Special Articles Tamil Nadu

Neglected And Left In Shambles: The Plight Of HR&CE-Controlled Ancient Hindu Temples In Tirunelveli

August 16, 2023
The Commune

Ambasamudram in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu is home to a village named Brahmadesam where the 1000-year-old Brahmadesam Kailasanathar Temple is located. This temple is the first of Navakailasa temples in Tamil Nadu. 

The temple was originally built during King Raja Raja Chola’s reign during which, this village was donated to Vedic Scholars for reciting the Four Vedas, which is why it was named Chaturveda Mangalam or Brahmadhayam. Additional parts of the temple were later constructed by Pandya Kings and Hoysala Kings. King Viswanatha Naick, who ruled from Tirunelveli, oversaw the construction of significant features like the tall seven-story front Rajagopuram and the five-story back Gopuram, along with substantial compound walls.

Inside the temple, there are magnificent sculptures and a finely crafted door that displays remarkable artistic skill. In the past, the temple likely had a substantial workforce dedicated to its upkeep. However today, only three individuals, including a priest and two staff members, have been assigned by HR&CE to manage this vast temple whose area spans a few acres. Shockingly, their combined monthly earnings are less than ₹5000. The entirety of the donations in the Hundi is directed to the government. Similar to many ancient temples, this one also emits an aura of neglect. The priest continues his duties out of familial tradition as a fourth-generation priest, driven by a profound attachment to the temple.

Recently Hindu activist Shefali Vaidya visited the temple and she narrated what she encountered at the temple in a tweet. 

“Yesterday, while we were exiting the temple, a JCB drove towards the main entrance and dropped heavy steel doors and other material required for the construction of a strong room right at the main entrance of the temple, in such a way, that the entrance was completely blocked. The priest was practically begging the guys delivering the material to help him put the doors away on the side so the devotees could enter the temple. The contractor was flatly refusing, saying, his job was only to unload the cargo at the temple entrance and he had done so! The priest shrugged helplessly and told us that he has no option but to leave the heavy construction material like that, blocking the main entrance. He would have to arrange for local guys at night, after the temple was closed to move the stuff away, on his own time, and possibly money! When we left the temple, the heavy steel doors were still dumped unceremoniously beneath the main entrance of the Rajagopuram, with the priest looking helpless and harassed! This is the state of a government-controlled 1000-year-old Hindu temple in India!”

Another temple in Ambasamudram which lies in neglect is the Kasinathar Temple. Shefali Vaidya shared a video of the deplorable condition the temple is in today. This temple is said to be built by Chola kings nearly 900 years ago and it is mentioned in her tweet that locals claim that the construction debris had been lying near the main gopuram (tower) for several months.

Yet another ancient temple that is in a state of neglect as shared by Shefali Vaidya is the Thiru Kutralanathar temple in Courtallam, Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu. The Thiru Kutralanathar is said to be associated with one of the Pancha Sabhais where Lord Shri Nataraja is said to have performed the Cosmic Dance.

Chola King Kochenkannan planted a sacred tree, signifying worship of Kutralanathar. Kabilar’s “Sivaperuman Anthathi” references Courtallam’s beauty and Kutralanathar’s popularity, even in the Pallava Period.

Initially a Vishnu temple per Puranas, Sage Agasthiar transformed it into Kutralanathar temple. The deity’s perpetual headache led to nightly abhishekam with 64 herbs and a herbal Prasadam is disributed to the devotees even today after the abhishekam. The conch-shaped temple points to its Vaishnavite origin.

Thirukutralanathar temple has 89 inscriptions. Some date back to Chola King Parakesari Varman, mentioning Thirukkutrala Perumal, and later as Kutralathevan and Madevan. References to donations and the term “Perumal” suggest shrines of both Lord Perumal and Lord Siva.

The Thevaram Songs by Pallava Kings highlight Courtallam and its deity. Appar, Sundarar, and other Saivite saints have sung in praise of the deity. Texts like Thevaram, Thiruvasagam, and others describe Koothan in Courtallam.

Shefali Vaidya mentioned that the instances of alleged neglect and lack of concern on the part of the HR&CE department under the administration of MK Stalin towards Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu have come to light. She tweeted, “Construction debris are everywhere in the outside mandapa, river is filthy with lots of rubbish dumped there and there are cobwebs everywhere. Original temple walls have been defaced with vanity boards of politicians.”

Ancient temples, some over 1000 years old, come under the control of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department of the state government. The HR&CE website states that “There are 46,090 Hindu and Jain Temples under control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Department.”

Yet, most of the temples under their control are in a state of neglect and disrepair. Recently, a portion of the entry tower on the eastern side of the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple collapsed. It has been alleged that the negligence of the department that this happened. 

The Commune had also reported the sad state of affairs at the Sri Sanjeevi Rayar Temple which featured in the opening scene of the Rajnikanth-starrer Jailer. Despite all this, the temples have been left as they are and no effort has been made to restore them to their original splendour.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.