important shiva temples require oil every month (Thevaram Paadal petra temples)
Historic Significance of this cause
The history of these temples lies in the bhakthi movement that involves the Shaivite saints (63 Nayanmars) of South India. Of the 63 Nayanmars, Thirugnana Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar were considered the primary ones. All of them graced this planet around 1300 years ago and had composed the Thevaram (garland of divine songs in praise of Lord Shiva). They eulogized 275 Shiva temples in the Thevaram, which are known as Paadal Petra Sthalams.
Most of these temples are in a pitiable state of maintenance today and don’t have access to basic amenities such as oil for lighting the lamps.
This is a recurring campaign that has been run from the month of March 2020.
Team Ramakrishnan and their effort
It is indeed a collective failure of our society that these historic temples are not well-maintained.
Shri. Ramakrishnan and his team in Chennai have initiated an effort to alleviate this situation. They have visited close to 240 of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams and established a network to deliver oil on a monthly basis to the temples for pooja. They have created a network of oil vendors close to the temples, which are in the interior of Tamil Nadu. The priests (pujari / gurukkal) of the respective temples collect the oil from these vendors in turn every month. On a side note, these priests too aren’t paid a salary, which is beyond the scope of this campaign.
They presently supply oil to 25 temples in Tamil Nadu. Their field research suggests that 240 such temples are in need of oil every month. The goal of this campaign is to generate funds on a monthly basis to expand to supply all 240 temples.
The price of one tin oil has risen to Rs. 2400 per tin. We will target to support 50 temples monthly.
List of temples covered by Shri. Ramakrishnan’s team
Trichy Region: Uyyakoṇṭāṉ malai, Tiruvāci, Tirupaiñcali, Tirupālattuṟai, Tiruparāytuṟai, Tirukoṭumuṭi
Tiruveṭṭakuṭi (Karaikal)
Tiruvaiyāru region: Tillai snāṉam, Tiruvētikkuṭi, tirukaṉṭiyūr, tirupuranturuti, tirupaḻaṉam, vaṭakuraṅkāṟṟutuṟai, tirucōṟṟutturai
Tiruvārūr region: tiruvalivalam, tirukāravācal, tiruvāymūr, kōyil kaṇṇāpūr, tirukōṭṭūr,tirukuvaḷai
Chennai region: Takkōlam, kūvam, ilum’maiyāṅkōṭṭūr, tirukaṇṭalam, tiruvallitāyam
tirumullaivāyil, tiruveṟṟiyūr
Kadalur: Tīrttaṉakiri
Cīrkāḻi region: Tirukuṅkāval,tirukkurukāvūr, mēlaperumpaḷḷam, tirunaṉṟiyūr, pākacālai, cāyāvaṉam, pallavaṉēsvarar, poṉcēy, tirūpuṅkūr, talaiñāyiṟu, tirunaṉṟiyūr, tirunīṭūr, kuttālam
Kumbakonam region: Tiruvaikal, kōṉēri rājapuram, koṭṭaiyūr, ampar, ampar makāḷam, nālūr mayāṉam, tirupantuṟai, tiruvīḻimiḻalai,cākkōṭṭai, civapuram, tirumeyñāṉam
Mayavaram region: Tirumarukal,cīyatāṉ maṅkai, tēraḻantūr
Paṉruṭṭi region: tiruttuṟaiyūr, tirunāvalūr
Kanchipuram region: tirukāḷimēṭu, tirumēṟṟīlīsvarar