#tiruchuli

As Bhagavan’s birth home, Tiruchuli is a pre-eminent pilgrimage site for devotees. However, while the birth of the Maharshi within its walls is perhaps the city’s crowning achievement, Tiruchuli nonetheless has a long and illustrious history, figuring prominently in the Puranas. While Sundaramurthi sang of its glory in his Tiruchulial Padikam (Thevaram) as did Manickavachakar in his Tirukovaiyar and while references appear in Periapuranam, the legend of Tiruchuli receives its fairest teatment in the Skanda Purana in a tract called the ‘Trisulapura Mahatmyam’.

The story of Tiruchuli begins with the Pralaya or universal flood in the immortal past at a spot where Lord Siva hurled his trisul (trident) into the earth to drain the floodwaters that threatened the land (hence chuli which means ‘eddy’). During a subsequent flood the Lord saved Tiruchuili by raising it up high on his trident (hence the name trisulapuri).

Though situated in a hot, arid region of the Tamil land, water is a central theme in the saga of this ‘city that grants liberation’. Flanked on its western boundary by a huge lake and on its eastern border by the sacred Goundinya River (Gundaru in Tamil), Tiruchuli’s environs and topography exhibit peculiar features. For instance, where the river passes Tiruchuli, it flows from north to south in the direction of its origin. And regarding the lake, Bhagavan remarks: “The bund of the lake is of clay and runs about three miles in all. The lake is, strangely enough, twenty feet over the level of the village. Even when it is in spate, the waters escape in other directions leaving the village unaffected.”

More  remarkable still is a phenomenon Bhagavan describes with respect to Trisula Tirtham, the sacred tank just opposite Bhagavan’s family home in Karthigai St. During the waxing fortnight just prior to full-moon in the month of Masi (mid-Feb to mid-March), at the time of the annual temple festival, the waters of the tank rise for ten days at the rate of one foot per day. Bhagavan says:

“The abhishekam festival of the deity is celebrated on that day, that is, on the 10th day of the Brahmotsavam [and] is brought to the mantapam [where] the abhishekam is performed with the water of Trisula Tirtham. After abhishekam, all bathe in the tank. In my boyhood days, [we] used to join together and mark the steps in order to see how much the water rose each day. It used to be amusing.The rising of the water would start ten days earlier and submerge one step per day. The tank would become full by the full-moon day.To us it was great fun.”

After full moon for ten days or so, the water gradually recedes to reach its previous level by new-moon day. It is commonly believed that the phenomenon occurs even during years when the monsoon fails. It is considered highly auspicious to bathe in the holy tank during this time of year and pilgrims come from near and far. The water of the tank has unusual qualities. Bhagavan again remembering his boyhood says of it: “When we bathed in the tank our silver bangles all turned black, and we had to scrub them well with mud before going back home, lest our parents should blame us for bathing in the tank. The water contains sulphur.”

It is said that the Goddess Ganges bathes in Trisula Tirtham, the spring is formed by Siva’s trident, each year on this same full-moon day in the month of Masi.

Known throughout history as Papahari or ‘destroyer of sins’, the waters of Trisula Tirtham and the River Goundinya revealed their healing properties when sufferers of all variety of physical or mental debility bathed in them and were cured. After an exhaustive search the Pandyan King, Parakrama Pandya, who was in the agony of deep mental unrest caused by numerous physical illnesses, came to Tiruchuli and was instantly cured. He then made Tiruchuli his capital and ruled his kingdom from there, attributing the miracle to Bhuminatheswara, River Goundinya and to the sacred waters of Trisula Tirtham.

Sage Gautama, who had a hermitage at Tiruvannamalai, suffered similar mental distress and travelled the entire breadth of Bharat in search of  relief, but to no avail. However, when he came to Tiruchuli, he found peace and immediately set about building a hermitage there where he could do penance in a gesture of thanksgiving.

