Snap@Moment | Flowering of Talipot Palms

Talipot palms flowers only once in its life span (between 30 to 80 years) and dies after fruiting

Snap@Moment | Kathakali Artist

Location
Annual Aarat event of Thiruvattar Adikesavaperumal Temple, Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari Dist., Tamilnadu, INDIA

Photo Album | Behind the Screen of Kathakali

Location
Adikesavaperumal Temple, Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari Dist., Tamilnadu, INDIA

Performing Arts | Kathakali

Purappad (Lord Krishna - says the story)

Bheema

Bheema & Panchali

Hanuman

Bheema & Hanuman

Bheema & Hanuman

Bheema & Hanuman

Hanuman & Bheema

Hanuman & Bheema

Hanuman & Bheema

Hanuman & Bheema

Hanuman & Bheema

Story
Kalyanasougandhikam

Characters
Lord Krishna, Bheema, Panchali and Hanuman

Presented by
Kalabodhini Kathakali Vidyalayam, Anad, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram Dist., Kerala

Venue
Adikesavaperumal Temple, Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari Dist., Tamilnadu, INDIA

Snap@Moment | Rose

Location
Thiruvattar, Kanykumari Dist., Tamilnadu, INDIA

Snap@Moment - Sunset view from Thiruvattar

Location
Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu

Eminent Personalities : Thiruvattar Arumugam Pillai Bhagavathar

Swargiya Thiruvattar Arumugam Pillai Bhagavathar (-, 1989) (Malayalam: തിരുവട്ടാര്‍ അറുമുഖം പിള്ളൈ ഭാഗവതര്‍, Tamil: திருவட்டார் ஆறுமுகம் பிள்ளை பாகவதர்)  was one of the great carnatic musicians.  But he was not much familiar to the world.  So we would like introducing him to the world.  He was from Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu,

We collected the following information from his student Mr. V. Murugan, who is a carnatic musician.  He wished to introduce the eminent personality to the world through us.  When he says about his master, we could understand the respect, love and affection of his mind.

His life history was so amazing and unbelievable.  He lost his vision in the age of four because of a disease.  After that he lived in the world of darkness.   But his life was not darkness.  He had the knowledge in Music.  So he started a new life with Music.  His brother’s family was supporting him to learn music.  He studied carnatic music from many masters; one of the masters was Sri. Janardhanan Bhagavathar (Other masters’ name we did not get).  He was familiar to play the musical instruments, such as Harmonium, Flute and Kottuvathiyam.

Not only in his musical life, in his personal life was also very excitement.  He was married; unfortunately he lost his wife and family in the early age itself.  So he spent his whole life to the Music.

He was doing all of his duties such as cooking, purchasing, traveling, money dealing everything himself.  He never depended others.  He had many students.  When he became aged, his students helped him like his children.  Now his students are also the great musicians.  The great Malayalam playback singer late Mr. Kamukara Purushothaman was his one of the students.  He wrote and composed many Tamil keerthanas.  Still the songs are famous.  At his last stage, he wrote a keethana about his life, that is

“Pada mudiyathu ini thuyaram – naan
paddathellam pothum ammaiyappa”

“பட முடியாது இனி துயரம் - நான்
பட்டதெல்லாம் போதும் அம்மையப்பா”

Really, when we hear that song we can understand his feelings.

Once our Gana Gandharvan Yesudas had a carnatic music kacheri at Kumara Kovil, Thuckalay, Kanyakumari district.  Same day Arumugam Pillai Bhagavathar happened to be there.  There they met and Arumugam Bhagavathar had blessed Yesudas.  Also Yesudas had requested the Bhagavathar to attend his Musical Function.  This information was given by one of his students Mr. Velappan, who was there in the meeting.

In the age of 80 , he hospitalized because of illness.  Only his students were there to care him.  In that age itself he said good-bye to his musical world.  Even his funeral also done by his Students.  Now his properties such as the Musical Instruments, Books are with his students.  Still they keep them as the Treasure.

We know that, there are many unknown personalities still in the world.  So we are very happy that, we have introduced one among them.

