An Eswaran Temple very near Thirunallar - THAKKALUR THIRULOGANATHA SWAMY TEMPLE

தக்களூர்  (Thakkalur)

 

Ruling Lord’s Name         :               Thirulokanathar

Consort’s Name               :               Dharmasamvardhini

 

‘Thiruppani’,  in Tamil,  திருப்பணி is to denote the Temple construction and establishment work.  The community, viz., Nagarathar, is so micro in size but well known for its yeoman services.   They hail from a Southern Tamilnadu, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai Districts.  They expanded their business empires all across the globe.

 

Out of their earnings, it is their tradition, custom and practice to allocate a portion of it to do religious and charity works.  Wherever they set their feet, keeping in mind the Tamil adage – never to stay in a place which has no Temple, கோவில் இல்லா ஊரில் குடியிருக்க வேண்டாம், they first establish a shrine.

 

One such Hindu Temple out of their many Temples is திருத்தக்களூர் Temple.  Thakkalur is the village where this temple is situated.  Thakkalur village is in Pondicherry Union Territory just about 2 kilo meters away from the very famous Tirunanallar Saneeswaran Temple.

 

Tracing the Temple’s History:

 

The community’s main calling is to lend money to those in need for their business, farming needs at reasonable interest margins.   For, those days, the formal Banking system was either remote or was at its nascent stages.  The youngsters from the community were trained in the calling.  They lend, earn reasonable interest.  Psychologically, when the money lent was not followed up to oversee its utilization, prompt repayment, there might arise delay and even delinquency.  Hence to ensure, the youngsters were sent to do these and collect back monthly repayment and interest.

 

On one such mission, a youngster by name Ramanathan, hailing from Devakottai was on visit in the Thakkalur area.  The practice in this community is traced by its lineage.  The initials of not just the immediately preceding generation but about 3 or more earlier generations were used before the name.  The initials of this young Ramanathan’s forefathers were M. RM. A. , in Tamil,  மெ .ராம. அ.  Thus his name reads as M.RM.A. Ramanathan.

 

Those days, no big automobile facilities were there.  People used to use bullock cart, horse driven cart etc., for visiting places.  While on one such visit in Thakkalur area, to relax he stopped his cart near a garden.  When he glanced on one direction, there was a Shivling idol, the top portion of it was showing above earth.

 That scene electrified Ramanathan.  He felt as though the Eswar ordained on him to construct a Temple for him.  He then became restless.  Forgetting why he came to this place, - to collect the lent amount from borrowers -he returned home and narrated what happened at the Thakkalore and narrated to his father that he had been ordained by the Lord to build a temple.

Father of young Ramanathan was taken aback.  He was worried that something had happened to his son and the latter was not minding his family business.  The father's effort to retrieve him from the God intoxication and letting him back in business failed.  The young Ramanathan became insistent that the family should build the Temple.  Not able to dissuade the young son, the Father had to yield to the son's wish of building the Temple.  They bought the land where the Shivling idol was found.  That time, the French Administration was in helm.  The Registration of the land for the temple purpose was approved by the Registration department of the French Government.

Thus, the construction work went on vigourously and the very first consecration, Kumbabhishekam at the Temple was done on 19th August 1877.  The whole expenditure then to build this massive temple was about Rs.75000/-.  The Second Kumbabhishekam was done in the year 1915.  The Third was some time in 2011.

The Current generation have just initiated the process of 4th Kumbabhishekam.

May all Devotees receive the blessings of Lord Thiruloganatha Swamy and the Goddess Dharmasamvardhini.  

Never miss this temple, when you make your next visit to Thirunallar.