Different takes: The Tirupparankundram hill is famous for the Subramanya Swamy Temple. The Muslims claim that the hill is called ‘Sikkandar Malai’, after a Fakir named ‘Sikkandar’ who lies buried at its top.
| Photo Credit: R. ASHOK
In recent weeks, certain Hindu outfits and some BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu have accused sections of Muslims of attempting to rename the Tirupparankundram hills as ‘Sikkandar Malai’. The remarks were made against the backdrop of some Muslims making such oral references to the hill in Madurai that houses temples, including the first of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya Swamy, as well as the Sulthan Sikkandar Avulia Dargah or Sikkandar Mosque.
However, for decades during normal conversations or discourse, Muslims have been referring to Tirupparankundram as ‘Sikkandar Malai’, while the Hindus call it ‘Kandar Malai’, ‘Murugan Malai’ or ‘Skandar Malai’.
Instances of harmony
As early as in June 1938, a reader of The Hindu, T. Sivasankaran, from Penukonda in the present day Andhra Pradesh, had written about the Muslims’ usage of ‘Sikkandar Malai’ in a Letters to the Editor column. Published under the title ‘Hindu-Moslem Tolerance’, Sivasankaran mentions in his letter that he had asked his friend A. Kondappa, president of the Hindu Religious Board, to collect instances of communal harmony and share them with him.
Based on Kondappa’s communication, Sivasankaran wrote about Tirupparankundram thus: “This sacred place is situated four miles south of Madura. The Mohamedans claim that the name is properly ‘Sikkandar Malai’, after a Fakir called ‘Sikkandar’ who is buried at the top of the hill. The place was formerly an outpost of Madura and figures in several of its wars, but today it is famous for its temple dedicated to God Subramanya.”
Incidentally, these very words, with minor variations, were mentioned (without attribution), in an article titled ‘In and Around Madurai’, written by one S. Natarajan, in the October 1961 edition of Madras Information, a journal published by the Tamil Nadu Director of Information and Publicity.
No communal clash
Sivasankaran had also marvelled: “Here is a curious instance of Hinduism and Islam living side by side on terms of great intimacy and mutual tolerance, for nowhere else in India are we likely to find a Hindu temple and a Mahomedan mosque in such close proximity. Many devout Hindus actually worship the saint Sikkandar and the pious Muslim may be seen offering his homage to the Hindu deity. This is characteristic of the broad spirit of religious tolerance, for which Madura has always been justly famous. In the while history of the town, there has never been a clash between the two religions and this may well be claimed as a unique record.”
The letter writer was drawn into the subject based on instances of religious harmony in his native Anantapur district where in Kadiri town the Narasimhaswami temple and a mosque existed in close proximity to each other. “About the time of ‘Mohurrum’ (Muharram), it is a long standing custom with the temple committee authorities to tender to the mosque a quantity of ‘chunam’ (limestone) and brushes for the purpose of white-washing the mosque accompanied with a little money supposed to cover cost of labour. The mosque authorities also have been returning the etiquette all along by supplying annually ‘chunam’ and other articles necessary to whitewash the temple,” he wrote.
Sivasankaran felt that if government touring officers could look for instances of this kind, “there will be any number, a collection of which would be of immense moral value in inducing both Muhammadans and Hindus to pause and reflect.” The Hindu-Muslim unity and prevalence of inter-religious communal harmony in the temple town had been highlighted in the columns of The Hindu in the 1930s and 1960s. For instance, in July 1939, in a report ‘The Nayaks of Madura’, the author S. Chandrasekhar pointed out that Madura, as a seat of South Indian learning, culture and civilisation, has since time immemorial been tolerant of her people professing different faiths. “Her kings in the hoary past had assigned large tracts of lands and other grants to Christian Missionaries not only to pursue their faith in peace but also proselytise by conviction. Muslim divines were freely permitted to found mosques and propagate the messages of Islam. The city which has to-day a fairly large percentage of Christians and Muslims has never heard of a communal clash.”
On Tirupparankundram, he wrote about the existence of an ancient Hindu temple and an old Muslim mosque thriving side by side. “This shrine belongs to the Madura Minakshi temple estates. And one of the significant signs of ancient Hindu toleration is to be found in a copper plate which is now in possession of the Kazi of the principal mosque of Madura. This was assigned to one of the Kazi’s ancient ancestors by a Hindu ruler of Madura who assures the Muslim Divine of protection and of liberty to pursue his faith without interference or ill will.”
View from Sri Lanka
Likewise, in June 1960, Sri Lankan author Noeyal Peiris wrote in The Hindu an article titled ‘Thiruparankundram’, in which he detailed the temple for Lord Muruga and the Sikkandar mosque, “built by the Nawab of Arcot about 600 years ago”, during the period of his rule. “Most of the people who climb the hill will visit the mosque and the priest in charge will take the visitors inside and show them the shrine. The place is held sacred by the Muslims. It is worth seeing whatever the religion one may belong to,” he wrote.
Published – February 11, 2025 11:06 pm IST
