The visit to this Sri Esakki Amman
Temple and Avvaiyaramman Temple at Muppandal near Nagercoil was a part of the
“Nanjil Nadu Heritage Walk”, organized by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department and
the தொண்டை மண்டல வரலாற்று ஆய்வு சங்கம் “திருக்கச்சி” from 16th to 18th
May 2025. I extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Velu
Pillai and Mrs. Radha Balan Ruth for organizing this Heritage Walk.
Esakki, an
ordinary woman, who turned to a guarding deity, with the blessings of Shiva,
Parvati, and the Sangam poet Avvaiyar.
Moolavar: Shri Esakki Amman
Some of the
salient features of this temple are…..
This Muppandal
has Shri Esakki Amman Temple, a big-sized Stucco image of Esakki Amman open to the sky, and Avvaiyaramman Temple with 3 mandapas.
The Esakki Amman
temple faces north with a 3-tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam is in front of the
Rajagopuram. Dwarapalakis are at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum, and Esakki
Amman is in a sitting posture, holding Trishul and Kapala. In koshtam
Prithyangira Devi, Vishnu Durgai, and Vaishnavi.
In praharam
Valampuri Vinayagar, Avvaiyar Amman, Bala Murugan, Sudalai madan, and
Pattavaraiyan. Neelan (believed as the brother of Esakki Amman) is in a
separate sannidhi, and devotees believed that Neelan was the incarnation of Maha
Vishnu.
The stucco image
of Esakki Amman is on the right side of the temple. The image is about 25 feet
high.
AVVAIYARAMMAN
TEMPLE WITH MANDAPAS
A small sannidhi
of Avvaiyar Amman is on the premises of the Esakki Amman Temple. In addition to
this sannidhi, there is a separate temple dedicated to Avvaiyar Amman. This
temple is about 100 meters from the Esakki Amman Temple. This temple faces east.
The Avvaiyar Amman is also in a sitting posture. The sanctum sanctorum is with
a vimanam.
There are two
mandapas (originally 3 mandapas) near this temple. It is believed that these
mandapas/pandals are meant for the three Kings, Chera, Chozha, and Pandya Kings. There, they meet Avvaiyar, the Sangam period poet, and she removes the
differences between them. Hence, this place is called Muppandal.
AVVAIYARAMMAN
ARCHITECTURE
The whole temple
was constructed with brick and concrete. The temple consists of a sanctum
sanctorum and an open mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha
adhistanam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam, and pattikai. The bhitti starts with
vedikai. The pilasters are Brahma kantha pilasters. The prastaram consists
of valapi and kapotam. A 2-tier vesara vimanam is on the bhumi desam.
HISTORY AND
INSCRIPTIONS
It is believed
that the original temple is 500 years old. The present structure may have been constructed in the 20th century.
LEGENDS
As per the
legend, Esakki was the daughter of a wealthy woman of Palavoor. A young man
wanted to get all the wealth. So he acted like a lover to Esakki and asked
her to come along with her mother’s jewels and the money to go somewhere and
marry her. Believing the young man’s words, Esakki went along with him. In the
middle of the forest, the young man took all her jewels and killed her by
dropping a stone on her head. On the way, the young man also died due to a snake
bite. When both of them reached the celestial abode of Shiva, Esakki requested
Shiva for a boon of killing the Young man by her own hand. Shiva granted her the
boon and gave life to the Young man also. They took rebirth at Palavoor.
Esakki converts
the cactus into a child goes to the Young man’s house and is told that he is
the father of the Child. When he denied it, the case came to the Village Sabha.
There also the young man also said the same. Esakki let the child come towards him. The
Child went to the Young man and called him the father. The Sabha decided to lock
both of them in a room to settle between themselves. Waiting for this chance,
Esakki killed the young man with her own hands. With the anger not reduced,
Esakki came to Muppandal. On seeing Esakki, Avvaiyar consoled her, made her calm, and advised her to stay at this place as a guarding deity of Muppandal. Ma
Parvati also blessed her as the guarding deity of Muppandal.
POOJAS AND
CELEBRATIONS
Apart from
regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, Thai
month pournami /full moon day, and annual celebrations will be held in Adi
month. Annadhanam is served daily.
Offered by the Devotees
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will
be kept open from 06.30 hrs to 12.30 hrs and from 16.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
The mobile
number +960 744-0284 may be contacted for further details.
HOW TO REACH
The temple at
Muppandal is on the side of the State Highway, from Tirunelveli to Nagercoil.
Muppandal is
18.5 km from Nagercoil and 28 km from Kanyakumari.
The nearest
Railway Station is Nagercoil.
LOCATION OF THE
TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
--- OM SHIVAYA
NAMA---
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