History and tradition
- Period
- Built by Cheras, Pandyas Vijayanagar Nayak Kings, Travancore royal family, Cholas.
- Architecture
- Dravidian architecture
- First attested
- 9th century
Shaiva temple
Suchindram
சுசீந்திரம்
Suchindram, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India
Details are compiled from Wikimedia projects and published temple sources. Send a correction if something is wrong. Report a correction
Overview
Shiva as Shiva
lingam
Shaiva temple
Abhimana
The place got the name of Suchindrum from the Sthala Purana. Hindu mythological legend has it that king of devas, Indra got relieved of a curse at the place of the main linga in the temple. The term "Suchi" in Suchindrum is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit meaning that stands for "purify". Accordingly, Indra is supposed to visit the temple for performing "Ardhajama Pooja", or worship, at midnight every day. As per another legend, sage Atri and his wife Anasuya stayed at Jnaranya. Sage Anasuya was highly devoted to her husband. The trinity of Hinduism, namely, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva wanted to make her name eternal with their divine act. They came to the sage's hermitage as Brahmin mendicants. Anasuya treated them with utmost care. The Brahmins put forth a condition that they would accept her hospitality with a condition that she would come out nude. With her power of chastity, she converted the three to small kids and served them with her breast milk. Atri returned to the hermitage at the behest of Parvathi, Saraswathi and Lakshmi (the wives of the trinity) to restore their husbands to their original form. Anasuya obliged immediately and restored the kids to their original form. The trinity blessed the couple for their devotion. The three emanated in the form of three Lingas and the place where the couple worshiped the trinity is believed to be the temple.
Visit information
Sources
Details are compiled from Wikimedia projects and published temple sources. Send a correction if something is wrong.