About the Suchindram SThanumalayan Temple

Suchindram Temple is also popular as Thanumalayan Temple, located in the town of Suchindram in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.

The temple is over 1300 years old and is dedicated to the Trinity of Hindu Gods- Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma, all 3 deities enshrined under one roof.

The temple is also famous as Suchindram Lord Anjaneyar Kovil

A unique feature of this temple is that the main deity is Swayambhu Lingam, adored with three faces, each facing different celestial directions.

Lord Brahma is facing east, Lord Vishnu facing west and Lord Shiva facing south- this unique manifestation is called “Sthanumalayan”.

A combination of Sthana stands for Shiva, Mal for Brahma, and Ayan for Vishu.

The temple has around 30 shrines and has a captivating Dravidian style of architecture, devotees belonging to both the Shaivite and Vaishnavite sectors.

Suchindram Temple Timings

Anjaneyar Temple Timings

Regular Aarti/Pooja Timings

|| On special functions/events/festivals temple opening hours will vary

History of Suchindram Temple

There are various inscriptions dating from the time of the Chola dynasty rule in Tamil Nadu during the 9th century.

The Pandyas and Chera rulers have forced several contributions to the temple.

Some expansions to the temple complex were also done by Thirumalai Nayaka and the great Maharajas of Travancore.

The current temple is maintained and monitored by the Dharmapuram Aadhenam, which was renovated in the 17th century with new captivating sculptures.

The temple is famous for the fact that despite belonging to the 17th century it bestows great architectural glory with unique shilabalikas and scripted stories.

There is a seven-storey whited gopuram from the entrance gateway which is a 40 m facade covered with numerous Hindu deities built by Thirumala Nayak.

This temple saw a financial steep when Ayilam Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja of Travancore, raised a lottery scheme in 1875 AD to rebuild a significant portion of the temple.

A sum of Rs.40,000 was realized during this event which helped in major developments of the temple’s infrastructure.

Legend

According to Hindu mythology, the place has got its name from the Sthala Puranam, “Suchindram”.

A popular term in sanskrit called “Suchi” means purify, hence this place is named Suchindram.

Because the main lingam is located in the temple where the deity Indra, who is considered the king of Gods, was freed from a curse.

Accordingly, Lord Indra was supposed to visit the temple each day at midnight to perform “Ardhajama pooja,” or deep penance to relieve of his curse.

As per another legend, the temple is also sanctified with the piousness of the sage Atri and his consort Anasuya who dwelt in Jnaranya.

The Trinities Lords- Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva sought to immortalize Anasuya through a divine deed.

They disguised themselves as poor Brahmins and came to the sage Agri’s monastery.

They were surprised with the utmost unintentional care given by Anasuya

To ponder deep into her instincts, the poor brahmins insisted that they would accept her hospitality if she would come out nude and serve them.

With her intense power of chastity, she transformed the Brahmin adults to three small kids and served them with her breast milk.

Sage Atri returned to the monastery at the behest of Maa Parvati, Saraswati, and Lakshmi to restore their consorts to their original self.

Maha Sati Anasuya soon restored the kids to their deity forms and the trinity taken aback by her conviction and devotion blessed the couple.

The trinity emanated in the form  of three Lingas and the exact location where the Sage Atri and Anasuya were blessed by the trinity is believed to be the  temple.

The trinity then left their holy abode and a small shrine self-manifested in the base of an Amaltas tree called “Sthala Vriksham”, which is now said to be 2500 years old.

Connection of the Temple with the Town of Kanyakumari

There is a popular legend that associates the temple with the town of Kanyakumari.

Incidentally, one fine day Lord Shiva came to Suchindram and stayed there, he was stunned by the beauty of Devi Kanyakumari.

He stayed there for the wedding that was supposed to happen at night in a place called Vazhukkamparai, located 5 km away from Suchindram.

Sage Narada disguised as a rooster had misguided the place to notice that it became the onset of the morning.

On falsely believing that the auspicious marriage muhurtham had passed Lord Shiva returned to Suchindram without marrying the Devi Kanyakumari.