(to be continued)

Thiruchuzhi Thirumeninathar * Who diverted the Deluge ~

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Tiruchuli — The birth place of a modern saint and a 7th century temple 

In the ancient township of Tiruchulli in a dry, dusty corner of South India, legend speaks of Lord Shiva saving the land from a deluge on three separate occasions. By planting his trident into the earth, Shiva created a hole for the water to flow into. Since Shiva swirled floods here, the place came to be known as Tiruchuli (Chuli Tamil means swirl). At the place where he planted his trident stands the large temple of Bhuminatheswara (Lord of the Earth), also called Thirumeninathar temple or Tiruchuli temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Just across the street from this old temple is the house — Sundara Mandiram — where young Venkataraman — who later came to be known to the world as Ramana Maharshi— was born in December 1879.

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Selvaganapathy S. said:

"Thiruchuzhiyal" - This had been it's original name at the beginning. In course of time, it had been colloquially spelled as 'Thiruchuzhi'.

Out of thousands of thousand Shiva temples, only there could have been 1008 temples to be notified as important. Even from that classification, there are 274 isthalas (temples) called as 'Padal petra isthalangal', which means those places had been sung by any one of the 'Samaya Kuravar Nalvar, namely Appar, Sundarar, Gnana Sambanthar and Manicka vasagar. Out of those 274 Padal petra isthalangals, there have been 14 situated in Pandyan Dynasty. Among the 14 isthalangals, Thiruchuzhiyal has been placed as the 10th isthala.

14 - Padal petra Isthalangal in Pandyan Dynasty ~ " Koodal punalvayil Kutralam Apanur Yedagam Nelveli Ramesham - Aadanai Thenparankundram Chuzhi(yal) Thenkanaper puthur Vankodunkundram Puvanam ".

It's been located within the reach of 14 Km to the east of Aruppukottai at Viruthunagar district and 50 Km away from the south of Madurai district and 31 Km from the railway station of Viruthunagar.

In it's isthala purana (temple history), this is said to have been witnessing the 'Sathur Yuga', that means the four mega division of Earth's life span.Those Yugas are 1. Gretha Yuga/ 2. Theretha Yuga/ 3. Thwapara Yuga/ 4. Kali Yuga. Now, we are living in Kali Yuga. In Gretha Yuga, goddess Boodevi had worshiped here. In Theretha Yuga, the holy play of 'Piralayam chuzhitha leelai' (divert Deluge). In Thwapara Yuga, Sage Gowthama and his wife both redeemed and had seen the wedding posture and the 'dance of Ecstacy' of lord Shiva with His consort. In kali Yuga, the poets belonged to the last Tamil sangam had worshiped here, in this isthala.

Manickavasagar, one of the 'Samaya kuravar Nalvars' had also worshiped this isthala, during third century. Likewise,Gnanasambanthar also had visited this isthala during 7th century, when he visited Madurai for having defeated the Jain saints in the contest of 'Punal vatham' (flood test), in which he proved the glory of 'Saivam' and made the king of Madurai 'Koon Pandiyan' (hump on his back) from the religion Samanam to 'Saivam', that is follower of lord Shiva.Then he accompanied with his fathar 'Sivapatha Iruthayar', Madurai king 'Nindra seer Nedumaran', queen 'Mangayarkarasi', minister 'Kulasiraiyar', 'Thiru Neelakanda Yaalpanar' and 16000 disciples, had worshiped in this temple.

After the arrival of Gnanasambanthar, Thirunavukkarasar, who was also one of the 'Samaya Kuravars' had come here and praised lord Shiva in his 'Thiruthandagam'. On 9th century, 'Sundarar', also one among the Samaya-Kuravars, came here with his dear most friend, the king Cheran Perumanayanar. He praised lord 'Thiru meni nathar' in his part of the compilation of Thevaram. Kumara Gurubarar, one who lived in the era of king Thirumalai nayak had worshiped this lord in his poetry work of 'Meenakshi Ammai kuram'. He was said to be supposed to sing the 'Thunai Malaiammai Pillai Tamil. Before the inception of every Yuga, it had been a custom that near the theppam 'Kavai Kadal' there would have been the growth of any one of the trees like 'Naval', 'Mango', 'Maghzhl' and Pepal trees.Whenever that tree grew, there also would have been the appearance of lord Vinayagar under that tree for every Yuga. So He has been called as 'Thavara Vinayagar', means lord Vinayagar under that tree. Even now, at this Kaliyuga, we could able to see lord 'Thavara Vinayagar' sit under the Pepal tree majestically near the holy tank 'Kavai kadal', at the entrance.

