We were a bit disheartened because of the spoiled weather as we set our foot on Madurai.It had been raining on and off ever since we reached the place. But the rain could not dither our will to visit Thirupuramkunram, a cave temple dedicated to Lord Muruga. Our trip to this place was particularly made to visit this temple, as it is one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga. Among the six temples this temple is a special one as it was over here that the Lord got married with Deivayanai, the daughter of Indra, who according to the Hindu mythology is regarded to be the king of heaven.
As we reached the religious site, we were awe-struck by the sheer magnificence of the temple. A tall gopura stood amidst the rocky landscape, as we looked at it from a distance. The temple is carved into a huge hillock, involving several mandapas. According to the legends the temple was converted into a Jain shrine and again reconverted into a Hindu shrine. Even though the temple seemed to be timeless, the inscriptions verified it to belong to the 7th century Pandya period, while the gigantic sculptures of the temple dated back to Nayaka era. We got ourselves in the queue of the devotees who were already lined up to enter the temple and pay homage to the deity.
As we stepped out of the temple, we came to notice that the rain which had stopped earlier had again started to come down. We also noticed some peacocks standing on the small hillocks of the place. The peacock is said to be the favorite vehicle of Lord Muruga. As we walked around, we found a broad pathway lined with dense trees on the both sides. The rain started pouring down heavily so we took a flight of steps that led us to a small cave temple. As we reached the spot, we found it to be empty except for the presence of peacocks and monkeys who were merrily enjoying the rain.
This small cave temple dedicated to Umai Andar stood on the rocks. A small flight of steps led us to the mandapam or the hall, which involves some striking ancient sculptures. In the center of the hall stands the main deity of the temple, Natraja along with his wife Sivakami. The outer walls of the temple are carved with the images of Ganesha and the three Saiva saints.
As the evening passed away, it slowly became dark. We could only hear our own echoes inside the cave and suddenly one of the walls got lit up. Then a local guide walked towards us with a torch in his hand. Directing the light of the torch he showed us a sculpture, explaining it to be of Lord Shiva in the form of ‘Arthanareeswarar’. As we observed the sculpture under the light of the torch, we noticed that it is the combination of Shiva and Parvati, carved together in one form.
The guide helped us with some more information by telling us that this Pandya temple is protected under ASI and was probably a Jain cave, which was later transformed, as according to the inscriptions on a rock close to a tree. He further added that initially the cave served as a monastery for the Jain saints who resided in these hills.
Some more inscriptions in the temple referred to the 13thcentury Pandya ruler, Sundara Pandiyan. These incriptions said that a Siava saint, under the aid of the king, converted this Jain monument into a temple and named it ‘Sundara Pandian Eswarar’ Temple after the emperor. It is believed that the temple was destroyed in the 14th century during which the region experienced several wars.
The guide further informed us that as Jainism richly prospered during the early centuries in Madurai, the region was dotted with more than 25 such cave temples along with inscriptions. Some of these cave temples are located in Kongarpuliyankulam, Anaimalai, Arittapatti, Tiruvadavur, Samana Malai, Tirumalai and many other places.
The carvings of Saiva saints outside the temple stands prove to the temple being converted into Saivism. One of the carvings also show the Sambadar saint sitting on a pedestal, as it is believed that he had influenced the Pandya ruler away from Jainism. In the later years, the temple was used as a bunker during the wars by Sikandar Shah. That it is why it is also referred as Sikandar Malai.
The rain started pouring down more intensely with the leaves of the trees starting to dance in the rhythm of the pouring rain and blowing wind. Thus we set ourselves to return back to our destination, realizing that how little we knew about our own cultural heritage.
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