Kerala - Its Contribution to Indian History & Culture

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Thaadaka vadham:

Was Rama in love with Thaadaka? Why it was not fulfilled then? That was a different approach to “Thaadaka Vadham” attakkatha penned by Prof. V Kkrishanan Thampi. It was staged today by Sandarsan Kathakali Vidyalayam Ambalapuzha, at Karthika Tirunal Theatre. The show was organized by Drisyavedi in connection Prof. Krishanan Thampi Day. Thampi had portrayed this story in the backdrop of Aryan-Dravidian conflict.
Thaadaka the Dravidian Queen was seated with pride when a messenger conveys what he had seen at Aryadesam. Thaadakam had already vowed to eradicate Aryans. This news delivered by the messenger makes her unrest. She at once engages her men to bring those Aryans who performs rituals by force.
In the next scene, Dasaradhan refuses to send Rama with Viswamitran for participating in a yagam and they argue over this issue. When irritated Viswamitran was about to curse Dasaradhan, Vasishtan reaches there and prevents the act of cursing. He advises Dasaradhan to sent Rama with Viswamitran. The sages say that an ogress is troubling them and seeks Rama’s help. However Rama had taken the vow that he would never slay woman. They reach Thaadakavaanam. Rama was desperate. He was awe struck with the silence of the forest. He realizes the power of Thaadaka. Out of fear all living creatures had under cover. Gradually he slips into deep sleep.

Wandering Thaadaka saw a handsome young man. She was attracted towards him. That was love at first sight. She suddenly realizes her vow when she tries to kiss him. “IT is against the dharma. He is my enemy. I should not develop any soft corner for him” she says and slowly walks back.
Rama wakens and sees a charming lady. But she had vanished in no time. Who can that be? How dare she is to wander in this forest dominated by the ogress and her men.

Rama again bumps with her. She introduces her as vanadevatha. Rama discloses his mission warns her about Thaadaka.

She suggests Rama to go for a compromise with Thaadaka to which Rama turns a deaf ear. They depart. Viswamitran conducts yaga and armed Rama protects the yagasala. But he curses his faith to slain a woman. He makes a final attempt and pleads Viswamitran that he wanted to decline fro the act of slaying a woman.
The Sage insists and directs him to kill her. Rama had no other way. He tells his arrows that he is unable to aim at a woman and but pleads them strike her. He hears the roaring of the ogress and aims his arrows in the direction of the sound.
The arrows pierce Thaadaka’s body. Rama reaches the spot to find that the Vanadevatha was injured badly. She reveals her true identity. HE consoles her. Thaadaka prophesies that their love would be fulfilled in their next births when Rama would be born as a cow herd (Krishna) and herself as Radha. Kalamandalam Shanmughan (Thaadaka) and Kalamandalam mukundan (RAMA) and Kalamandalam Hari S Nair (Thaadaka –kari vesham) were the main perfomers.

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Kalamandalam Kshemavathi:
Mohiniyattam which was patronized by Maharaja Swati Tirunal almost 175 years ago regained its favor since its incorporation in the curriculum of Kerala Kalamandalam established by Mahakavi Vallathol. The poet managed to employ the services of Chinnammu, and Kalyanikutti Amma the exponents of Mohiniyattam.


The untiring efforts of the duo and their disciples like Kalamandalam Kshemavathi have brought out the perfect style of Lasya from the corridors of temples and palaces to auditoriums. Kshemavathi was in city recently. The dancer in an interview explains her contributions to Mohiniyattam and her new ventures.


“I joined Kalamandalam in 1958. It was Chinnammu who taught the cholkettu two padams, and a varnam in Yadukulakambodhi. The repertoire was limited. The artistes wore half white saree, and blouse. The hair style was that of Bharatanatyam. I and Satybhama decided to set a dress code for Mohiniyattam-and that is what we see today. This dance form originated in Kerala and should our culture” said Kshemavathi.
It was Kshemavathi who tried the present hair style on Kalamandalam Sugandi. It is a large chignon on top of the head but to one side is decorated with a circlet of Jasmine. This elegant knot matched with the archaic costumes and jewelry suitably.
Her attempts to deviate from tradition are always subjected to criticism. She has choreographed gazals like “Jab raat kee thanhwa..” I was concerned about the audience reactions. I think if you present gazals through Mohiniyattam in north India, it would have greater impact. Any verse embellished with visual details, can be used for Mohiniyattam she opined. She had set a precedence for the future generations to experiment boldly.
The unique technique of Mohiniyattam lies between the Dasiyattam and the Lasya aspect of Kathakali. Most of the songs deal with situations with love.