A rare surprise would have awaited us in the inner corridor of this temple, that even on those days, our people were having the awareness of water harvesting, that is the importance of future-storage of water. For that, they had sculptured one water outlet, made up of hallow-stone and had installed it at the inner corridor, beside the wall. The rain water gathered on the roof is coming through this 'stoned-pipe' and filled in the storage tank.

Thirumeninathar temple -  Image of the legend associated with the temple

Tiruchuli — The birth place of a modern saint and a 7th century temple 

In the ancient township of Tiruchulli in a dry, dusty corner of South India, legend speaks of Lord Shiva saving the land from a deluge on three separate occasions. By planting his trident into the earth, Shiva created a hole for the water to flow into. At the place where he planted his trident stands the large temple of Bhuminatheswara (Lord of the Earth). 

Just across the street from this old temple is the house — Sundara Mandiram — where young Venkataraman — who later came to be known to the world as Ramana Maharshi — was born in December 1879.

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Thirumeninathar temple, also called Boominathar temple or Tiruchuli temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tiruchuli, the birthplace of Ramana Maharshi, in Virudhunagar district, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 

Shiva is worshipped as Thirumeninathar, and is represented by the Dinakareswara Lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Thunaimalaiyammai Amman. The temple is located on the Virudhunagar - Manamadurai road. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is closely associated with Sundarar, who has sung praises about the presiding deity. This shrine is regarded as the 12th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya region of Tamil Nadu.

Photo by Richard Arunachala: Before the Self-Realization of Sri Ramana, the only religious book he is said to have read was Periyapuranam, about the life of these 63 Nayanmars Saints.

Legend:

The Dinakareswara Lingam was worshipped by the Sun, according to the legends associated with this temple. Parvati is said to have meditated upon Shiva, seeking his hand in marriage; this event is commemorated in the Amman Tapas Utsavam in the month of Aadi for 10 days each year. 

The place is believed to have been the one where Shiva diverted the floods away from the place during the great deluge. Since Shiva swirled floods here, the place came to be known as Tiruchuli (Chuli Tamil means swirl).

Sundaramoorthy Nayanar is believed to have visited this temple with the Chera King Cheramaan Perumal. Shiva appeared in the dreams of Sundarar while he was staying at this place in a Mutt. He appeared as a young individual with a golden bouquet in his hand and a swirl in his head. 

The presiding deity is believed to have been worshipped by Vishnu, Indra, Brahma, Sun, Bhoomidevi, sage Gowthama, Agaliga, Kanva, Arjuna, Chitrangadai and Cheraman Perumal.

Thirumeninathar temple, or  Boominathar temple, or Tiruchuli temple

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Sources: 

Wikipedia - Thirumeninathar Temple

Richard Clark - Bhuminatheswara Temple – A lesser known gem

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Tiruchuli House — Birth Place of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi  — Sundara Mandiram

The town is as ancient as time. In fact, mythology links it to the ‘deluge’. Lord Siva rescued the earth from the deluge by throwing his trishula on the earth here, whereby the waters whirled into the hole – giving the place its name ‘Tiruchuzhial’. And at that place stands the temple of Bhuminatheshwara – the Lord Protector of the Earth – Siva.

The structure of the house now is the same as it was during the time Sri Ramana was born, but it has undergone considerable renovation in recent times. It was inaugurated in a grand manner on Sunday 16th May 2010. It is under the care of Sri Ramanasramam.

The room where Sri Ramana was born is now a meditation shrine.  A picture of Ramana adorns the wall.

Photo Via: https://mapio.net/pic/p-121990427/

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Tiruchuzhi: Glory of the Eddy

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Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi once composed a Tamil verse (*); a line in it translates as: 

"The ancient and marvellous Linga of Arunachala came into being in the month of Margazhi (Dhanus) under the star {Tiru Adirai) Ardra."

