Tipu Sultan's relationship with Kerala's temples is a subject of historical
debate, with a complex and often contradictory record. Sources indicate
that while his military campaigns in the Malabar region resulted in the
documented destruction of numerous temples, he also provided grants and
patronage to Hindu temples and institutions within his own kingdom of
Mysore.
Invasion and temple destruction in Malabar (1780s)
Military campaigns: Tipu's invasions of Malabar, a region in present-day
Kerala, aimed to subdue local rulers, particularly the Zamorin of Calicut,
who were allied with the British.
Looting and desecration: Accounts from the period and local records
describe Tipu's army destroying and looting numerous Hindu temples in
Malabar, confiscating wealth, and vandalizing religious sites.
Forced conversions: Some historical accounts allege mass conversions and
atrocities against Hindus and Christians in the Malabar and Coorg regions,
with temple destruction being part of a broader strategy to punish and
subjugate rebellious populations.
Specific examples: The destruction of prominent temples like the Tali Shiva
temple in Calicut and the Guruvayur temple are cited in several sources. In
one instance, the Guruvayur temple idol was moved to Ambalappuzha for
safekeeping to protect it from Tipu's advancing army.
Economic impact: Contemporary sources suggest Tipu's aggressive campaigns
severely damaged Kerala's economy by disrupting the pepper trade and
causing many peasants to flee.
Patronage of temples within Mysore
Political strategy: While his actions in Kerala were marked by destruction,
Tipu and his father, Hyder Ali, also followed a policy of providing
patronage to Hindu temples and priests in their core territories.
Historians argue this was often a political strategy to ensure the loyalty
of Hindu subjects.
Notable endowments:
Sringeri Sharada Peetham: Tipu maintained a respectful correspondence with
the head of the Sringeri matha and provided financial assistance for the
consecration of the idol of the goddess Sharada after the temple was raided
by Maratha forces in 1791.
Ranganathaswamy Temple: Located within Tipu's capital fort of
Srirangapatna, Tipu made grants to this temple, which stood near his palace.
Other temples: Numerous other temples in his kingdom, such as those in
Melukote and Nanjangud, received land deeds, gifts, and grants from Tipu.
Conflicting interpretations by historians
The conflicting nature of Tipu's actions toward temples has led to
differing interpretations of his legacy.
Religious bigot: Historians who focus on the Malabar invasions and forced
conversions portray Tipu as a religious bigot driven by fanatical ideology.
Secular ruler: Historians who emphasize his grants to temples within Mysore
argue that his actions were primarily politically motivated. They suggest
his harsh treatment of specific communities was punishment for colluding
with the British, not religious persecution.
Complex figure: Many scholars acknowledge the complexity of Tipu's reign,
recognizing both his military aggression and his pragmatic political
decisions. They argue that attributing modern concepts like "secularism" or
"genocide" to 18th-century warfare is an oversimplification.
One of the most characteristic features of almost all medieval
Muslim invaders and rulers of India is their religion-fueled zeal for
destroying Hindu temples. From Muhammad Ghaznavid to Babur to Malik Kafur
to Muhammad Bin Tughlaq to Aurangzeb to Nadir Shah, every single Muslim
invader and/or ruler made temple destruction his mandatory religious duty.
In this, Tipu Sultan stands shoulder-to-shoulder with these temple
destroyers extraordinaire. The record of Tipu Sultan’s temple destruction
in South India is perhaps best summed up by B. Lewis Rice, the eminent
British epigraphist and director of the Archaeology Department of the
British Government:
In the vast empire of Tipu Sultan on the eve of his death, there were only
two Hindu temples having daily pujas within the Sreerangapatanam fortress.