They are conveyed with the gesture of the eyes and the hands, expressions of the face and body poses.
The padams are soaked in Madhurabhakti. The heroine describes the torment and anguish she suffers as a result of her devotion to the Lord. Sometimes it deals with the confession of her love to her sakhi.
The Mohiniyattam padams are slow as it is exclusively abhinaya interpetting in detail, the words of a song through expressions and gestures. The phrases are repeated many times in order to interpret every shade of the meaning. The greater the understanding of the dancer, the richer the color she is able to give it any phrase.

Visual portrayal of Omana thingal kidavo and kuchelavrutham are her master pieces. She has choreographed Karuna, Meghadootham, and Ashtapadi.
She has formulated steps and adavus of Mohiniyattam and would like to produce a visual document of this art form for posterity.

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Nala is inflamed with love and eager to see Damayanthi. They had never met each other, but nevertheless have fallen in love. Nala wonders how he can seek and win her. He asks the moon, the passing cloud, and the cool breeze to carry this message of love to his beloved. Kalamandalam Shanmughan was at his expressive best while enacting the Nalacharitham first day at Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan.

The connoisseurs were astounded to see Shanmughan as Nala since he is known for his sthree veshams. Earlier he had performed the role of Damayanthi many times, even with stalwarts like Kalamandalam Gopi. Shanmughan had already proved his dexterity in both male and female roles.

Says Shanmughan: “This is not my debut male role. I have portrayed the role of Krishna, which has definite Kalarichitta. The role of Nala, is different in that it has no kalarichitta and entirely on the manodarmam. I never say that my portrayal of Nala is perfect. Precision comes only with practice. It also remains a fact that only a few can do female roles with consummate ease.
The actor requires the twin attributes of a charming appearance and flexible physique. Actors twice blessed like shanmughan are few and far between.

For him taking up a female role is a matter of survival. Being relatively junior, he has to bide his time to get a good male role. He feels that doing both can do more harm than good. THE FEMALE CHARACTERS ARE LASYA ORIENTED. The male ones are the thandava type.
Enacting the role of Nala in Nalacharitham day one is no cake walk. The rasa/emotion is vipralamba sringara or separated love. There is less scope for angika abhinaya. The movements are lasya as the poetic and romantic text and are best conveyed through gentle lyrical movements. It demands satwika abhinaya. His experience in doing female roles has definitely come in handy. Forlorn love is immaculately captured in his female gestures.

He has devoted considerable time for mukha abhinayam. One could read a heart felt emotion even at the tip of his nose. That was an emotional experience for the audience.
Shnamughan is a native of Pullangiri in Chempakulam known for Kathakali tradition. The village has produced great masters like Kunjupilla panicker, chempakkulam pachchu pilla, and Guru Gopinath. A product of Kerala Kalamandalam he is still undergoing training under Vasu Pisharadi.

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This interview was taken in 2004

His last visit to the city was to receive the prestigious Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram and this time A Ramachandran and his wife Tan Chameli were in this city to spend their holidays.
A native of Attingal, Ramachandran after his post graduation in Malayalam worked for AIR, as a staff artiste for sometime. He later joined Jamia Islamia as a lecturer and retired as a Professor.
“Since my child hood I nurtured a fascination for art” says the artist. In the initial stages his works were large with powerful figuration.
He joined Santiniketan and took a Diploma in fine arts. Born to Tan Yun Shan and Chen Nai-wei his Tan Chameli is also a product of Santiniketan. Spiritually, a Buddhist her father was a close associate of Mao Tse Tung. ‘My father met Tagore, in Malayasia and was highly influenced by him. That was how he visited Santiniketan. My father took it as MISSION to spread the message of Tagore through inter civilization cooperation” she says. It was her father who established Cheena Bhavan at Viswa Bharati, Sino-Indian society at Nanking, and the world Buddhist Academy at Bodh Gaya. “It was Rabindranath Tagore who christened me” she says. Her association with Ramachandran culminated in their marriage.