Consequently, Lord Shiva had to permanently reside in Kanyakumari’s Suchindram town.

Architectural Details of  the Suchindram Sthanumalayan Temple

The Suchindram temple of Kanyakumari is extremely popular not only for its religious background but also for its fine architectural detailing.

The structure of the temple is one of few temples in the region of Travancore that implies both Kerala and Tamil styles of temple design.

There is a Navarathri Mandapam that was built during the 16th century typically in a wooden style which is a popular style of architecture in Kerala

The temple also has huge stone carving, carved from a single large stone structure.

You can find 4 musical pillars carved out of a single stone, and it stands tall at a height of 18 feet from the mandapam base.

Next to the main sanctum is the Alankara Mandapam which has a musical system attached to it that plays various notes and mrudangam as per the event.

The temple is huge in size and it has additional 1035 pillars that are erected near the dancing hall to support numerous wall carvings.

There is a murti of Hanuman which is 22 feet tall and carved out of a single granite stone.

This statue of Anjaneya is one of the tallest in India, it is also a history that the statue was buried in the temple in 1740 when Tipu Sultan attacked India.

It was restored later in 1930.

You can also find a statue of Nandi, which is made of mortar and lime, and is 13 feet tall and 21 feet long, regarded as the tallest Nandi statue in India.

The temple gopuram and inscription on the interior pillars of the temple also tell the tales of Ramayana and Mahabharatha

Deities in the Temple

The main deity of the temple is Sthanu- a culminated form of Lord Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma in the main sanctum of the temple.

There is a separate shrine of Lord Vishnu made up of 8 different kinds of metals

You can also witness the presence of idols of Lord Sri Rama and Goddess Sita towards the right side.

On the left is Lord Ganesha, and in the front entrance is the Navagraha stalam on a huge stone casing called Navagraha Mandapam.

There are a total of 30 shrines in this temple to name some:

1. Kailasanathar
2. Nataka Sala
3. Vadakkedam
4. Kailasattu Mahadeva
5. Pancha Pandavas
6. Kontai Adi
7. Guru Dakshinamurthy
8. Cheravasal Sastha
9. Lord Murugan 
10.  Guruda Swamy and many more devi-devatas

Festivals Celebrated in  the temple

A famous festival called Car festival is celebrated during the month of December and January for 10 days, along with the Markazhi festival.

On these days the main deities are taken in separate cars(theru) in a procession throughout the town pulled in huge ropes by lakhs of devotees

Another festival called Teppam is celebrated during the month of April and May, which is an early morning ritual.

The temple also celebrates Mahashivarathri, Navarathri, Hanuman Jayanthi, Sri Rama Navami, Vaikunta Ekadashi, and Thai Poosam festivals.

Pooja/Sevas in the Temple

How to book pooja and other seva services

Since there is no official website related to the temple, devotees can book pooja by visiting the temple.

How to reach the Suchindram Sthanumalayan Temple

• By Air: The nearest Airport to the temple is 70 km away , Trivandrum International Airport.

• By Road: Visitors can avail of local transport by bus or taxi cab from Kanyakumari the nearest town to the temple.

• By Train: The nearest railway station to the temple is Kanyakumari Railway Station located 14 km from the temple.

Budget Accommodation Nearby Suchindram Sthanumalayam Temple

1. Hotel Ganga Palaca
2. Hotel Royal Lodge Nagercoil
3. Hotel VLR Inn
4. Hotel Melody Park
5. Hotel Shree Sheela

FAQ

• What is the ideal time of the year to visit Suchindram temple?

1. The month of April-May at the time of the Meenakshi Kalyanam Festival is the perfect time.

2. What is the significance of the Musical Pillars in the grab gudi of the temple?

1. The temple is famous for its unique artisan’s work, esp the musical pillars hum tones, and notes when struck.

3. Is the temple big, how long does it take to tour the entire temple?

1. Yes, the temple is huge and has numerous deities and mandirs, it takes roughly about 2-3 hours for the temple tour.

4. Does the temple have a dress code?

1. Yes, men should remove their shirts before entering the shrine, and women are to be in a saree or churidar with a dupatta.