It is only for the satisfaction of the Brahmin astrologers who used to
study his horoscope that Tipu Sultan had spared those two temples. The
entire wealth of every Hindu temple was confiscated before 1790 itself
mainly to make up for the revenue loss due to total prohibition in the
country. [Emphasis added] Destruction of Hindu temples and idols—apart from
the genocide and forcible conversions of Hindus and Christians—formed an
inseparable part of Tipu’s sprees of wanton aggression from 1783-89 in
Coorg and the Malabar. The Lahore Staff College publication on Tipu
recounts his official edict to destroy Hindu temples in his dominions as
follows:
He [Tipu] issued an edict for the destruction of all the Hindu temples in
his dominions excepting those of Srirangapattana and Melukote…he resolved
to destroy every monument of the former Government to which end he caused
the ancient fort and city of Mysore to be razed, and removed the stones of
the temples and palace to a neighboring hill where he laid the foundation
of a new fort which he named Nuzerbad. But in the furiousness of his wrath,
he spared not the works of the greatest public utility, in the destruction
of the celebrated reservoir of Yadavi Nudi because it recorded the wisdom,
riches and power of the ancient Hindu sovereigns. [Emphasis added]
To get a measure of the kind of large scale temple destruction that Tipu
carried out, one only needs to peruse William Logan’s Malabar Manual, which
gives a near-complete list of all the temples he had destroyed. More on
this a little later.
Lewis Rice estimates in his Mysore Gazetteer that Tipu had destroyed about
8000 temples in South India. Colonel R.D. Palsokar also confirms this
number in his study on Tipu Sultan when he says that Tipu relates that he
had destroyed 8000 temples, many of them with roofs of gold, silver, copper
and all containing treasures buried under the idols. The Raja of Cherakal
offered him Rs. 400000 and the plates of gold with which one particular
temple was roofed but Tipu said that he would not spare it for all the
treasures of the earth and sea. Indeed, Tipu’s refusal to spare the temple
in exchange for money reminds us of that arch-iconoclast, Muhmmad Ghaznavid
who responded thus when he was made a similar offer:
I desire that on the day of resurrection I should be summoned with the
words 'Where is that Mahmud who broke the greatest of heathen idols?'
rather than by these: 'Where is that Mahmud who sold the greatest of the
idols to the infidels for gold?'
As numerous works of medieval Indian history show, rulers like
Muhammad Ghaznavid, Aurangzeb, Tipu et al regarded their acts of temple
destruction as a pious performance in the service of Islam. Even today, we
see a mosque in Srirangapattana—not far from the ruins of Tipu’s fort—that
was raised after destroying a Hanuman temple. The mosque has no
characteristics of a typical mosque except its dome and minaret. The plan
and structure of the ramparts and vast compound display unmistakably, the
architecture of a Hindu temple. The pillars of this mosque show friezes of
Hindu gods carved onto them.
Although the Malabar region bore the brunt of Tipu’s temple destruction,
its sorry fate was shared by other places as well. Colonel Fullerton was
serving in the British army, which was rendering assistance to the Rajas of
the Malabar and petty chieftains in Tamil Nadu. Some of his observations
and experiences have been recorded in Colonel Castell’s History of India.
Colonel Fullerton’s report to his superiors with respect to his unit’s
battle with Tipu is very revealing.
There a very steep fort at a town near Coimbatore. Near it was a Shiva
temple made entirely of black stone. Tipu fell upon this temple which
contained beautiful Hindu sculptures, destroyed it completely, and looted
all the gold, ornaments, and valuables in it.
Tipu’s attack was so savage that the local kings were terrified into
not putting up a resistance. It was only after the British arrived there
that these kings narrated their woes. Fullerton continues:
This temple was extremely sacred to the Hindus. Tipu had despoiled this
temple so badly that it had greatly enraged the Hindus. Until then, nobody
had done an iota of harm to the temple.
Tipu’s industrial-scale temple destruction in the Malabar
The Malabar Manual mentions that the Thrichambaram and Thalipparampu
temples in Chirackal Taluqa, Thiruvangatu Temple (Brass Pagoda) in
Tellicherry, and Ponmeri Temple near Badakara were destroyed by Tipu
Sultan. Equally, the Maniyoor mosque was built after razing a Hindu temple
to the ground. Vatakkankoor Raja Raja Varma’s History of Sanskrit
Literature echoes Logan’s Malabar Manual more vividly:
There was no limit as to the loss the Hindu temples suffered due to the
military operations of Tipu Sultan. Burning down the temples, destruction
of the idols installed therein and also cutting the heads of cattle over
the temple deities were the cruel entertainments of Tipu Sultan and his
equally cruel army. It was heartrending even to imagine the destruction
caused by Tipu Sultan in the famous ancient temples of Thalipparampu and
Thrichambaram. The devastation caused by this new Ravana's barbarous
activities has not yet been fully rectified.
