RUDRASENA FOUNDATION

The members of Pandya dynasty ousted by Thirumala Naicker the ruler of the erstwhile Pandya Empire spanning Madurai, Thirunelveli and Ramanathapuram lived in places like Valliyur, Tenkasi, Shengottah, Achankovil and Sivagiri. They had also established their supremacy in parts of Travancore, and some of them belonging to Chempazhanattu Kovil in Sivagiri were given the right to rule the country of Pandalam by the King of Travancore, some eight hundred years ago. King Rajashekara, the foster-father of Lord Ayyappan belonged to this dynasty. A just and precocious sovereign King Rajashekara was held by his subjects in high esteem. Under him, the region was witnessing a goldenage. But the king had one sorrow – he was childless and thus had no heir to inherit his throne. Both the hapless king and his queen prayed ceaselessly to Lord Shiva for a child. Around the same time, a demon by the name of Mahishasura undertook severe penance (tapas) and consequently Lord Brahma...

Lord Rudra is one among the celebrated members of the divine trinity. He takes up the face of destruction. Why should we worship the destroyer? He is said to living in the cremation grounds along with the burning dead bodies , smearing ash all over his body. How can he be GOD? Why the DESTROYER ?   Rudra literally means the "Howler" , vedas calls him the undefeatable archer and gives him the most feared status among the Gods. Brahma ,Vishnu and Rudra are seen to be the three faces of Paramathman. Brahma creates, Vishnu  protects and Rudra destroys , this cycle keeps on rotating. The things that is happening , that had happened and that is going to happen, all these are pre written. Life is a drama written and directed by the almighty. Time ( Kal) is the function with which this game called life is programmed. At the end, time and all of creation is destroyed by Rudra and he turns into Sadashiva and makes the system stable. He absorbs all the energies and cons...

This ancient temple to Murugan known as Kumaran Koyil is located at Padmanabhapuram, home to the palace of the erstwhile Maharaja, on the slopes of the Veli hills. It is located in a commanding position, visible for miles around. Legend has it that Murugan married Valli here and hence the name Velimalai, Manamalai or Kalyanamala. Kumarakovil is a very ancient temple, as attested by the massive sculpture of Lord Murugan in a style dating from the Buddhist period. Buddhism probably flourished from 650-850 CE in Kerala. However, the available inscriptions about the temple date from from the 18 th  century CE only. The temple is accessed through a flight of forty steep steps. Lord Murugan graces the devotees with His consort Valli.  He is faces the east and said to be facing Sthanumalayan  (Lord Siva) of Suchindram. The idol of Lord Murugan is a monolithic sculpture measuring eight feet and eight inches in height. Its long ears indicate that it belongs to the Buddhist...