Thiru Kurungudi Pakkam Ninnaar Shiva Sannidhi Restored

After almost 20 years, the idol of Shiva has been brought back to 'Pakkam Ninnaar' 

Shiva Sannidhi had been demolished on a single night in May 2004. Following a court order, the Sannidhi has been rebuilt at the same original location with traditional stones and consecration performed in June 2023

After almost two decades, the idol of Shiva that had been shifted out from its historical sannidhi to a new location within the Nambi Temple at Thiru Kurungudi, has been moved back to its original location. A new sannidhi has been built at the original 'Pakkam Ninnaar' location with traditional Karungal. Following the consecration,  the Consecration event took place last month in the presence of the Pontiff of the Thiru Kurungudi Mutt Sri Perarula Ramanuja Jeer.

Vishnu and Shiva praised by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar

Thiru Kurungudi is one of the very few Divya Desams that houses both Perumal and Shiva within the same complex.  Rare is a praise by an Azhvaar of both the deities in a single verse. In the opening verse of the 6th Decad of the 9th Canto, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar refers to the Lord of Thiru Kurungudi as one in a standing Posture with the skull and tiger skin bearing Shiva by his side. Perumal and Shiva cannot be separated at this temple as is seen from the sacred verse. Abhiseka Theertham, Thaligai and Aradhanam are all the same for both of them.

அக்கும் புலியின் அதளும்  உடையார்

அவர் ஒருவர் பக்கம் நிற்க  நின்ற 

பண்பர் ஊர்போலும்

A One Night Demolition Act

In May 2004, almost out of the blue following a series of Prakshnam by the Namboodaries of Malai Naadu, the Shiva Sannidhi, referred to as Pakkam Ninraar by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his Periya Thirumozhi verse, was brought down within a single night at the Nambi Temple in Thirukurungudi. A separate sannidhi was built for Shiva in the Eastern side and the idol was moved into this newly constructed sannidhi.

Mannar Koil’s Periya Nambi Narasimha Gopalan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/periya-nambi-narasimha-gopalan-acharya.html) is all smiles at the consecration of the Shiva Sannidhi at the Pakkam Ninnaar location. He recalls the phone call from his uncle in Thiru Kurungudi that morning end of May 2004 “My appa's brother called and he asked me to give the phone to my appa (he passed away a year later). After the call, my appa was aghast – he told me that the Pakkam Ninnar Sannidhi had been demolished in one night. The Sannidhi was intact at the time of Artha Jaama Pooja the previous night but the next morning when my brother went to the temple, the Shiva Sannidhi was missing. My appa asked me to call Krishnamachari of Srirangam to inform him of this and it was then that the current Jeer who was then working in Cuddalore filed the case against the demolition.”

This move faced stiff opposition from the public. Soon after, a petition was filed in the court. Initially the Nanguneri court directed the idol to be taken back to its original location. Later on appeal, the case was heard at the Madurai HC where too the judge upheld the Nanguneri court's verdict. But the temple authorities went on appeal and this issue had dragged on for almost two decades.

In 2017, this section featured a story on how the residents of Thiru Kurungudi had been unhappy with the demolition and that they had wanted the Shiva Idol to be reinstalled at its original location. Six years ago, Sri Perarula Ramanuja Jeer had told this writer that they would ‘soon’ relocate the Shiva idol at its historical location but it’s taken another six years for the temple authorities to initiate action on this front though a lot of the other renovation work had been completed during this peri od.The Mutt that had gone on appeal at the Supreme Court seeking solo and exclusive rights over the temple has secured an order to that effect.

A Special Divya Desam

When Thirumangai Azhvaar sought Moksham, Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam directed him to visit his ‘Southern Home’ at Thiru Kurungudi (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2008/06/thirukurungkudi-divya-desam.html). Accordingly, Thirumangai Azhvaar came to this Vamana Kshetram and performed service invoking the blessings of Lord Azhagiya Nambi and attained moksham here. Hence, it is believed that ‘Vaikuntam’ (the ultimate destination for Vaishnavites) is in ‘calling distance’ from the Lord’s Southern Home at Thiru Kurungudi.

Thiru Kurungkudi is also the home to the Vaishnava tradition of ‘Kaisika Ekadesi’, one of the big festive occasions here. Kaisika Natakma, the story of Kaisika Puranam, is a form of worship of the Lord through dance, music and drama and is presented on the night of Kaisika Ekadesi (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2009/12/kaisika-puranam-in-thirukurungudi.html). The over 1000 years old art of Araiyar Sevai originated at Thiru Kurungkudi and was first introduced by Natha Muni. Legend has it that Lord Nambi, hiding behind a wall in Bashyam Street (now South Mada Street), used to watch the young Araiyars practice for hours this difficult art form. Hence, the Lord here is also referred to as ‘Gaana Priyan’ (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2010/12/araiyar-sevai-saving-rare-art.html).

Periya Thirumozhi Praise of Thiru Kurungudi

Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in his Periya Thirumozhi verses refers to Peacocks dancing in the groves and Parrots speaking like the beautiful girls of Thiru Kurungudi, streams in full flow washing aside precious gems, Mullai Flowers seen in the groves with dripping nectar, swans playing in groups in the cool lakes that are abound with lotuses. He finds Kuravu trees all around Thiru Kurungudi. There were mansions so tall that they seemed to touch the moon.

  

Former Maniam opposed the demolition 

In 2017, 86 year old Periya Nambi K Srinivasachariar (PKS), the son of the 47th Jeer of the Thiru Kurungudi Mutt at Thiru Kurungudi who had served at the temple as a Maniam, told this writer that the demolition of the Shiva Sannidhi was one of the saddest moments in his life. Ever since its demolition, he was keen for it to be brought back to its original location and he pressed many times for it. Unfortunately he did not live long enough to see the consecration for he passed away a couple of years ago. He would have been delighted to have seen the Shiva Sannidhi restored to its ancient glory.

Narasimha Gopalan’s uncle PKS is no more. His appa, who actively opposed the demolition on the morning after the demolition, too has passed away. Almost 20 years after the demolition, Periya Nambi Narasimha Gopalan, who has been fighting for the Vaishnavite cause and also for the archakas and service personnel at TN temples, told this writer on Sunday that he is very happy about the restoration of the Shiva Sannidhi and feels that this will do the temple a lot of good in terms of bringing back positive vibration into the Sannidhis.

In April this year, Thiru Koshtiyur Madhavan, who too vehemently opposed the demolition and insisted the construction of 'Pakkam Ninnaar' Sannidhi with the same traditional stones told this writer during the Brahmotsavam procession at the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni that a long battle had finally been won and that he was happy that the traditional architecture remained intact in terms of  the revival of the Pakkam Ninnaar Sannidhi.