Prof. G.V. Subbaramayya later composed a Telugu verse celebrating the birth of Sri Bhagavan thus: 

"On the same sacred day when Arunachala Linga, the Original Linga, came into being, there occurred at Tiruchuzhi as the fruit of the tapas of Azhagu and Sundaram, an Incarnation: the Birth of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi."

Ardra is the holy day commemorating the manifestation of Lord Siva as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer in Chidambaram and as Arunachala, the Mountain of Stillness in Tiruvannamalai. How appropriate it was on this sacred day that Sri Bhagavan chose to manifest Himself on earth. And how inseparable are Siva, Ardra, Arunachala, Tiruchuzhi and Satguru Sri Bhagavan! 

With this thought and many more such thoughts surging within my heart, I undertook a pilgrimage to Tiruchuzhi, earlier this year.

- Editor - V. Ganesan

~ “The Mountain Path” - June.1994

(*)  Sri Arunachala Mahatmyam - The Glory of Arunachala - “Nandi said”, V. 2

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Bhuminatheswarar Kovil, ca. 1940 - The Trisula Tirtham

The Third Deluge 

As stated previously, the Tamil word chuli refers to the ‘holes’ or ‘eddies’ made when Lord Siva made perforations in the earth with his trident to serve as outlets for the Pralaya floodwaters. On a second occasion, he raised the city up on his trident to protect it from the torrent. A third deluge account in the Purana tells how Mother Earth was carried away by the demon Hiranyaksha and held captive beneath the waters. Rescued by Lord Vishnu, Mother Earth saw that she had suffered pollution by the touch of the asura and, as purification, bathed in Trisula Tirtham and worshipped the Lord at Tiruchuzhi. Thus the Sivalingam of Tiruchuli got the name Bhuminathesvara (‘the Lord of Mother Earth’) [1], while Parvati is called Sahayavalli or Sahayamba (‘the Helping Mother’) [2]. 

When Sundaramurti came to have darshan of Lord Bhuminatha, he and Cheraman entered ‘the city of liberation’ (muktinagar) [3] to the amazement of local townspeople who beheld their forms bright as the sun and moon. Sundaramurti stayed that night along the bank of the river, which was then in spate. This place came to be known as Kalaiyarkoil, situated at Pallimadam on the opposite side of the river from Bhuminathesvar Temple at Tiruchuli. Later that night in a dream, Lord Siva appeared to him and the saint woke with excitement and began to sing the Thevara Padikam (‘Thondar Adithodalalum’) [4].

The Meaning of ‘Tiruchuli’

In addition to ‘eddy’, Tamil scholars tell us that the word chuli evokes significations such as ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’ as well as ‘nil’ or the number ‘zero’ [5]. Let us consider the possibilities: Tiruchuli as ‘holy fate’, the final destiny of the earthly journey; as ‘holy zero’ —shunyata— the Void from which the fullness of all creation emerges; as ‘holy eddy’, the portal that lies between the Unmanifest and the manifest, between the realm of gods and that of men, between essence and form, spirit and matter. Tiruchuli, the ‘holy aperture’ through which the pralaya floodwaters escaped, was not only the means by which mankind was spared a watery extinction, but served as the conduit by which human defilements were carried away. This ‘holy eddy’ — the navel of the world, as it were — is the fertile womb that brought forth the water of life and flowers of hope, giving birth to sages and kings in a darkened age.

Young Venkataraman was born in the wee hours of the morning on 30th December, 1879, as family in Bhuminathesvar Temple celebrated Ardra Darshan, a night when, tradition says, Siva manifested as Lord Nataraja. The blind woman in attendance at the family home in Karthigai Street ‘saw’ a wondrous light and wondered what such a sign could mean. But 135 years later, devotees of Bhagavan know first-hand what such things mean: truth has been born in the hearts of countless seekers the world over and what had been formerly hidden is now an open secret [6].

