Thanumalayan Temple - One of the Top Temple in suchindram, kanyakumari

The Thanumalayan Temple is an important Hindu temple located at Suchindram in Tamil Nadu, India's Kanyakumari district. It is one of the 108 shiva temples revered by Kerala Hindus, while this one temple is in Tamil Nadu.The temple complex spans approximately two acres and has two towers known as gopurams. The largest is the eastern tower, 11 stories high and 44 meters high. The temple has numerous shrines, the most prominent being those of Sthanumalayan and the one of Hanumar. The temple has six daily rituals from 5:30 a.m., at different times. By 9 p.m., with many annual festivals on its calendar, the most prominent being the festival during Margazhi. The present masonry structure was built in the 9th century during the Chola dynasty, though subsequent expansions are attributed to Thirumalai Nayak and the Travancore Maharajas.The temple is held and administered by the Aadhenam Dharmapuram. The temple is associated with Indra whose sin was propitiated after the presiding deity was worshiped, and also with Anasuya renowned for her chastity. The temple is maintained and administered by the Government of Tamil Nadu 's Hindu Department of Religious and Charitable Endowments.

History/orgin of Thanumalayan Temple

There are several inscriptions in the region, along with other Pandya rulers from the early and medieval Cholas period. There are two records from Kopparakesarivarman which took Madurai and Sri lanka from Parantaka I 's 30th and 40th regnal year.

The temple is one of the very few temples in Dravidian architecture in the Travancore region. Established during the 16th century, the Navaratri Mandapam has a traditional wooden frame, like temples of Kerala. The temple is renowned for its quality of stone workmanship. There are four musical pillars carved from a single stone at 18 feet in height; these are a highlight of the temple grounds' architecture and design. They 're in the area of Alankara Mandapam and when struck, they emit the sounds of different musical notes. There are a further 1035 pillars in the area known as the dancing hall, with carvings.

There is a statue of Hanuman which stands at 6.7 m (22 feet) and is carved from a single block of granite. It is one of India 's tallest statues of its type. It is also of historical interest that this statue was buried in the temple in 1740 and was subsequently overlooked, anticipating an attack by the Tipu sultan. It was rediscovered in 1930, and subsequently restored to view by Kottarathu Mathom, Moncompu's then Devaswom Board Commissioner Rajya Seva Praveena Sri M.K. Neelankantha Iyer. There is also a Nandi statue made of morter and lime, 13 feet (4.0 m ) tall and 21 feet (6.4 m ) long, it is one of India's largest Nandi statues.The temple also features different scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharatha depicted in different pillars.