Ramachandran’s work underwent a sea change in the 80 s. Influenced by the tribal community in Rajasthan, its vibrant ethos gripped his imagination. Tan but prefers to paint nature. Swaying coconut palms, in Chinese ink, leaves and branches of climbers, different hues, of lotus flowers, are a few of Tan Chameli’s impressive works.
Ramachandran’s sculptures are more intriguing in formal terms than his paintings. His command over lines, colors and forms, creates a visual play. They are vibrant teeming with burgeoning life. In one of his works, one can find the presence of the artist in the form of a butterfly, or a snail. “It is like me becoming the part of the work” he remarked and added
‘It is a fantasy like our myths. We as a civilization have evolved a highly imaginative culture unlike the European one” and for him Ramkinkar is his guru.

For him art is an extension of visual culture. Our temples, festivals, palaces, are examples of visual culture. With the onslaught of western style we have lost our traditional touch and hence the visual culture is getting fragmented.

Our Maharajas had a broad outlook. The king may not be an artist or a musician. But he patronized them. Raja Ravi VARMA HAD A LANGUAGE AND THAT PERIOS IS OVER. There was literally stagnation after him. K C S Panicker had a different style. Ramachnadran had his doctoral thesis on Mural paintings of Kerala.
Yellow space, moving bodies, peep hole, metamorphosis, last supper, grave diggers, end of Yadhavas, and Kalinga war were his popular works.

Ramachandran designs stamps. His children literatures were published in Japan England, and the USA, besides in India. HE HAS organized dozens of one man shows and two retrospectives.
A traveling exhibition of his works, in oil, line drawings and water colors were displayed at all major cities under the title “Reality in search of Myth”
The diversity of his art and his craftsmanship over a number of media is breath taking. “I have done a number of political works. I realized that its life span is short. I was an angry young man then. Now I am old and happy. The artist’s world is large. When I realize it I became old” he confessed. Two volumes of his works RAMACHANDRAN A RETROSPECTIVE by R. Shivakumar, will be released shortly. The work deals with the life and 40 years of his works.

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Margi Vijayakumar:_ Maestro in drag

Poothana, the ogress was sent to poison infant Krishna. She assumes the form of a beautiful maiden plays with him, and gains his confidence. She then picks him up and suckles him at her poisoned breast. The child turns the tables on her. Once she realizes that she had been done for Poothana reveals her real hideous form and desperately tries to tear the baby away from her breast but in vain. She writhes in pain till her breath is sucked our.

It was impossible to enact Poothana Moksham sans the doll that represented Krishna. Or so it was thought until Margi Vijayakumar staged a performance at the Natyagramam at Thonnaikkal.

Connoisseurs were astounded. The effect he conjured without the doll was stunning, to say the least. The evocation of the rasa is the key to his success, for he effectively makes the audience feel the presence of Krishna.

Other artistes consider this abandonment a sacrilege. My performance has invited much criticism. BUT I LIKE TO PURSUE this style says Margi Vijayakumar who had always excelled in female roles.

He was initiated into the world of Kathakali through the Kathakali School set up in Thonnakkal by Thonnakkal Peethambaran, his father’s student. Later he chanced upon an ad by Margi, and in 1975, he joined there. Mankulam Vishnu Nampoothiri and Enchakad Ramachandran Pillai were his masters then. He cherishes the fact that he coluld learn under Kalamandalam Krishnan kutti Nair whi joined Margi in 1980. Now he has established a Natyagram in Thonnakkal to create awareness, among the people regarding the performing arts of Kerala.

Initially he was not keen on sthree veshams. It later dawned on me that only very few can enact female roles. The physical make of the artiste should fit in with the female costumes and make up” he says.

