lance). Hence He is also Sakthi Velan. He engaged the armies of Simhamukha, Surapadman and Tarakasura on a six day battle and vanquished all of them on the sixth day. The Asuras were annihilated and the Devas were liberated. The sixth day (Sashti) of the waxing moon (sukhla) in the month of Ashada (Oct/Nov) is celebrated as Skanda Sashti.

Indra was restored to his kingdom and gave his daughter Deivayanai or Devasena in marriage to Skanda. In order not to discriminate between the rich and the poor, Muruga also married Valli the gypsy damsel.

Skanda Sashti Celebrations

Corresponding to the six days of the war over the evil forces, devotees undertake fasts, prayers and devotional singing to Lord Muruga. Most of the devotees stay in the temples during these six days. In Tiruchendur and Tiruparankundram events leading to the conquest of the Asuras are dramatized and enacted. Offering of Kavadi on Skanda Sashti is a form of popular worship.
According to Swami Śivananda " the Lord spent His childhood in Tiruchendur and took Mahasamadhi at Kathirgamam. If anyone goes to Kathirgamam (Sri Lanka) with faith, devotion and piety, and stays in the temple for two or three days , the Lord Himself grants His vision to the devotee."