Opinion | The Hill, Hindu And The Law: Thiruparankundram And The Lamp That Exposed Unequal Secularism |
Lord Murugan, also known as Skanda, is often regarded as the presiding deity of Tamil Nadu. The six major temples dedicated to him, spread across the region, bear testimony to this enduring reverence.
Collectively known as the ‘Aarupadai Veedu’, these temples are ancient and are celebrated in classical Tamil literature, having contributed immensely to Tamil culture, religion, literature, and language.
Kamil Zvelebil, the distinguished Czech Indologist and one of the most respected modern scholars of Tamil language and literature, observed in one of his works: “Murugan, the youthful god of victorious war, is ubiquitous in Tamil writing and culture. He is present in the earliest classical poems of Tamil as well as in the splendid [Chilappatikaaram], in the ruby-red and sea-blue and golden songs of Arunagiri, as well as in the very recent prayers to Murugan by A. K. Ramanujan."
Unlike the variable and multiple versions of stories and myths associated with most Hindu deities, the narratives connected with Murugan, especially those recorded in the Tamil puranams, exhibit “extreme regularity and lack of variation", says David Shulman, a distinguished scholar of South Indian religions and one of the most respected interpreters of Tamil literary and cultural history.
Murugan is probably the most ancient and sacred tradition of devotion in Tamil Nadu that has continued to the present day, shaping the life and culture of the entire region. Long before Sufism reached India, and even before the emergence of Islam itself, Tamil Nadu praised, worshipped, and revered Muruga. The Tamil people worshipped him as a mischievous child, they worshipped him as a handsome youth, they worshipped him as a valiant warrior, they worshipped him as a philosopher, and they worshipped him as their ultimate lord.
Many theories have been put forth about this deep association of Muruga with Tamil Nadu. Some claim that Muruga in some way represents Alexander the Great, and thus the name “Skanda." Others suggest that Muruga originated as a totemic deity, while some argue that his worship contains elements drawn from Buddhism. Yet, none of these theories are sufficient to contain or explain the full complexity of his worship. Beyond all such theories and interpretations, the idea of Muruga continues to flow and enliven the spirituality of Tamil Nadu.
A popular song from the 1950s beautifully expresses this devotion: “O Muruga, even if you exist only in the realm of my imagination, even if you appear merely as a sculpted stone before me, my heart will never cease to remember you."
Murugan, though often regarded as the beloved guardian deity of Tamil Nadu, is not confined to the region alone. He is known across India by many names: Kartikeya in some places, Subrahmanya in others, and by numerous variations elsewhere. His presence extends beyond regional devotion and finds a significant place even in the classical Sanskrit literary tradition.
In Kalidasa’s works, too, Muruga worship appears with prominence; in the Meghaduta (Cloud Messenger), for instance, the longing lover asks the passing cloud to transform into a shower of flowers and offer worship to Skanda along its journey. This may well reflect the deep influence that Tamil traditions have exerted on other parts of India. In any case, within Tamil Nadu, Murugan holds an especially cherished and unique place.
It is from within this rich heritage that one of the six ancient temples of Murugan, Thiruparankundram, now enters the news, and, as is all too often the case, for the wrong reasons. The Thiruparankundram Subrahmanya Swamy Temple is one of the oldest surviving cave temples in Tamil Nadu. The temple is situated on the hill of Tirupparankundram, literally “the sacred hill of the divine lord," located in Madurai. The temple stands at the base of the hill, carved directly into the living rock. Devotees believe that this is the place where Murugan married Devasena, with Indra himself presenting the bride.
Apart from its religious significance, it represents a remarkable investment of artistic and physical effort, for excavating a shrine from living........