The basic color is a sort of pale beige. The eyes are outlined in black and eyebrows emphasized with graceful curves. The lips are given lovely shape in red. Cheeks are adorned with a wavy line of white dots. These are repeated on the forehead and chin. FINELY powdered mica dust imparts a soft glow to the skin. Once the artiste is accustomed to this type of roles, it is tough to portray male characters. If you concentrate on both none would reach perfection. The disadvantage of sticking on to female minukku is that after a certain period you cannot continue. Age is a major factor. However I am not all inclined to do male characters as of now.

Vijayakumar says that portraying Urvashi is the most challenging. It has a strict frame work and the artiste has to evoke controlled emotions. The foot work and the tempo of the music are very slow. Silmilarly Lalitha in Kirmeera Vadham is a split personality. According to him female characters have less significance. When a female appears on stage with male she stands as a mere onlooker. “While I perform I always express facial gestures to his dialogues” he said.
There is a school of thought that the female characters should be executed only by female artistes so that they can bring female emotions correctly. But this is precisely the challenge Vijayakumar has taken up. JUNE 25, 2005 INDIAN EXPRESS

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He was only 14 while staging “Ganapathiprathal” at the Elamkunnu Subramaniaswami Temple for Makarasankranthi. Exponents of Kootiyattam recognized a spark in him that would grow into a floodlight of reform. He grew beyond that and became the beacon light of Kootiyattam. Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakkiyar was in the city recently to receive the honor bestowed on him by Margi and Drisyavedi. In an interview this octogenarian talks about Adiyantharakoothu, his masters, the gurukaula system and his renowned disciples like Margi Sathi. It was he who introduced Nirvahanam by female characters.
His vachikabhinaya, was an exquisite allegory of Indian life, narrated in simple, forceful, direct, seasoned with racing humor.

Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakkiyar (Parameswarn) was born in the traditional family of Kootiyattam performers. He had his initial lessons from the family members and had advanced lessons from Kidangoor Chakkiars. Kallangara Ksharathu Narayana Pisharodi taught him Sanskrit.
“In those days Adiyanthira Koothu was more. It really helped to revive the art form”
How?
We have Adiyanthira Koothu, Kazhcha Koothu, and Vazhipadu Koothu. The last two were meant for the public. But Adiyanthira Koothu provides absolute freedom to the artistes. Vadakkumnathan temple, Irinjalakkuda Koodal Manikkam temple, Annamanada Mahadeva temple, Kottiyur Mahadeva temple had regular Adiyanthira Koothu. I had performed in all these temples and gained experience. As the chakyar family of Irinjalakkuda belongs to the charcha I stayed there and performed in all temples where they have the right to do so” he said. If he had bothered to list out the number of stages, we would find him in the Guinness book of records!
His mission was different. In his childhood days Kootiyattam was on the verge of extinction. He wanted to revive it. That was a period when the then kootiyattam artistes thought twice to impart knowledge of Kootiyattam to their children. Kochukuttan Chakiar initiated his children Madhu and Narayanan into Kootiyattam. A bold step indeed!!
It was Painkulam Rama Chakkiar who staged Kootiyattam out side Koothambalam for the first time in 1948. Kootiyattam was never staged full. It is so elaborate that it would take days-Mantarnakam for instance-it would take 41 days! Nirvahanam is the prelude to Kootiyattam. Here one of the characters sums up the story presented. This would take many days. It is done by Vidhooshaka. He explains the inner multiple meanings to the audience which demands lengthy abhinaya. He expounds the famous purushartha the four ultimate attainments in human life peppered with satires on follies and foibles of human life. He talks in local parleys which increased viewership. Later Sanskrit poets composed exclusive prabhandama for the Vidhhoshaka known as Prabhandakoothu. The chakkiars executed the role of the media men. None can question their criticism. (That is why Ammannur family left Pattambikulam and settled in Thirumoozhikkulam.) He had staged Ramayanam Prabhnadam koothu for three mandalams that is 123 days. Kochukuttan chakkair was a Vidhooshaka exponent. He never hesitates to essay minor roles.