Thiruvattar

We are happy to introduce the small village Thiruvattar (Tamil: திருவட்டார்,  Malayalam: തിരുവട്ടാര്‍ ). It is located in Kanyakumari District of Tamilnadu, in between the towns of Marthandam and Kulasekharam. It is about 6 kilometer from Marthandam. Here the most important thing to say is the name of the place, Thiru (sacred) + vatt (surrounded) + aru (river). The two main rivers Parallaiyar (which is originating from Mahendragiri) and Kothaiyar (which originating from Kothaiyar lake) surrounded the village and giving the name.

Since it is watery place, the mud will be always wet, so main occupation of this village is Brick making. Also we can find the coconut, banana and rubber plantations.

A brick furnace

A brick furnace

Brick furnace in misty morning

Banana Plantations

Here the important place to introduce is Sri Adikesavaperumal temple, is one of the 108 holy Vishnu temples (105 located in India, 1 in Nepal and 2 in the non physical world). Architecture of this temple is Kerala Style. This temple is older than the Sri Padamanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. The architecture and style of this temple has been followed by Sri Padamanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. Compared to Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum this temple is small. Differences between two temples are, in Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple Trivandrum Lord Vishnu facing towards east and in Sri Adikesavaperumal temple towards west. In this temple status of Lord Vishnu is made up of Kaduku (mustard), chippi (lime powder) and sarkara (jaggery). Sculptures and mural paintings of this temple are amazing. Really we have to appreciate the sculptors those who designed the temple.

The pujas are done in this temple are same as Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple at Trivandrum. In the month of April every year, 10 days of festival is going on here. During those days main cultural program of this temple is Kathakali. 10th day of festival with the Arattu (holy bath of god) and Kambakettu (fire works), they will put and end to the festival. If we say about the environment of this temple, wow !, what a pleasant environment ? Fresh breeze with the nice smell of flowers. If we come around the temple everyday, it will be very good exercise to our body and our mind also will be very pleasant. People who come to Thiruvattar surely they will visit this temple. Near by Thaliyal Mutharamman temple and Lord Siva temple also famous here. Often film shootings are taking place here.

A devotional video album song shooting

A lonely way

Sunset view from Thiruvattar

Moovattumugam is hamlet nearby this village, here two rivers Parallaiyar and Kothaiyar combine together and forms Kuzhithurai River and it move towards Arabian Sea.

Aruvikkarai is a hamlet nearby this village. Here we can feel the expression of the water through dashing on the rocks, jumping over the rocks, dancing on the rocks and spreading beads in the bank of the river. Really it is wonderful and gives pleasure to our mind.

In Thiruvattar and its surroundings there are many schools such as Govt. Primary School and High School, NVKS (CBSE syllabus), Excel Central School (ICSE syllabus), Arunachalam Higher Secondary School, which is the first management school (AD 1928) in the surroundings also the great playback singer Mr. Kamukara Purushothaman was the principal of this school and former ISRO chairman Dr. G. Madhavan Nair had been done his Higher Secondary education. People of this village speak both Malayalam and Tamil.

The famous cultural artists also took born in this village. Old play back singer Mr. Kamukara Purushothaman, his carnatic music master Mr. Arumugam Pillai, Mr. Krishna Pillai Bhagavathar (Musician), Mr. Thankappan, Mr. Velukutty (Nadhaswara vidhwans), Bhaskara Pillai, Krishna Pillai (Thavil masters), Nellamma Pillai (Musician), Thankan Thiruvattar (Lyricist). Still here the people are trying to stay back the arts among the new generations.

Police Station, Bus depot, Registrar office, Post Office, State Bank of Travancore all these facilities are available here.

Other important places nearby this village is Chitharal Rock-cut temple, Mathoor Thottipalam (Mathur Aqueduct).

Location:
Nearby Marthandam, Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu

How to reach:
Trivandrum to Marthandam – 39 KM (NH47 Trivandrum-Kanyakumari)
Marthandam to Thiruvattar – 6 KM (Marthandam – Pechipparai Highway)