Trichirapallai

When you think of undertaking a pilgrimage to holy temples in South India, the first thing that will come across your mind is the Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu. There are many pleasant old temples around this district one will have to wonder whether the time is sufficient to see and enjoy them all. Adjacent to this district is the Trichirapallai district with Trichirapallai as district headquarters. Trichirapallai is more popularly known as Trichy. When any devotee hears the name Trichy he will remember the place, which is also famous for “Malai Kotai Uchi Pillair Kovil” and also Srirangam and Tiruannaikaval two suburban towns famous for Sri Ranganatha Swami and Sri Jambunatha Swami.

Nayaks, were the founders of the Trichy city, it was one of the main centres, around which, the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th century, during the British - French struggle for supremacy in India.

Trichy is built with Malai Kotai (Fort on the mountain) as the center of the town. From any corner of the town you can see this rock, which soars 83 meters upwards. Half way up the mountain there is a beautifully built temple. The temple is the abode of the “Thayumanavar”, a form of Lord Siva who had taken the role of the mother to attend to the delivery of his devotee. Since Lord Siva had performed the duty of a mother, here He is called “Thayumanavar” meaning ‘who is also the mother’. It is said that Lord Brihma, Vibishana and Hanuman the Anjaneya had worshiped Lord Thayumanavar.

Trichy Railway Junction Anjaneyar Temple

When under British rule, there was lot of developmental activity like building of new railway lines for the commercial reasons etc., In one of these the Southern India Railway Co., had developed Trichy as one of the main junction for connecting the entire South with Madras the present Chennai. Choice for building the junction was narrowed down the place adjacent to the small beautiful old temple of Anjaneya. The small beautiful temple for Anjaneya near the then proposed Trichy railway junction was so old that no body knows how old it was. The construction works for lying up of rails were started without disturbing the then existing Anjaneya temple. When the Trichy junction was initially completed it was found that this temple of Anjaneya was in the Eastern end of the second platform of the junction.

Importance of Trichy Railway Junction

There are two routes that connect Trichy with Chennai. One is known as main line running through Thanjavur and the other known as cord line running via Arriyalur. The Trichy was made one of the main junctions of South. The Thanjavur that was the granary of the entire South was to be well connected by train if the food grains are to be moved easily out of Thanjavur District. The main granary of entire Thanjavur District was Saliamangalam near Thanjavur. People who were so sell the granary will either have to move there rice to Salimangalam for local market or to Nagapattanam the coastal town if they want to export rice to Burma (Rangoon) or Malaysia (Pinang). The Railway Company saw the potential commercial aspect of this and wanted to build a new line between Trichy and Nagapattanam.

Expansion of Railway Junction

In the year 1928 the project for expanding the Trichy junction, for lying of new rail routes and construction of new platforms were undertaken. It was then felt that without removing the Anjaneya temple from the second platform the expansion was not possible. The Engineer in-charge of the construction had order demolishion of Anjaneya temple in the eastern end of the second platform. The laborers were employed and the work for demolishion was undertaken, but the laborers found it hard to do the job. They were not able to progress in the job.

Anjaneya' move

That very same night the Railway Agent (presently known as Station Superintended) had a dream as if two rail engines were derailed in the junction. Next day morning to the astonishment of the Engineer in-charge and the Railway Agent, they saw that there was two engines had derailed. It was then decided that the temple for Anjaneya would be rebuilt in an alternative site near the Trichy Junction itself. An amount of Rs.800/- was also allotted from the Railway co., towards the cost of construction. Once this decision was taken then removal of the statue from the original place had become easy, and the idol was reestablished (“punar pradeshta”) in the new temple site known as kallukuzi, the present site where you find the temple.

Present Anjaneya Temple

The Kalukuzai Anjaneya temple is now very near the Trichy railway junction. The temple is even now very simple looking and in a calm serene atmosphere. The east facing three-tire rajagopuram welcomes you from the distance. One can see the main deity of Anjaneya from the entrance itself. As you enter the temple, you will step into the big hall that adores many paintings of the Lord depicting the forms He had taken in different kshethras.

Kalukuzai Anjaneya Swamy

From the hall itself the devotees can have darshan of the Lord Anjaneya who is in the form of ‘ardhachitra shila’. Lords right hand is shown giving ‘abaya’, and on His lift hand he is holding the ‘meru’. While the deity is facing east, Anjaneya is seen facing North, indicating the situation where Lord was returning the ‘meru’ to its original position in Himalayas after having revived the breath of Laxmana in the Lanka war field.

Devotees who visits this temple have lot of incidents to tell how Lord Anjaneya Swami of this kshethra had helped them in solving their woos, while narrating we could feel their reverences to the Lord.

 

---

Experience

The Lord who had brought the Laxmana back to us, and returning the ‘meru’ to its place, is awaiting in this kshethra to fulfill the wishes of His devotees as He is abya varadhan.

 

[ed.12.10.02]
Contact No. 08883566294