Kochukuttan Chakkiyar joined Margi in 1981. Ammannur Madhava Chakkiyar was the tutor. He composed attaprakarams for certain portions of Acharyachudamani. It was Kochukuttan Chakkiyar who trained his students and staged them. He staged chudamani till EZHAMANGAM Bharatavakyam. “I was paid Rs.250/. We were five. I never complained” he said. He trained Margi Sathi and Usha who have staged maximum number of female characters. He choreographed Parnasalangam, Mayaseethangam, and Agnipravesangam of the Achryachoodamani. What he had learned can be staged continuously for 180 days!

Nirvahanam of Chedi Kalpalathika (Subhadradhananjayam) is spread over 237 slokams. Kochu Kuttan Chakkiyar, made it into 30 chapters. It requires 30 days (3 hours per day) and trained Sathi.
That genius is akin to madness. His mission was to revive Kutiyattam, and he could redeem this art form, into the popular one as we see today through nishkamakarma. He was conferred with Kendra Snaggetha Nataka Academy Award and Kalaratnam title by Keralakalamandalam.

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Kalamandalam Gangadharan:_
He is the first Kathakali musician to win the Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Akademy Award. His presence with chengila adds confidence to the actors on stage. Meet Kalamandalam Gangadharan, who was in the city recently.
Gangadharan a native of Oyyur near Kottarakkara, was initiated into music by uncle under Kadakkavur Velukkutti Nair.
“We had financial problems and so I joined Kerala Kalamandalam, where you need not pay any fee” said Gangadharan. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambeesan was his Guru. “If we have fairly good knowledge of classical music, it is an added advantage for learning Kathakali songs” he opined. “When I was doing my seventh year, Hyderali and Embranthiri joined Kalamandalam. I started taking classes when I was doing my final year. After completing the course I joined Kalamandalam as a tutor and served the institution for 30 years” he said.
Besides a good voice what qualities are expected from the Kathakali musician?
He has to be thorough with the stories, the various sambrathayams, the veshams, and you have to involve intimately with the kalari. You must be capable of bringing out the right bhava in the tone. Kottayam Kathakal has a strict kalarichitta. The tempo is slow. The music is highly technical. The term of the course for the veshakkaran and Kathakali musician are the same.
Has the singer freedom to change the tune of the padams?
Yes. Karnasapadam and Nalacharitham are examples. We never adhere to the ragas mentioned in the text. We propagated what Venkitakrishna Bhagavathar and Nambeesan Aasan had taught us. But I am sorry to say that one can identify a filmy touch in the Kathakali padams” he was concerned. He has served Margi as the visiting professor for years.

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Abandoned by her beloved, Sita sends are two sons Lava and Kusha, to reunite with his father. She reminisce her eventful life_ her wedding, her years in the Dandakaranya, how she insulted Lakshmana, how she was kidnapped by Ravana, her hardships at Asokavanam, Rama’s coronation and how Rama abandoned her based on spy report, was asked to undergo a public test.

“I am willing to undergo the test. Yet you have never tried to understand the woman Sita for a moment who is till a stranger to you” she laments.
Here commences “Sitayanam” the journey of Sita, by Mohiniyattam danseuse Dr. Neena Prasad at the Senate Hall last week.

Rama’s martial prowess first appeared to advantage barely at 12 when he dared to attempt to wield and string up the bow of Shiva. It was made a condition by Janaka for the bestowal of his daughter Sita.

She followed Rama to forest. At the forest Maricha as an enchanting deer began to dance and prance in front of their hermitage. She was so struck with its beauty and demanded to possess the rare animal. . Lakshmana had suspicions about the reality of the animal. Rama entrusts Lakshmana to protect Sita till he arrives. For Rama the animal played wily tricks. When he shot an arrow the death pangs had the voice of Rama. Sita was shocked to hear that. But Lakshmana remained unmoved. He had full confidence in Rama’s prowess. This behavior of Lakshamana excited her so much that she used abusively vicious language. She attributed to him sinister motives. Lakshmana was stung to the quick by this insult and prepared to leave in search of Rama.
What provoked her insult to Lakshmana? Just as the moth is fatally attracted to the flame so is the mind of a woman. It jumps into conclusions as wrongly as this.

