Tirupattur

Tituppatur is an ancient town of present Tamilnadu and is located on the Bangalore-Chennai main Train route. Jolarpet junction is around eight kilometers from here. Since the revenue from is high even during British this was a Revenue circle. Even during Chola rule, it was known for its productivity and this area was known as ‘Sri Madhava Chaturvedi Mangalam’ and covered under ‘Nigarili Chola Mandalam’ during their rule. From the inscriptions so far surveyed by the Archaeological Survey of India in Tirupattur, it is estimated that this town is more than 1600 years old.

Name Tirupattur

The name Tirupattur means a group of ten villages/small towns. There exists a village called Aathiyur (Aathi means Begin) in the southern fringes of the Town and Kodiyur (Kodi means End) in the northern fringes of the town indicating how this place had come to be known as ‘Tirupattur’.

This place was under different rulers and known earlier by other names like Sri Madhava Chaturvedi Mangalam, Veera Narayana Chaturvedi Mangalam, Tiruperur, and Brahmapuram (Brahmeeswaram). The second version says that the present name ‘Tirupattur’ might have been derived from ‘Tiruperur’.

Fort in Tirupattur

There existed a fort in the eastern part of the town around eight hundred years ago. It is not known who first constructed the fort and when it was demolished. But even today a huge area abutting a huge lake is known as a fort area. Since the town had been under the rule of the Vijayanagara Dynasty, Hoysalas it is believed the fort would have come up during their period of rule. The nearby places like Ambur etc. war war-prone areas during the eighteenth century and at the end of the eighteenth century British consolidated their hold in this region. British initiated steps to demolish all forts. In all probability, during this time the fort could have been demolished.

The Mysorean army under Hyder Ali set off on its fresh round of campaigning against the British at Vaniyambadi at the beginning of November 1767. The main army marched towards Vaniyambadi while another detachment had been sent earlier in the direction of Tirupattur. For some time Tirupattur was under the rule of Mysore also.

Anjaneya worship

This town had a fort and was under the rule of the Hoysalas, Vijayanagar, and Mysore dynasties. All these rulers are devotees of Sri Anjaneya. All these rulers had seen Sri Anjaneya as the protector of their boundaries. It was a practice to build a temple for Sri Anjaneya at the boundaries of each village. Without exception, these rulers had a temple for Anjaneya built for the fort they had built. Therefore it is no wonder that this town must have had many temples for Sri Anjaneya. However, the political upheaval during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries did not allow the rulers to take any welfare measures for the people. Mid this chaos, in this war-torn town many of the temples must have been unattended and neglected turning them into ruins. In such circumstances, many deities were thrown into lakes, rivers, huge waterbodies, etc., for their safety. This practice was in vogue during those times. [See also our Vellore narrative].

Sri Anjaneya emerges

The Lord emerged from such self-exile once He decided to bless His devotees. Mid-nineteenth century few fishermen went fishing in the River Thazampudar [on the way from Tirupattur to Jolarpet] in Tirupattur. That day their catch was heavy, all of them put together pulled the net. They found a huge stone in the net. They threw the stone into the river and lobbed the net again in the river for their next catch. To their surprise, the same stone was caught in their net. On second thought they saw it as something mysterious; since a stone of its own cannot enter the net. They pulled the stone this time shore and to their surprise, it turned out to be a vigraha of Sri Anjaneya and not a simple stone as they thought. They did not know what to do, and at that time they heard an oracle directing them to install the vigraham where peepal tree and neem tree had grown entwined on the western side of their place of living.

Temple for Sri Anjaneya

The elders were called and consulted. The place that was indicated by the divine was identified. A small temple was constructed and the regular poojas were started. Most festivals like Hanumath Jayanthi, Ramanavami, and Krishna Jayanthi were celebrated in this temple. During SriRamanavami celebrations Sita Kalyanam is performed. There is a unique festival celebrated in this temple which goes by the name ‘Sri Vishnu Deepam’. During the month of Karthik, following the Tamil calendar [oil] lamp is lighted on the top of the pillar which is facing the main temple. Normally we see Deepa stambham along with dwaja stambham in the temples, installed at the entrance of the temple. But here in this temple, the deepa stambham is just opposite the temple, but the road divides these two.

Deepa stambham

From immemorial lighting of the ‘Vishnu deepam’ in the month of Kartik in this temple was conducted as a celebration. But in the year 1900, permission to erect the lamp post on the piece of land was denied. The owner of the land had refused permission to celebrate his land. This land was just opposite to the temple. The lamp could be lit just opposite to the temple only, therefore it was not known how to convince the owner for permission to use the particular land. To the surprise of all, the next day morning the owner had permitted to host the function from the land since he had a divine direction to this effect in his dream earlier night by none other than Sri Anjaneya Himself. Even today the place is maintained by the dynasty of Janab Meekkiri Nayapu where every year the ‘Vishnu deepam’ is lit.

Trouble again and its solution

During 1910 the unity between two major communities of Tirupattur was in doldrums. Again there was resistance to holding ‘Vishnu deepam’, playing drums, etc. The administrative chief Sir Arthur Hall had given the ruling that the function be stalled. That day evening at dusk as soon as he stepped out of his bungalow he started shouting ‘Shoot him, shoot him’. All people came out of the bungalow and enquired as to what had happened. The officer was showing his fingers at the gate and said ‘Look at the black-faced monkeys. Look they had beaten me. Look at the blood in my arms’. He was scared and was screaming. But none of those present could see anything abnormal. His wife understood what had happened and told him that it was the divine the Hindus worship who had come and given him the message.

He revised his earlier order of the day denying permission and granting permission to hold the ‘Vishnu deepam’. And protection was ordered to avoid any untoward incident.

Temple and Sannidhis

These two incidents are proof enough to show the might of Sri Sundara Veera Anjaneya Swamy of Tirupattur and the spread of His fame. He has a large number of devotees from neighboring villages and towns, even from faraway towns like Selam, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, etc. Over the years the temple has been renovated with the liberal contributions from these devotees. An attractive three-tier rajagopuram for the temple was built. Kumbhabishekam was performed in the year 1939. sannidhi for Sri Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana is very attractive and the processional deities of Sri Rama parivar are mesmerizing beauty. A wide corridor around Gharbhagraha has been festinated for devotees to make parikrama. On Tuesday, Saturday, and New Moon Day the number of devotees is large. Sri Ramanavami, Vaikunta Ekadesi, and Hanumath Jayanthi are celebrated with all gaiety. During Sri Hanumath Jayanthi Sri Anjaneya will play the ‘Unzal’ [swing].

Sri Sundara Veera Anjaneya

The idol of Sri Anjaneya Swamy is about seven feet made of hard granite. Swamy is seen in a standing posture with both His palms joined in ‘Anjali Hastha mudra’. Lord’s lotus feet are adorned with nupur and thandai. Lord is wearing the doti in a kacham style. An ornamental waist belt is seen on the hip. His bosom is well ornamented with garlands with beads. He is wearing a necklace close to His neck. Both the arms are well decorated with keyur in the upper arm and kankan in the wrist. He has both His palms joined in ‘Anjali Hasta mudra’. His tail could not be seen from outside but was in the rear, raised till the back of His head. His straight-looking face attracts the attention of His devotees. His kesam is neatly tied. He is wearing kundal in the ears and it is touching the shoulder. He is wearing karna pushpam in the ears. The alluring eyes of the Lord are beaming with compassion, bestowing blessing on His devotees.

 

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SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST
THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE

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Ed [August 2020]
Updates: [Jan 2025]

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