The Thanumalayan temple situated in Suchindrum, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, was built
in the 17th century, by the Chola dynasty.
It is one of the few temples in the country where the Trinity, ‘Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva’, are
worshipped. They are represented by one image or Linga in the temple, and is called Sthanumalayan.
The Linga is in three parts. The top represents “Sthanu” name of Shiva, the middle “Mal” name
of Vishnu, and the base “Aya” name of Brahma.
STRUCTURE
-This temple has a 34-foot high white Gopuram of seven stories, with its portico adorned with finely sculpted images of various deities.
-The center of the temple, or the ‘Alankar mandapam’, has four large pillars, each formed
by a group of smaller pillars carved out of a single stone.
-Two of these large pillars have 33 smaller pillars and the other two 25 each. These are the famous musical pillars, and each produces a different musical note when tapped.
-There is a massive idol of Lord Hanuman at a height of 22 feet. The statue has been carved out of a single granite rock. This is one of the largest Hanuman statues in India.
-Another striking sculpture is the majestic image of Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, with a height of 13 feet, length of 21 feet, and width of 10 feet.