The following is a partial list of the important temples that Tipu
destroyed in the Malabar region.
Temples Destroyed Region
Thali, Thiruvannur, Varackal, Puthur,
Govindapuram, Thalikkunnu Calicut
Keraladheeswaram, Thrikkandiyoor, Thriprangatu Vettum
Tirunavaya
Malappuram
Thrikkavu
Ponnani
Kotikkunnu, Thrithala, Panniyoor, Sukapuram
Kannur,
Malappuram
Perumparampu, Maranelira Edappadu
Vengari, Thrikkulam Eranadu
Azhinjillam Ramanattukara
Indyannur, Mannur Kannur
Mammiyoor Guruvayoor
Guruvayoor (Krishna Temple) Guruvayoor
Parampathali, Panmayanadu, Vengidangu Guruvayoor
Kalpathi, Kachamkurissi Palghat (Palakkad)
Perumanam Thrissur
Irinjalakuda, Thiruvanchikulam Irinjalakuda
Vadakhumnnathan Thrissur
Shiva Temple Belur
Jain Temple Palghat
Vengara Temple Aranadu
Vadukunda Siva Temple Madai
Triprangot, Thrichembaram, Thirunavaya
, Thiruvannoor, Calicut
Thali, Venkitangu, Terumanam,
Shri Veliyanattukava, Varakkal,
Puthu, Govindapuram, Maranehei Temple of Aaalvancheiri Tambrakkal, Tikulam,
Ramanathakra, Azhinjalam Indiannur, Mannur Narayan Kanniar Various It
is also pertinent to mention the fate that certain renowned temples met at
the hands of this Marauder of Malabar.
The Thirunavaya Temple, of unknown antiquity—local legends trace
it back to about 5000 years but its written history dates to at least 1300
years—is today located 12 Kilometres south of Tirur in the Malappuram
district. It was always renowned as one of the great centres of Vedic
learning and a principal place of pilgrimage of the Vaishnava sect. Tipu’s
brutal army not only plundered the temple but desecrated and destroyed it.
The case of the Thrikkavu temple in Ponnani was no different. After
smashing the idols in the temple, Tipu converted the entire temple into an
ammunition depot.
Tipu also didn’t spare the Krishna temple at Guruvayoor, which is one
of the holiest Hindu temples in India. However, today’s Tipu-worshippers
assert that it was Tipu who gave the land grant to Hindus to construct the
Guruvayoor temple! An eminence named C.K. Ahmed writes with supreme
confidence that “the Guruvayoor temple of today exists on the land that was
granted as Inaam [gift or grant] by Tipu” but fails to give a single shred
of evidence to back his assertion. However, the real story is that when the
people of Guruvayoor heard of Tipu’s approach, they secretly transported
its main idol to the Ambalapuzha Krishna temple then in the Travancore
State. Here’s what the 2 January 1977 issue of the Illustrated Weekly of
India says about the affair:
The truth is that when Tipu raided the Malabar, he looted all the
gold and jewelry in the Hindu temples there, pulled down the gold, silver
and copper covering that placed on the roofs of these temples, looted their
money, and vandalized them. Seeing the nature of his raid, the locals and
Brahmins at Guruvayoor feared for the fate of the idol of Krishna in the
temple, shifted it to Ambalapuzha and hid it.
It was only after Tipu’s tyrannical regime ended that the original
idol of Krishna was transported back to Guruvayoor and reinstated with due
ceremony. Equally, if no signs of destruction are visible today, it is
because of the intervention of an officer named Hydrose Kutty, a Hindu who
had been forcibly converted to Islam by Hyder Ali. He helped repair,
renovate, and restore the temple and reinstated the land grants and
exemptions that had historically been given to it by various kings.
However, the bigoted handwork of Tipu is clearly visible even today
in the temples of Parampathali, Panmayanadu and Vengidangu. One look at the
appalling damage done to the sanctum sanctorum of the Parampathali temple
is sufficient to estimate the nature of Tipu’s iconoclasm.
