Though the popular hill shrine ‘ Thirumoorthy Malai’ named after a Jain God, is deliberately misinterpreted as ‘ Th’iri’ moorthy Malai’ hinting at the trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the vernacular nature of Tamil language doesn’t yield to the pronunciation of the latter, and it is still called ‘Thirumoorthy Malai’. Nevertheless, a book of Tamil divine lyrics is on the title ‘Thiri’moorthymalai Kummi Isaipaadal.
Though the popular hill shrine ‘ Thirumoorthy Malai’ named after a Jain God, is deliberately misinterpreted as ‘ Th’iri’ moorthy Malai’ hinting at the trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the vernacular nature of Tamil language doesn’t yield to the pronunciation of the latter, and it is still called ‘Thirumoorthy Malai’. Nevertheless, a book of Tamil divine lyrics is on the title ‘Thiri’moorthymalai Kummi Isaipaadal.
Penned by poet Ka. Krishnasamy, a weaver by occupation at Valavadi, a village near Udumalpet in Tirupur district, the book is a collection of Kummi paattu on the deity of the Hill. (Songs performed in dance with clapping of hands to time, especially among girls)
However, the book Kongunadum Samanamum ( Kongunadu and Jainism) written by the late Kovai Kizhar C. M. Ramachandran Chettiar, the first historian of Coimbatore, a devout shaivaite, and former Commissioner in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board in the British rule, details the conversion of Jain shrines into Hindu temples in the Kongu region. And Thirumoorthy Malai was one among them.
Interestingly, a carving on a huge rock, which is worshipped as Thir’i’murthy at the Thirumurthy hill shrine, is the Jain Tirthankara ‘Thirumurthy’ and not the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva!
“Evident to this, ancient Jain literary works in Tamil like Soolamani and Seevaka Cinthamani describe the Jain God Aruhan as ‘Thirumoorthy’ “says Kovai Kizhar in his book Kongunadum Samanamum..
The huge rock, on which the carving appears upside down, is believed to have rolled down from the hill during a flood. When closely observed, the engraving portrays the Jain Tirthankara Thirumurthy with two Samendras (The ones who wave fans to the deity standing with their ‘Samarams’ or Fans on both sides to Him). However, the unaware devotees call the image as ‘Mumoorthy’ and perform the ritual of throwing turmeric paste on it.
“This ritual of throwing turmeric paste on the image is in a belief that it would absolve the devotees from all sins. But, the hidden fact is to make the image fade away gradually, since it is the only evidence to show the hill temple as a Jain shrine. Turmeric, being an anti-septic, has the power of eating away the image carved on the rock” says ‘Vasantham’ Ramachandran, a well-read nonagenarian history enthusiast, who is also the former secretary of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
Nevertheless, some of the songs in the book Thirimoorthymalai Kummi Isaipaadal by Krishnasamy pray for the prospects of the people at Valavadi. As agriculture in the villages surrounding Udumalpet is depended on the release of water from Parambikulam – Azhiyar Project, a stanza in the book of songs reads thus:
Watered by river Parambikulam, our Mother,
Paddy grains grow fertile and look like red pearls in our village
You girls, perform the Kummi, welcoming Her
Thir’u’murthy Hills or Thir’i’murthy Hills?
The act of replacing the idol of one particular religion by another and claiming the shrine to be its birth place is not something new to the country. In an age where religion plays an active role in politics, such acts create great animosity between two faiths resulting in casualties from both groups. But, at a time, when religion had little to do with the country’s politics, such ‘divine metamorphoses’ often happened in several places, particularly in the Kongu region.
After Lord Mahavira founded Jainism against the cruel practices in the Vedic religion in 6th century BC, the ascetics of the new movement spread Mahavira’s principles of truth, equality, love and non-violence throughout the country. And, when Kongunadu was under the rule of the Gangas from 2nd century AD to 8th century AD, the kings, who patronized the Jain monks as their teachers, constructed Jain temples in various parts of Kongu region. As a result, several people belonging to Jainism settled in the region, particularly in the places in and around Vijayamangalam, a part of then Coimbatore.
Years ago, there was a beautiful Jain temple on the hillock Arasannamalai near Vijayamangalam with Neminathar, the 22nd Tirtankara, as its deity. However, later, a Hindu ascetic replaced the idol of Neminathar by a Shivalinga and transformed the temple into a Hindu shrine.
With the spread of Jainism also in South west Kongu region, the religion flourished there with the construction of numerous Jain temples. However, ignoring their history, many of them were later converted into Hindu shrines.
