Sattanathar and the Submerged Temple: Uncovering the Secrets of Konkarayakurichi

Long ago in Tamilagam, it was believed that one should never reside in a village without a temple. However, the residents of Konkarayakurichi have gone without their own temple for five generations. The ancient temple in their village was submerged under water, leaving the villagers longing for its emergence. Let us delve into the fascinating tale of the temple's discovery and uncover its history.

Konkarayakurichi is a name that even the locals of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin may not recognize. Situated 16 km away from Tirunelveli, it is located in the Tuticorin district and is closest to the popular village of Karungulam. Konkarayakurichi is separated from Karungulam by the Tamraparani river.

The 19th century was a tumultuous period for the Tirunelveli region, which suffered ten devastating floods during this time. The Tamraparani river flood of 1876 submerged the ancient Veerapandeeswarar temple of Konkarayakurichi, even washing away its chariot. It took almost 120 years before the villagers could rediscover the temple at the beginning of the 21st century. The temple still remains buried in river sand and is situated several feet below the current ground level of the village.

Despite the fact that the primary deity of the temple is Veerapandeeswarar in the form of a Shiva Linga, the locals know the temple as the Sattanathar or Bhairava temple. Recently, Sattanathar has gained more recognition than the primary deity in the temple.

The temple is positioned in the east direction and has no tower (gopuram) at the entrance. The sanctum houses a two-feet-wide Shiva Linga named Veerapandeeswarar.

The lintel of the sanctum has a two-line inscription, while the doorsill bears an inscription with the meikeerthi (prasati) of Jatavarman Sri Vallabha, one of the five Pandyas who fought against the supremacy of Kulottunga Chola I and ruled some parts of Tirunelveli. The inscriptions on the outer wall of the temple premises are not legible.

Ponnurudhi, the Goddess who stands with a flower held in her right arm, is enshrined in a south-facing shrine. Unlike the temples of the Tondai region, the sculptures of the Goddess in the temples of southern Tamil Nadu have only two arms. Her name, which means "as strong as gold," is particularly intriguing.

Both the shrines of Veerapandeeswarar and Ponnurudhi can be traced back to the 11th century (during the Pandya era), though I cannot determine the exact dates of the sculptures housed in these two shrines.

The Maha mandapas of both shrines were constructed during the Nayaka period in the 17th century. The pillars are circular in style and have several typical Nayaka-style sculptures embedded, some of which are quite impressive. I have heard that there is a copper plate dating back to 1696 CE that documents the offerings made by Nayaka kings to this temple.

At the entrance of the Ardha mandapa, there is a Ganesha icon. Additionally, beautiful bas-relief images of Ganesha and Kartikeya with his peacock vahana, both having toranas above them, can be found at the entrance of the Maha mandapa.

Apart from two Nandis in the respective Maha mandapas of Veerapandeeswarar and Ponnurudhi facing them, there is another, larger Nandi sculpture located near the bali peetha and dhwajastambha.

The main attraction of this temple is the unique form of Bhairava known as Sattanathar. Unlike the traditional depiction of Bhairava with a dog as his vahana, Sattanathar is depicted with a sarpa (serpent) instead. This stunning sculpture shows him in a standing posture, with four arms holding a trident and danda (stick) in his right arms, and a kapala (skull cup) and noose in his left arms. The intricate details of the sculpture, including a sharp nose, beautiful eyes and lips, and fiery hair, make it truly beautiful. It is believed that Sattanathar is only found here and in the Sirkazhi temple.

A sub-shrine for Ganesha is situated on the southwest corner of the prakara, while the shrine of Kartikeya, accompanied by Valli and Devasena with a peacock on the back, can be found on the northwest corner of the prakara. These sculptures are from the later period and are visually stunning.

The temple complex features elevated platforms with numerous rows of pillars along the prakara. While there are no niches (koshtas), shallow toranas adorn the outer walls of the main shrine, following the typical style of Pandya-era temples.

Dakshinamurti, a recent addition, can be found on the outer wall of the sanctum's south side. Next to him, there are nine small circular structures that resemble peethams. Seven of them are aligned in a single row. These structures are always present on the southern prakara but facing the north, whether or not there is a Dakshinamurti present, in the Shiva temples of southern Tamil Nadu. They symbolize Sapta Matas, Ganeshas, and Veera Bhadra. 

Chandikeshwara can be found in a small south-facing sub-shrine in the northern prakara, as is customary. Additionally, Shaneeswara is also present in the temple.

A less widely known fact about this temple is that it is one of nine temples collectively known as Nava Lingapuram. For the convenience of our readers, here is a list of all nine temples:

1) Vallanadu Thirumoolanathar Temple 

2) Kantheeswaram Ekanthaleeswarar Temple 

3) Puriyur Ayanatheeswarar Temple 

4) South Karaserry Kulashekaramudaiyar Temple 

5) Kayalpattinam Meykandeshwarar Temple 

6) Kongaraikurichchi Veerapandeeswarar Temple 

7) Pudukkudi Vadanakkannathar Temple 

8) Vellur Nadunakkanathar Temple 

9) Manavalaraya Natham Tennakkanathar Temple

I understand that there is a small Ganesha temple nearby that I didn't get a chance to visit. This temple is partially submerged under the sand and is comparatively older, with a 9th-century inscription from Maran Jatavarma Pandya.

From 1899 to 1905, the British conducted detailed studies of the area led by archaeologist Alexander Rea, which revealed evidence of an ancient human settlement from the Iron Age in Adichanallur, located near this village. It is believed that the people who had burial urns in Adichanallur probably lived in Kongarayakurichi.

There are a few other temples that are also buried under the sand. If this temple and others in the area are adequately explored and unearthed, we could uncover the unknown history of southern Tamil Nadu.

Happy travelling.