Jatayu Teertham - Arugankulam

According to the legend of Ramayana, when Ravana abducted Sita and flew her away in his Pushpaka vimana, Jatayu, the Vulture King, bravely intervened. Despite a valiant fight, Ravana managed to sever Jatayu's wings and inflict severe injuries, causing it to fall to the ground. While searching for Sita, Rama and Lakshmana came across the wounded Jatayu in the forest. Touched by Jatayu's sacrifice, Rama performed its last rites and granted it Moksha, freeing its soul from the earthly realm. Though traditionally believed to have occurred on the banks of the river Godavari, local belief places this sacred event in the village of Arugankulam, near Tirunelveli, where a small temple now stands at the exact site of Jatayu's Moksha.

Known as the Jatayu Moksham temple, this modest structure houses Lakshmi Narayana as the presiding deity. According to legend, Jatayu, before passing away, desired to have darshan of Rama and Sita. As Sita was still in captivity, Rama appeared to Jatayu as Narayana, accompanied by Lakshmi. Therefore, the presiding deity in the temple is Narayana, with Lakshmi seated on his left lap. The four-armed Vishnu has his lower left arm encircling Lakshmi. Facing east, the temple features a south-facing Jatayu sculpture, Ramar Padam (the holy prints of Rama), and a newly installed Ganesha.

The shrine boasts three holy wells—Jatayu Teertha, Vishnu Teertha, and Shiva Teertha—considered sacred water bodies. While the temple has ancient origins, the superstructure is newly built, evident in the crudely made stucco images. Nevertheless, the temple showcases captivating images narrating the story of Jatayu Moksha.

Nestled against the backdrop of lush forests and alongside the tranquil Tamraparani River, the temple exudes a heavenly ambiance. The village is adorned with several temples, each intricately linked to the tales of Ramayana.

Happy travelling.