However, unaware of the history of the Jain shrine, Velayudha Pandithar, a Tamil scholar, later wrote a Sthalapurana to ‘Thirumurthy’ Temple linking a Hindu myth with it. Legend has it that the three Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, while visiting Anushya Devi, wife of sage Athari Maharishi, at her home at Thirumurthi Hills, asked her to serve them food without wearing clothes. They asked her to do so only to test her ‘Prativrathayam’ (Devotion to her husband) However, as she prayed to her husband in mind and came unclothed, the Hindu deities got metamorphosed into three innocent babies, whom she breastfed and put them to sleep in cradle. The Sthalapurana states that this was why the place came to be called as Thir’i’murthy Temple (A Shrine of three Hindu Gods)
Penned by poet Ka. Krishnasamy, a weaver by occupation at Valavadi, a village near Udumalpet in Tirupur district, the book is a collection of Kummi paattu on the deity of the Hill. (Songs performed in dance with clapping of hands to time, especially among girls)
However, the book Kongunadum Samanamum ( Kongunadu and Jainism) written by the late Kovai Kizhar C. M. Ramachandran Chettiar, the first historian of Coimbatore, a devout shaivaite, and former Commissioner in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board in the British rule, details the conversion of Jain shrines into Hindu temples in the Kongu region. And Thirumoorthy Malai was one among them.
Interestingly, a carving on a huge rock, which is worshipped as Thir’i’murthy at the Thirumurthy hill shrine, is the Jain Tirthankara ‘Thirumurthy’ and not the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva!
“Evident to this, ancient Jain literary works in Tamil like Soolamani and Seevaka Cinthamani describe the Jain God Aruhan as ‘Thirumoorthy’ “says Kovai Kizhar in his book Kongunadum Samanamum..
The huge rock, on which the carving appears upside down, is believed to have rolled down from the hill during a flood. When closely observed, the engraving portrays the Jain Tirthankara Thirumurthy with two Samendras (The ones who wave fans to the deity standing with their ‘Samarams’ or Fans on both sides to Him). However, the unaware devotees call the image as ‘Mumoorthy’ and perform the ritual of throwing turmeric paste on it.
“This ritual of throwing turmeric paste on the image is in a belief that it would absolve the devotees from all sins. But, the hidden fact is to make the image fade away gradually, since it is the only evidence to show the hill temple as a Jain shrine. Turmeric, being an anti-septic, has the power of eating away the image carved on the rock” says ‘Vasantham’ Ramachandran, a well-read nonagenarian history enthusiast, who is also the former secretary of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
Nevertheless, some of the songs in the book Thirimoorthymalai Kummi Isaipaadal by Krishnasamy pray for the prospects of the people at Valavadi. As agriculture in the villages surrounding Udumalpet is depended on the release of water from Parambikulam – Azhiyar Project, a stanza in the book of songs reads thus:
Watered by river Parambikulam, our Mother,
Paddy grains grow fertile and look like red pearls in our village
You girls, perform the Kummi, welcoming Her
Thir’u’murthy Hills or Thir’i’murthy Hills?
The act of replacing the idol of one particular religion by another and claiming the shrine to be its birth place is not something new to the country. In an age where religion plays an active role in politics, such acts create great animosity between two faiths resulting in casualties from both groups. But, at a time, when religion had little to do with the country’s politics, such ‘divine metamorphoses’ often happened in several places, particularly in the Kongu region.
After Lord Mahavira founded Jainism against the cruel practices in the Vedic religion in 6th century BC, the ascetics of the new movement spread Mahavira’s principles of truth, equality, love and non-violence throughout the country. And, when Kongunadu was under the rule of the Gangas from 2nd century AD to 8th century AD, the kings, who patronized the Jain monks as their teachers, constructed Jain temples in various parts of Kongu region. As a result, several people belonging to Jainism settled in the region, particularly in the places in and around Vijayamangalam, a part of then Coimbatore.
Years ago, there was a beautiful Jain temple on the hillock Arasannamalai near Vijayamangalam with Neminathar, the 22nd Tirtankara, as its deity. However, later, a Hindu ascetic replaced the idol of Neminathar by a Shivalinga and transformed the temple into a Hindu shrine.
With the spread of Jainism also in South west Kongu region, the religion flourished there with the construction of numerous Jain temples. However, ignoring their history, many of them were later converted into Hindu shrines.
However, unaware of the history of the Jain shrine, Velayudha Pandithar, a Tamil scholar, later wrote a Sthalapurana to ‘Thirumurthy’ Temple linking a Hindu myth with it. Legend has it that the three Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, while visiting Anushya Devi, wife of sage Athari Maharishi, at her home at Thirumurthi Hills, asked her to serve them food without wearing clothes. They asked her to do so only to test her ‘Prativrathayam’ (Devotion to her husband) However, as she prayed to her husband in mind and came unclothed, the Hindu deities got metamorphosed into three innocent babies, whom she breastfed and put them to sleep in cradle. The Sthalapurana states that this was why the place came to be called as Thir’i’murthy Temple (A Shrine of three Hindu Gods)