Statue of Sethupathi at ThiruppullANi

 

PROMINENT ELDERS WHO LIVED IN THIRUPPULLANI:

"ThiruvaNai (ThiruppullANi) kaNdAl, aruvinai illai" is a famous saying. In such a

glorious place many sages, AchAryAs, Artists and Poets have resided under the benevolent shades of Sri Adhi JagannAtha PerumAL, Sri PadmAsani ThAyAr and Sri PattAbhi RAmar. Some of the prominent ones are:

1. The poets of the Sangam period such as Pullar, kAdar, Deivach Chilayar (who wrote the commentary for TholkAppiyam) etc

2. Bhagavad RamAnuja's first AchAryan Periya Nambi (who is eulogized as: "EmperumAnAr munivarkku idamuRaiththAn vAzhiye") lived here from His birth.

3. In the villages and cities close to this sthalam like Sethukkarai, Keezhakkarai, Kondakai, SikkaRkiDAram, RAmanAthapuram, VembattUr, PAmban and MudukaLaththUr, many great persons like ThiruvaimozhippiLLai (the AchAryan of Sri MaNavALa MAmuni), SrI MaNavALa MAmunigaL, Kavi Kunjara BhArathi, Poochchi Sri SrinivAsa IyengAr, KavirAja PaNDithar, UmaRuppulavar, MambhazhakkavirAyar, Sri. U. Ve. R. RAghava IyengAr, Sri U. Ve. Mu. Raghava Iyengar (cousin of SrI U.Ve. R. Raghava Iyengar) who was a great Tamil scholor and author of several books like "SethunAdum senthamizum", AruNAchalakkavirAyar, the family of the mahaaraajaas of RAmanAthapuram — the Sethupathis, have lived here from birth or resided for a long period at this kshetram.

4. Specific mention has to be made about the Sethupathi rAjAs, who took the responsibilities of the nirvAham (administration) of the ThiruppullANi Temple with much devotion and care and have enabled the continued sevai of Sri Adhi JagannAtha PerumAL to all devotees for many centuries without let. Their beginnings can be traced back to the RAmAyaNa period when after the Bridge to Lanka was built, Sri Raman appointed the Chief of the army who helped build the Bridge as a trustee and care-taker of the Bridge for all ages. Since the Chief was ordered by none other than Sri Rama Himself to protect the Bridge (Sethu) and take care of the administration, he and his descendants have since been called as Sethupathis. This culturally and devotionally rich lineage has carried on the sacred duty bestowed upon them by Sri Rama and have justly and with strict adherence to rules, taken good care of ThiruppullANi and near by Temples and have bequeathed this rich heritage to us.

 

TEMPLES AROUND THIRUPPULLANI KSHETRAM

AND THEIR HIGHLIGHTS:

CHINNAKKOIL:

To the south of ThiruppullANi en-route to Sethukkarai, we get to visit "ChinnakkOil". Here we can enjoy the darsanam of "EkAnta SrinivAsan" who is without PirATTi as in Tirumala. The Utsavar has nAcchimArs. This Temple is also the residence of the most beautiful Sri Sweta MAdhava PerumAL moortham, which displays extra-ordinary RajalakshaNam. He is a swayam- vyaktha mUrthy. Apart from this, there are mUrthys for Agastyar and PiLLayAr in this Temple. Sri Sweta MAdhava PerumAL diplays the Sanku (Conch) in His right hand and Chakram (Sri Sudarshanam — the Discus) in His left hand which is an unusual sevai. On a closer look, one can see Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan seated in the Chakram and Sri Lakshmi NArAyaNan seated in the Sanku. The Prabhai (the arch) around Sri Sweta Madhava PerumAL depicts the dasAvatAra mUrthys.

SrI MaTham at ThiruppullANi

 

It is the saying of the sthalaththArs (natives) of this place that Sri Sweta Madhavan and Agastyar were both swayamvyaktha (self-manifest, not hand made) moorthams found from the sea. The sthala purANam states that Agastya Rishi came here on the orders of EmperumAn at the time of SrI SrInivAsa ThirukkalyANam. To make space for the crowds that had gathered in Thirumala for SrI Srinivasa KalyANam, the Rishi filled up the ocean waters into his kamanDalam. So EmperumAn came here to give darSanam as SrI SrInivAsan to Agastya Maharishi.