Thirupullabhoothangudi is a small village near Kumbakonam in
Tamil Nadu. It has the Sri Valvil Ramar Temple, which is dedicated to Bhagavan
Vishnu. This temple is counted as one of the 108 Divya Desams, the holy places
of Vishnu praised by the Alvar saints in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. The
Alvars lived between the 6th and 9th centuries CE, and their Tamil hymns are
still sung in Vishnu temples today. Here, Bhagavan is worshipped as Valvil
Ramar, and Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as Sita.
The Story of the Temple
The sthala purana of this temple is told in the Brahmanda
Purana and the Padma Purana. It is connected to the Ramayana, at the time when
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were living in the forest during their exile.
Ravana, the king of the rakshasas, kidnapped Sita and
carried her in his Pushpaka Vimana. Jatayu, the king of eagles, saw this and
tried to stop him. He fought bravely against Ravana, even though Ravana was
much stronger. In the end Jatayu was badly wounded and fell to the ground.
Rama was searching for Sita at that time and found the
injured Jatayu. With his last breath, Jatayu told Rama everything that
happened, including the direction in which Ravana had taken Sita. After this,
Jatayu died. Rama treated him like his own father, as Jatayu had been a friend
of King Dasaratha, and he decided to perform the final rites himself.
Appearance of Bhumidevi
According to Hindu custom, a married man must perform the
rites with his wife beside him. Sita was not there, so Rama could not complete
the ritual in the proper way. At this moment, Bhumadevi, the Earth Goddess,
appeared to stand in place of Sita. Some narrations say she came out of a
golden lotus. Other narrations say Rama remembered Sita in his heart and
Bhumadevi appeared in her form.
Because this was a wonderful and unusual event, it is called
Adbhuta, which means miracle. Because it was done for Jatayu, the bird (pul in
Tamil), the place got the name Thiruppulladbhuthangudi, and today it is
commonly written as Thirupullaboothangudi.
Importance and Symbolism
This story teaches several things in the Hindu tradition:
- Dharma
above all: Jatayu was old and knew he could not win against Ravana,
still he fought to protect a woman in distress. Protecting the helpless is
a duty in dharma, regardless of the result.
- Respect
for all beings: Rama, a prince and an avatar of Vishnu, performed the
last rites of a bird. This shows that Bhagavan sees the devotion and
sacrifice of a being, not its birth or form.
- Importance
of rituals: The story shows how much value the scriptures give to the
correct performance of final rites, and to the role of the wife in
Grihastha life.
- Bhumadevi
and Sita: Sita is said to have been born from the earth, and she
finally returned to the earth. So Bhumadevi standing in her place has a
deep meaning, as they are closely connected.
A Note on the Temple
The temple is built in the South Indian style of
architecture. The presiding deity, Valvil Ramar, is seen in a reclining posture
(Bhujanga Sayanam) on Adisesha, which is a rare form for Rama, since he is
mostly worshipped in a standing or sitting posture. This is one of the unique
aspects of the temple. The Bhagavan here is said to be facing east, and the
Utsava Murti is known as Sri Sarvasaparaman.
Bhumadevi has a separate shrine and is worshipped as a form of Sita. The temple is also linked with Jatayu, and devotees remember his sacrifice when they visit. People also pray here for the blessings of children, for a good married life and for peace after the death of family members, since the temple is connected with the final rites.
Thiru Pullaboothangudi reminds devotees that Bhagavan honours
sincere service, whether it comes from a king, a common person or a bird. A
visit to this temple is a chance to remember Jatayu's courage, Rama's
compassion and the presence of Bhoomadevi in the Ramayana.