Chozha
Period Temple near Coimbatore
Offering
of Pepper to the Lord is a speciality at this temple
The current Bhattar's clan have been performing pooja for over 800years at this temple
(This story is dedicated to my
class teacher Imam of 40 years ago (in the mid 70s) who used to come every
morning by bus (25kms) from Sulur near this temple to the school in Saibaba
Colony in Coimbatore to teach us. She did that for many years).
Located
20kms from Coimbatore on the Trichy Highway and just a couple of kms off the Air Force Base is the 1100years old Venkatanathan
Perumal temple in Sulur (original name Suralur), a temple with huge outer walls
and grand vahanas. The temple dates back to the early 10th Century
AD to the Chozha period with earliest records dating back to 908AD. 1000s of
acres were allotted to the temple most of which have been usurped during the
passage of time.
Recognition for the 24 Service
officials
It is fascinating
to find that the 24 different service officials of the temple were granted
lands and specific duties and responsibilities relating to the temple. They
received monthly grants in terms of provisions / sacred food. These service
officials include Archakas, Maniam, Sthanigam, those who did Parayanam,
Parijathakar, the ones who played the instruments during festive occasions and
during poojas, the ones who brought and made sacred flowers for the Lord and
the ones who blew the conch.
The Name of the Place
In
centuries gone by, this place was referred to as Suralur, an indication of the
swirling winds that used to be a feature at this place (Soora + Kaatru). With
passage of time, Suralur became Sulur. Even in peak summer, one finds the
swirling breeze here around this temple keeping the place cool.
During
the rule of Kadiraditya Chozha, this place was referred to as Ariya Piratti
Nallur. During the Pandya rule, this place was referred to as Sundara Pandya
Nallur. Sundara Pandyan renovated the tank and lakes here in Sulur in the 13th
Century AD.
King
Ko Kandan Veera Narayanan donated liberally to the temple during his rule.
One of the oldest Trade routes
Sulur
was an integral part of one of the oldest trade routes between Palghat in Kerala
and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu with Pepper (Milagu) being an important commodity
of Trade. This important route also comprised of Perur and Vellalur in
Coimbatore, Palladam, Kangeyam and Karur East of Coimbatore and Uraiyur in
Trichy.
The temple legend
Traders
used to congregate at Kangeyam Palayam about 3kms East of the Venkatanathan temple
to put together the pepper in sacks for the next day sales in the market in
Sulur and other neighbouring places.
One
night after a tired day’s work, they were woken up late in the night by a
shabby looking old Brahmin. He had developed Stomach pain and requested the
trader for some pepper that could solve his ailment. In his anger of being
disturbed from his slumber, the trader remarked that he had no pepper and that
all he had was only black gram (Ulunthu).
The
next morning as the traders made their way to the market, they found that the
entire pepper sacks had turned to black gram. The trader then realised the
conversation from the previous night and went in search of the old man.
It
was here at this location in Sulur that he found a huge stone with an old man
leaning on it. The old man consoled the trader asking him to forget about the
now lost Pepper and to go back to the market with the promise that his black
gram would fetch just as good a bargain as Pepper and that he should do
something good with the extra profits he was to derive.
Much
to his surprise, the trader found that the black gram which usually fetches a
price much lower than pepper was up significantly that day and he made a great
profit. Delighted at this, he came to the 2nd location and promised
to build a temple here with the Lord in a grand standing posture.
Nandi in front of the Lord
Cows
are said to have assisted the construction of the temple. When they fell tired
and were hungry, it is believed that the Lord provided them with his food. As a
thanking gesture, Nandi sat in front of him. Hence Nandi in front of the
Perumal is a unique feature at this temple.
Only Sweet Dishes -Sacred Food
The
Lord who provided a third darshan to the trader presented him with a packet of
pepper since that is what he had asked the trader in the first instance when he
met at Kangeyam Palayam and asked him to include pepper in the presentation of the
sacred food every day and as prasadam to the devotees who visit the temple.
Given
the legend relating to this temple, only sweet dishes are offered to the Lord
every day since the Lord is already presented with the spicy pepper all the
time. All other Thaligai at this temple are only sweet dishes, mostly Chakkarai
Pongal. No other spicy dishes are presented here at the temple on any day of
the year, except for this sweet offering.
In
addition to Tulasi, Pepper is also presented to the devotees who visit this
temple.
Many
Divya Desams are home to specific delicacies. If in Koviladi Divya Desam in
Thiruper Nagar, Appam is a speciality, at Oppiliappan temple in Thiru Vinnagar,
‘Saltless’ food is the order of the day. Similarly here at this Abhimana Sthalam in Sulur, pepper is a
speciality in the offering to the Lord.
Rayar Temple - The location where the Lord asked for Pepper
Three
Kms east of here is the ‘Rayar Temple’ where the Lord provided the first of his
three darshans as an old Brahmin late in the night. It is said that sitting
from here, the Lord watches the offerings to him at the Thiru Venkatanathan
temple in Sulur to confirm that Pepper is being offered every day.
Both
the temples were built in its current form by Dasa Palanjika Chettiars who
hailed from Mysore and who spread themselves across this region as trade
merchants. They were Vishnu devotees. Pepper was one of the prominent items
they traded in.
Grand Festivals and Vahana
Procession
The
Lord is driven on different vahanas during the annual Brahmotsavam that is
celebrated in a grand way in Navarathri ( Puratasi/ Aipasi). Vahanas include
Sesha Vahana, Hanumantha Vahana, Elephant and Horse Vahana and the beautiful Garuda
Vahana. A temple chariot that had been constructed in the early 19th
Century AD (1816AD) was damaged in the last century and a new one has been
recently built.
Gopalakrishna Bhattar
Gopalakrishna
Bhattar’s clan has been taking care of the temple for the last 16 generations –
almost 800years. Gopalakrishna Bhattar has been here at the temple for over
four decades. His performance of the Archanai is a treat to hear and watch,
such is his devotion to the Lord.
Festivals
10
day Brahmotsavam during Navarathri
Vaikunta
Ekadasi
Hanuman
Jayanthi – the only day in the year when he is anointed with Vada Malai
Quick Facts
Moolavar:
Venkatanathan in an East Facing Standing Posture
Time : 730am-1pm and 430pm – 8pm
Contact
: Gopalakrishna Bhattar @ 0422 2680204 /
78100 21957 or Ramesh Bhattar @ 95433 34476
How to reach
Take
the Tiruppur /Trichy bound bus and get down at Sulur Police Station stop. The
temple is 5minute walk north of the bus stop.
Take
an auto from this temple to Kangeyam Palayam to reach the Rayar Temple behind
the Air Force in Sulur (3kms). Auto from Venkatanathan temple and back to Sulur
bus stand will cost Rs. 125. (Auto Balaji @ 98422 56321)
Temple
contact of the Rayar Temple behind the Air Force : 98941 38835 / 94431 91762
