Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple

Getting there

• By road

  For the car festival, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation put on special buses from several places.

Why devotees come here

Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple stands in Suchindram, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma are worshipped together in one linga here, a combination described as unique in India. The temple matters to both the Shaivaite and Vaishnavite sects of Hinduism.

The main image is one linga in which the three central gods of Hinduism, Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, are worshipped together. Legend says King Indra was freed from a curse at the place of this main linga. Another legend tells of the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya staying at Jnaranya.

The present masonry structure was built in the Chola period, in the 9th century. Madurai Nayak kings renovated the temple in the 17th century, and later expansions are attributed to Thirumalai Nayak and the Travancore Maharajas. The temple blends Kerala and Tamil styles, which few temples in the Kanyakumari region do.

The complex covers around two acres and has two gateway towers, called gopurams. The eastern gopuram, the tallest, has 11 stories and stands 44 metres high. Four musical pillars are carved out of a single stone and stand 18 feet tall. A 22 foot Hanuman statue is carved from a single granite block. A car festival draws thousands of devotees who pull the decorated car through the streets. The car procession marks the end of the 10-day Margazhi festival.

Festivals

• Opens with flag hoisting on January 2Margazhi festival

  A 10-day festival at the temple that opens with the hoisting of the flag. The car procession marks its end.

• April to May, every yearTeppam

  Another festival of the temple, celebrated every year in these months.

Tips for your visit

• The car goes along the four Mada Streets around the temple, and all four fill with devotees on festival day.
• Fire and rescue staff were stationed by the temple tank during the car festival, and the district police arranged security for the crowd.
• Special abhishekam and puja rituals are performed for the deities earlier on the car festival day.

Questions people ask