Who would have thought that the most magnificent moment in Tiruchuli’s long, illustrious and ancient (puranic) history would occur in the modern era, in Kali Yuga? (*) —

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[1] Also called Bhuminathar, Bhumesar, Tirumeninathar, Bhuvanesar and Chuzhikesar. Bhuminathesvara is surrounded by nine sacred bodies of water: Sulatirtham, Papaharini, Kanvatirtham, Kalavatirtham, Koditirtham, Bhumitirtham, Amrithavavi, Brahmatirtham and Trilochanatirtham, (though many have disappeared with the city’s expansion in modern times). The sthala vriksha (sacred tree) is punjnai (callophyllum inophyllum). The inner portion of the temple is thought to be 2500 years old while its lingam dates to prehistory. 

[2] Or Tunaimalai Amman or Muthumalai Umayal. 

[3] Like Kasi, all who end their life in Tiruchuli are said to gain liberation.

[4] Later Sundara was led to the temple Kaanapper, now known as Kaalayaar Koil, near Sivagangai, about 60km away. 

[5] See ‘Pilgrimage to Tiruchuli’, Mountain Path, June 1994, pp. 45-6

[6] During his bhoodan padayatra in the 1950s, Vinoba Bhave came to Tiruchuli solely to thank its citizens for their ‘gift of the Maharshi’ to the world.

(*) Tiruchuli has suffered persistent drought in modern times as the demands for water have increased with changes in agricultural practices and growing populations. Locals report that the rhythmic cycle of oscillating water levels in Trisula Tirtham during the month of Masi have been disturbed since the mid-1980s. However, it should be mentioned that with recent rainfall, Koundinya River, Trisula Tirtham and the town lake (at the time of writing), are filled to capacity. Also, coinciding with the recent Mahakumbhabhishekam of Bhuminathesvar Temple (1st September, 2013), have been various local infrastructural improvements such as a new train station, new railway lines and a large railway bridge spanning the Koundinya River.

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Images source:  Sociedade Budista-Hinduísta Renovadora - SOBUHIR

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Renovated Sri Sundara Mandiram - Tiruchuli - Inauguration took place in the 16th May 2010. 

Tiruchuli, hailed by the great Saint-Singer Sundaramurthy Nayanar as the place of our own Lord Siva who wears the crescent moon on his head, is the birth-place of Bhagavan Sri Ramana. 

The small house where the Sage was born, now known as “Sri Sundara Mandiram” in honor of Bhagavan's father, Sri Sundaram Iyer, is just adjacent to the temple of Lord Bhuminatha and His consort Sahayavalli, the presiding deities of Tiruchuli. It is a place of pilgrimage to world-wide devotees of Bhagavan. This 150 year old hallowed structure has been renovated so well by Sri Ramanasramam, that Ramana devotees can sit and meditate, chant and sing to their hearts content. It was inaugurated in a grand manner on Sunday 16th May 2010. 

The Sri Ramana Maharshi Street on which the Mandiram stands wore a festive look with pandal on it and gaily decorated with plantain leaves and festoons. Eagerness and enthusiasm were writ large on the faces of the denizens of the holy town. Poojya Swami Kamalatmananda, President Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Madurai graced the occasion by his presence. After Gopuja (Cow-worship); Havans started at the Yagasala at about 8 a.m. The Havan and the chanting of Vedic mantras by pundits inspired the large gathering of devotees. The havan culminated in Purnahuti. The sacred waters were duly taken round the Mandiram to the accompaniment of Nadaswaram music and sprinkled on the Kalasa. Lights were waved in the room where Bhagavan was born. Then about 300 devotees recited with fervent devotion Arunachala Aksharamana Malai and Bhagavan’s other songs. 

In the meantime, special abhishekas and worship were done to Lord Bhuminatha Swamy and Goddess Sahayavalli. Devotees gathered in the Temple and worshipped with great fervor. 

Sugar rice, pongal, tamarind rice and curd rice were distributed as prasadam to more than 2000 devotees and local people.

Sri Ramana’s birthplace,  Sundara Mandiram, Tiruchuli

Bhagavan’s father, Sri Sundaram Iyer

Bhagavan Ramana and His mother, Alagama

O quarto onde Sri Ramana nasceu foi transformado num santuário. (Fonte: Richard Arunachala)

Conjunto Completo de: “A Vida de Sri Ramana Maharshi”

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Sri Ramana’s birthroom has been turned into a shrine. (Source: Richard Arunachala)