Rama’s victorious return to Ayodhya, with sita and after the grand coronation, Rama asked his spies to speak out to him the people’s talk. The spy told him in an outspoken manner that the people in open markets or in nooks and corners, spoke highly of Rama. But also talk ill of him for accepting Sita not minding her having been in the house of Ravana. It was like a bolt from blue for Rama. Rama immediately made up his mind to discard her. He very well knew that sita was absolutely pure and sinless. People condemn my acceptance of sita as a bad precedence. Sita was shocked to realize that she was being abandoned by Rama.


Valmiki sent Lava kusha to recite in their cadence voice a certain portion of his composition the Ramayana. He realizes that they were his sons, and expressed his willingness to accept Sita back on Sita’s giving a publicly satisfying demonstration before the large audience of her perfect innocence.
Sita with her head and eyes turned down to the ground. What is the purpose of life? Was this life limited to the slaying of Ravana and to bring forth Rama’s progenies? Why should I live? She says “I do not think any other male than Raghava. If this statement is true may the earth goddess offers me an opening.” The Goddess took her up and disappeared under the ground, leaving Rama to rue for his obstinacy.

“Sitayana is a collaborative work. Sampoorna Adyatmaramayana, Kamba Ramayana and Chintavishtayaya Sita were the primary sources. The lyrics were composed by Prof. Madhusudanan Nair, Dr. Maheswaran Nair, and Sreepadam Eswaran Nampoothiri. We have incorporated folk music, and ritual music heritage of Kerala, including Thiruvathira. Music was scored by Changanasseri Madhavan Nampoothiri. It was choreographed by me”

Why such a theme?
I have felt that there was much more to be explored. For me she is not the angry woman and the suffering icon of Indian womanhood. It is an attempt to essay her life’s journey in its complexity and intensity.” She said. (646 words)
Born to Bhaskara Prasad and Lalitha Prasad, Neena had her training in Bharatanatyam from Adayar K Lekshmanan, Kuchupidi from Vembatti Chinna Satyam, Mohiniyattam from Kalamandalam Sugandhi and Kathakali from Vembayam Appukkuttan Nair.
She realized that Mohiniyattam was her forte and for the past 12 years she has been focusing on it. Her nayikas are bold, and not romantic, sensuous timid and pining for nayakas.

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Kaladi in Kerala is the birth place of the great Saivaite reformer and powerful advaitic exponent Sankarachraya.
Unlike many other places KALADI is not so popular. No big festivals attract pilgrims. Kaladi on account of remoteness and the absence of legendary associations is a place of pilgrimage only for the educated ones who knew the greatness of Sankaracharya and his contribution to Sanskrit literature and Hindu Philosophy.
Scholars and devotees gather at Kaladi on the day of Sankara Jayanthi.
The idyllic and solemn place can be reached from Angamaly. Coconut groves, areca nut fields, stretches of paddy fields, canals with innumerable meanders offer visual feast.
The conical tower of the temple is visible from afar. They –one for Sankara and the other for Saradadevi, are unique. The tower is over the shrine itself and there are no architectural features. The house of Sanakra and the school he attended have all disappeared. The spot where the mother of Sankara was cremated reminds us of how Sankara took to sanyasa at the age of 12, and reached her mother’s side in her last hours and how he fulfilled her desire to see him.
Sarada was a learned woman who defeated even SANKARA in an argument. He had great veneration for her that he dedicated a temple to her at Srungeri.
The Peritar River is mind-boggling. Coconut palms and bushes hang down to the water’s edge. What over power us is the silence that prevails there.

