Perumper Kandigai Thanthoneeswarar Temple Renovation

57 year old Ravi Gurukal has been performing pooja at the chozha period Thanthoneeswarar temple in Perumper Kandigai near Thozhupedu about 10kms South West of Melmaruvathur. It was here that Sage Agastya undertook penance and had darshan of the Lord and Ambal in a Kalyana Kolam. A 1000 years after the Chozha kings donated lands for the upkeep of the temple, this writer was welcomed into the temple by a long snake. Ravi Gurukal who has been here from childhood says that this is no uncommon feature and that it is part of his every day life, a reminder of how Seshamani Bhattar spent his first decade at the Erettai Tirupathi Divya Desam in Nava Tirupathi in the 1980s (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/02/seshamani-bhattar-erettai-tirupathi.html)

After completing his agama education at Kanchi Mutt’s Vazhalur Patshala (2year) and Dharmapuram Atheenam (5 years) in the mid 1980s, he came back to his hereditary temple at Perumper Kandigai. At the Patshala, life was different. There were coconut and mango groves all around but here it was forest like bushes and dark without lights. Looking at the financially challenged life his appa M Rajamani Gurukal having performed pooja at this remote temple for five decade, Maha Periyava asked if he would go to Varanasi to perform abhisekam at the temple there at a salary that was quite high in those days and with free accommodation. Later Periyava sent him a letter asking if he would go to Madurai to perform service at the Subramanya temple. 

There had been no electricity at the temple in the time his appa performed service. This entire area was like a forest with huge trees even around the temple. There were hundreds of snakes moving around. His appa brought ghee lit lamp to the temple to perform service. The only source of income was from the 6acre land that Kulothunga Chozha had donated to his forefathers for the upkeep of the temple.  There are several inscriptions dating back to the 9th and 10th Century AD and the donations made to the trustees of the temple. 

His appa went by cycle to the Murugan temple atop the hill where they have performed hereditary service for centuries.

With his appa having performed service in such financially difficult conditions, Ravi Gurukal asked Maha Periyava if he could continue the hereditary service that his forefathers had rendered here. And thus in 1984, he joined the temple and has been performing service here for almost four decades without much income.

“When I was a child there was not enough rice to consume every day. I was moved devotionally when I saw my appa cycle several kms to perform service in multiple village temples. And I decided to stay put at this historical temple and perform service here.”

With his agama knowledge, he went around performing Kumbhabhisekams and that helped in the maintenance of the Thaduthaat Konda Nayaki samedha Thanthoneeswarar temple. With the Sambhavanai he received from the Kumbhabhisekams, he began making improvements at the temple. 

He performed the Kumbhabhisekam of this temple in 2007 for the first time after over two centuries. He also built a Rana Patra Kaligambal Sannidhi in 2012. Three years ago, a flag post was installed with a Nandi Mandapam. A new sannidhi for Vinayaka and Chandikeswarar is being built now. He has also built an alankaram mandapam and a hall where Veda Parayanam can take place. 

15years after the previous consecration, its time for Thiruppani again. Ravi Gurukal is keen on  Pancha Moorthy idols for this temple and for processions to start at least on special occasions. There are some parts of the temple that need repairs. Painting work for the Vimana will also take place as part of the Thiruppani works. 

While his appa had performed service for five decades without electricity, Ravi Gurukal is finally looking at proper electricity supply to the temple and is trying to get extensive wiring done. He is also planning to get a water line to the temple.

His dream is to build the large outer walls for the temple as well as a Raja Gopuram. He says that Periyava’s blessings had been received to construct a 184 feet Raja Gopuram but there is no money for such construction at the moment ‘Just the outer walls alone will cost Rs. 50lakhs’, says Ravi Gurukal.

Even the current Thiruppani works is well beyond his reach. He says that the repair works will cost Rs. 12lakhs while the Kumbhabhisekam related event will cost Rs. 17lakhs. He has started off the work taking personal loan because it has been 15years since the previous consecration but he does not have the money to complete the Thiruppani without support from the devotees. 

Interestingly, both his sons have also undergone Patshala education and are involved in the pooja at the Hill Murugan temple, the nearby Kailasanathar temple and Thanthoneeswarar temple. It may have be an easy choice for them to go the corporate route like many descendants in several temples in TN have done but the sons want to continue the temple service and both have remained in this remote location far away from city life.

The Balalayam has taken place and Ravi Gurukal has faith that the Lord and Ambal for whom his forefathers have performed selfless service will help him find a way to complete the Thiruppani. The Kumbhabhisekam has been scheduled for 29th August and is just a month away. He is the lone man anchoring and monitoring the work every day in the crucial phase. It is hard to find those like Ravi Gurukkal these days. Staying back in hereditary location despite all the challenges and still ensuring that the historical temple finds its way back into the glory days again.

Work has begun in right earnest and with blessings from the Lord and Maha Periyava and with financial support from devotees, Ravi Gurukal is confident that the Kumbhabhisekam will take place as planned.

Perumper Kandigai Thanthoneeswarar Temple is 2kms West of Thozhupedu off the Melmaruvathur - Tindivanam National Highway. Buses from Melmaruvathur to Tindivanam stop at Thozhupedu just after Acharapakkam (7kms from Melmaruvathur). From Thozhupedu, auto to the temple will cost Rs. 50. When here, also visit the Murugan temple atop the hill. 

Ravi Gurukal can be reached on 99529 65215