History
Before going into the details of the temple history, it would not be out of place to mention briefly the political and social condition of India, when Sri Ramalingaswamigal known as Vallalar came into the religious scene in Tamilnadu with a strong focus on educating people on the principles of religion, giving it a new face to foster tolerance and unity among the communities professing various faiths.
India was always the target of foreign powers to establish their empire here totally destroying the culture, civilization and the original religions of the country. They wanted to introduce their own language and religion and make the country their own with their own designs and part of their empire headquartered elsewhere. The years between 1757 and 1857 were so testing in nature that foreign politicians played their role effectively in India. Their intention was to promote their own religion. They wanted to eliminate the domestic religions humiliating our Acharyas.
Director of the East India Company, Mangles spoke in the British parliament in so passionate a language that no consideration should be entertained on Indian philosophies and that the country should be brought under the total control of their religion.
Lord Macaulay, who introduced English in education in India in the year 1836 in Bengal claimed that if the system was meticulously followed there would not be a single Hindu or Muslim in the country. He also said that he wanted to create a new society in India who would be Indians by birth but British by spirit.
But little he realized that he was founding a revolution. After the Sepoy Mutiny, Queen Victoria realized that it was impossible to sustain the British empire in India offending the religions of the country and declared that British rule in India would not interfere in the religious freedom of the people. Yet, the political developments opened the eyes of the educated and forced them to realize it was necessary to eliminate the superstitions among the people and the divisions caused by castes and creed. India needed great and dedicated reformers.
Bengal gave Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Gujarat Dayananda Saraswathi and Tamilnadu Sri Ramalinga Arutprakasa Vallalar to create a renaissance in the life of Indians. They gave a new definition to spirituality and their approach was so broad and noble that accommodated even those belonging to imported religions.
Sri Vallalar wanted to see a single ‘one world’ united by souls. His mission was entirely different from other Acharyas.
Sri Arutprakasa Ramalinga Vallalar was born on October 5, 1823 on a Sunday, as a Sun to dispel the darkness created by total misunderstanding of religions – illusions, says learned Tamil scholar Silambu Selvar Ma. Po. Si. in his book Vallalar Kanda Orumaipadu – Integration of souls as propagated by Vallalar.
The life of Vallalar was one with continuous struggles. His hymns Arutpa was criticized as Marutpa (illusion hymns) by some pundits. They too later realized that Vallalar’s Samarasa Suddha Sanmargam was an ideal religion that gave a new shape to our faith accommodating humanity as whole.
Sri Arutprakasa Ramalinga Vallalar was born to Ramiah and Chinnammai couples who lived in Marudur. Chinnammai had the habit of feeding at least one poor devotee before she took food. Son also followed the footprints of the mother. This is what prompted Ramalingaswamigal to establish the Dharma Sala.
Hexaganal shaped Sabha: To impress the truth that God helps devotees as a light-lamp, Vallalar created this lotus designed Sabha, lighting the lamp in the front of the design. During the daily pujas at 11.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. it is performed for this lamp and the curtains behind it. The Deepa offering (Deepa aaradhana) are shown in the small and golden sabhas (Chirchabai and Porchabai). There is a board reading, "only vegetarians allowed." Those desirous of dropping meat eating come here.
The Arutperunjothi Agaval authored by Vallalar is engraved here. The lamp lit by Vallalar in Sathya Gnana Sabha is still burning. There is a mirror in front of the lamp and curtains of black, blue, green, red, golden and white and multi colours. When the curtains are removed, the jyoti could be seen through the mirror. That is to say that man could see the light in him if he removes the seven bad traits in him.
Greatness Of Temple
The oven that never extinguishes: The oven lighted by Vallalar about 142 years ago, on May 23, 1867 in the Sathya Dharma Sala never extinguishes and continue to burn till today. Vallalar started the Annadhana – feeding the poor. The oven is 21 feet long and 2.5 feet deep. As the oven should not extinguish, the temple does not buy match box at all. Though no cooking is done during the nights, a staff of the temple would be putting firewood to keep the oven alive. The feeding is being continued for the past 142 years since it was started.
All provisions and other materials such as rice, sugar, salt etc. are supplied by devotees. The feeding is done five times a day – 6.00 a.m., 8.00 a.m., 12.00 a.m., 5.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m.
Locked Room: This is known as Tirukappitta Arai (room). Vallalar hoisted the Sanmarga flag (flag of righteousness) in the year 1873 at Siddhi Valaga, at Mettukuppam near Vadalur and preached his principles to his disciples. Later, he lighted a lamp in Siddhi Valagam and advised all to worship it as God. Vallalar entered this room on 19th of Thai month (January-February) in the year 1874 and got united with the Jyothi. The room is called Tirukappitta Arai – locked room.
The room is opened on the second day of Thai poosam. The hymn sung by him named Tiru Arutpa is brought to the room in a palanquin. The room will be opened at 12.00 a.m. The devotees can have the darshan through the window of the room till 6.00 p.m. This is the room where Vallalar attained Samadhi.
His manuscript of Arutperunjothi Agaval (Agaval is one of the literary form in Tamil). Devotees can have the darshan of his idol, the Jyoti lighted by Him, the Wisdom Throne, (Gnana Simmasanam)
Vallalar was staying in the house of one Tiruvengadam from where he published the first four Thirumurai of his Arutpa. He would be writing during nights. Once, Tiruvengadam’s wife left a water bowl near him by oversight which Vallalar used as oil for the lamp and the lamp also performed well. During his Karunguzhi days in Thiruvengadam’s house Vallalar had Mustache also and a picture of this could be seen in the temple.
The Annadhanam is a daily ritual here. The Theenchuvai canal is on the Karunguzhi-Mettukuppam way. This was created by Vallalar to manage water scarcity.
Those suffering from any disease spill the Theechuvai water on head for a cure. The Charity place is also near where feeding is done to all irrespective of the numbers coming in.
There are many paintings pertaining to the life of Vallalar in his Marudur house where he was born. Even birds are fed. The first feeding will be for the crows.
There is also a home for the aged near the Satya Darma Shala. Vallalar’s disciple Kalpattu Iya Samadhi is here. All the aged people waiting their ends are taken care of here.
The worship slogan is "Arutperunjothi, Arrutperunjothi, Thaniperungarunai, Arutperunjothi – Blissful spark of the lamp, blissful spark of the lamp, all merciful, blissful spark of the lamp."
Vallalar’s disciple, Thozhuvur Velayutha Mudaliar called him Tiru Arut Prakasa Vallalar, meaning that his Guru was all charitable and bright.
Based on the fact that man breaths 21 thousand 600 times a day, a chain having a similar number of joints (kannis) is tied around the Sathya Gnana Sabha. Only coconut oil is used for lighting the lamps.
No photo of his accurate appearance is available. What is presently formed is on the white clothes he wore and on his glittering fair complexion.
Speciality
Vallalar established the Sathya Dharma Sala on May 23, 1867 to feed the poor all the days and the oven he lighted that day is still burning to continue the great charity.
Festival
Vallalar started the Jyoti Darshan (Lamp darshan) on Thai Poosam (January-February) in the year 1872. This festival is very devotionally celebrated since that day. The Jyoti darshan can be had by the devotees on this day only, after removing all the seven curtains in the Gnana Sabha – Wisdom Hall. The seven curtains will be removed that day at 6.30 a.m., 10.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m., 7.00 p.m. 10.00 p.m. and 5.30 a.m. the next morning. During the Poosam star days, three such darshans are shown at 8.00 p.m. removing only six curtains.
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