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Buddha and Jaina relics in Kerala show that Kerala too came under the influence of Jainism and Buddhism. They remind us of the far off days when these faiths were practiced by men and women.
Here let us have a study of such relics confined to southern parts of present day Kerala and Tamilnadu which was known as Travancore. KARUMADI is a small village near Alappuzha. There is a mutilated image of three ft high set on an ordinary pedestal and the people call it Karumadikuttan on the banks of the backwater, and people go ashore to make offerings. Archeologists believe that Karumadikuttan is an image of Buddha seated in the yogasana posture. Traces of the upper cloth passing over the chest is a distinguishing feature of Buddhist iconography.
The department of Archeology had excavated four more images of BUDDHA. They are,
1. At Mavelikkara: It was found in the premises of a house. People lit lamps and offer coconuts.
2. At Bharanikkavu: located five miles north-west of Mavelikkara, the images excavated was elegantly carved.
3. At Pallikkal: seven miles from Adoor, this image was head less.
4. At Karunagapalli: in a temple tank, this image is the best ever found.
Last two images are exhibited in the Museum.

All these images were found in the central Travancore. When exactly Buddhism faded cannot be said. There are many temples which are of Jaina origin.

The famous Jaina temple is Chitharal. There is a cave temple atop a craggy hill.

Chitharal is a tiny unpretentious village located 4 miles north east of Kuzhithurai. This antique and historically significant rock shrine was in days of yore a place of pilgrimage sacred to the Jains. It was converted into Hindu temple in 1250AD, and an image of Bhagavathy was installed.
At the summit of Tirucharanathu Malai a craggy hill in Chitharal is a natural cave formed by an overhanging rock resting upon another. The imposing ruins of this temple perched atop the hill evoke sacred and austere memories.
On the northern side of the overhanging rock is sculpted many exquisite images which are avowedly Jainistic in origin, distinguished by hanging earlobes, a tier of three umbrellas over the tonsured head, in the sitting and standing postures. The images have broad shoulders and thin waists with contemplative expressions. Between these images of Jain Theerthankaras are inscriptions in Vattezhuthu. Most of them are seemed to be the replica of the Jain Theerthankaras, namely Parsvanatha and Mahavira, inside the central shrine. The Hindus however consider this as the image of Mahavishnu.
The central shrine is divided into three chambers-one for the Goddess another for Mahavira and the third one for Parsuanatha which is in the standing posture and nude as required by the manasara.
The term Thirucharanathu malai means the hill holy to the charanas. The chudamani nighantu says that charanas are the eight class of samanas who have attained the siddhi of concealing themselves in flowers, water or sky. It also means a place where Jains lived in large groups.
On the top of the overhanging rock just above the central shrine is a brick gopuram. The three storied pagoda had images of Mahaviras. It was destroyed in lightning in 1908.
Jainism declined in the 11th century during the Chola dynasty. It is said that when Chandra Gupta Maurya along with a Jain ascetic Badrabhahu reached Sravanabalgola in 298 BC their disciples reached here to spread Jainism and chose this hillock for meditation.
Inscription on a huge rock exposed to the elements hence badly damaged throw light on the religious and cultural history of the State. There is a pond in front of the shrine down a flight of steps.
On ascending the Chitharal rock one can enjoy the charming landscape around. At a distance the jagged outline of the Western Ghats enveloped by clouds can be seen .Below gleaming pale green lakes, fields, winding rivers, clusters of pretty villages nestling amidst coconut and Palmyra plantations, the tall spires of churches, the lofty gopurams enchant us.
This spot a confluence of history and religion is an ideal place for enjoying a quiet holiday. The most greatly prized amenity granted exclusively by nature here is peacefulness.
The Nagaraja temple at Nagercoil also is of Jaina origin. It continued to do so till 1522. Six Jaina images, three of which are -seated figure of Mahavira Tirthankara, one seated figure of Parswanatha, and another of the same in the standing posture. One of the Maharavira image is carved on a pillar in the Mandapa, in front of the central shrine and two others in the central shrine itself. The images of Parsvanatha and Padmavathidevi are seen on the pillars in the same mandapa.
Kallil Bhagavathi temple at Perumpavur, too is of Jaina origin. The shrine is a huge overhanging rock. Inside on the back wall of the cave is sculpted in half relief, the image of Mahavira, and to its left is the Padmavathidevi, now worshipped as Bhagavathi