On 20th February we started from Achankoil in Kerala early in the morning on our drive to Thiruchendur a distance of around 300 km .
After descending hills entering Tamilnadu we took a detour to visit a beautiful hill temple for lord Muruga with a nice road upto temple .
After this on our drive we reached Thenkasi town quite a busy one .
We reached
Thenkasi temple with its magnificent tower .
This temple was built in 13th century a grand granite edifice with a huge wall covering all its smaller parts .
The pillars were excuisitively carved and the huge stone halls with deities were big and beautiful .
Parakirama Pandyan constructed the temple in 13th or early 14th century .
Later Nayaks of Madurai too added to temple .
The Pandya king planned to go Kashi or Varanasi as a pilgrimage when he had a dream in which Shiva tells him there is no need for him to undergo the long trip .
He is asked to follow the ant trail from an ant hill which leads him to a Swayambu linga amongst senbhagam trees on the banks of Chitraru river .
Here Shiva is worshipped as Kashi Viswanathar and Parvathi as Ulagaman .
Murugan and Vinayaka complete the family .
The new 180 foot tower was built as late as 1967 till then it had a flat tower .
The temple was particularly striking in its epic architecture and very rich art work .
As photography was not allowed inside the pictures taken are mostly from outer ring only .
It was cloudy when we went to this temple and we knew rain would come ,as it did as we drove via crowded Thirunelveli to Tiruchendur .
There were excellent food and coffee shops outside temple .
One act which impressed me was an young man carrying small plastic breakfast bags going to every person sitting on temple steps obviously the poor and asking them in a very respectful manner Ayyaa neenga sapteengala which meant Sir did you have any food and without waiting for answer leaving a good packet near him .
It was not only the giving but it was how he gave it which impressed me .
True devotion indeed
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