This is an extract from the author's book Tipu Sultan: The Tyrant of Mysore.
KR IRS 231025
On Thu, 23 Oct 2025 at 10:03, 'gopala krishnan' via Thatha_Patty <
[email protected]> wrote:
> RAMAPURAM SIVA VISHNU TEMPLE, KOOTHUPARAMBU, KANNUR DISTRICT-KERALA
>
> Introduction
>
> The Ramapuram Siva - Vishnu Temple is located in the Nirmalagiri area,
> about 4 km from Kuthuparamba in Kannur district. The temple is situated
> behind Nirmalagiri College and is accessible at Kaitheri, Nirmalagiri. *An
> exceptional aspect of this temple is the equal reverence given to both Lord
> Shiva and Lord Vishnu. *One unique depiction within the temple portrays
> Lord Vishnu blessing Prahlada after the demise of King Hiranyakashipu.
>
> Key information
>
> Location: Behind Nirmalagiri College, in the Nirmalagiri area,
> approximately 4 km from Kuthuparamba town.
>
> Contact: The temple can be reached at 0490-2368368.
>
> Amenities: The entrance and exit are wheelchair accessible.
>
> History: The temple is dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu and has a
> history linked to the Kavumkara Illam and the local community.
>
>
>
> History
>
> The ancient Shivalinga housed in this temple has a historical connection
> dating back to Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, also known as the Lion of
> Kerala. Legend suggests that this sacred Shivalinga was entrusted to
> Kavumkara Illam following the demolition of Pazhassi's Palace and Kovilakam
> by the British.
>
> *Slightly different Version*- Historically controlled by 14 Illams, the
> temple came under the sole management of the Kavumkara Illam following the
> invasion of Tipu Sultan, the aggressive ruler of Mysore, which displaced
> prominent local families. Financial decline and mismanagement eventually
> led to the temple's ruin and closure. The local community, believing their
> prosperity and peace were tied to the temple's divine presence, sought
> permission from Sri. Kuberan Namboothiripad of the Kavumkara family to
> reopen the temple. They formed the *"Ramapuram Sri Siva Vishnu Kshethra
> Seva Samithi,"* a registered committee under the Societies Act. In March
> 2006, an astrological enquiry called "Swarna Prasnam" was conducted at the
> temple. *The Swarna Prasnam revealed that Lord Sri Rama had visited the
> temple during the Treta Yuga*, giving the place its name, Ramapuram.
>
> Architecture
>
> The temple has a square plan and follows the design principles found in
> ancient Sanskrit texts for temples. Sree Ramapuram Vishnu Temple
>
> Festivals
>
> The Temple has a number of festivals. The important ones are :
>
> Bhagavatha Sapthaha Yajnyam-Bhagavatha Sapthaha Yajnyam is a traditional
> Hindu ritual conducted over seven days, dedicated to the recitation of the
> sacred scripture, Srimad Bhagavatham. During this auspicious event, learned
> scholars and devotees gather to chant, discuss, and contemplate the divine
> stories and teachings of Lord Krishna as narrated in the Bhagavatham. The
> yajnam culminates in spiritual upliftment, fostering devotion, and
> spreading the message of love, righteousness, and devotion to God.
>
> Prathishta Dina Maholsavam-Prathishta Dina Maholsavam is a grand festival
> celebrated to commemorate the consecration day of a deity or the
> establishment of a temple.Devotees gather in large numbers to seek the
> blessings of the deity and participate in the festivities, which often
> include special poojas, processions, music, dance, and offerings.
> Prathishta Dina Maholsavam holds great spiritual significance, symbolizing
> the divine presence and sanctity of the temple.
>
> Other festival days are Sivarathri in Kumbham, Vishu in Medam,
> Ramayanamasam and Sree Krishna Jyanathi in Karkidakom, Vinayaka Chaturthi
> in Chingam, Mahanavami in Thulam, Mandala Masam in Vrichikam
>
> Deities
>
> The temple is unique in Kerala for giving equal importance to Lord Vishnu
> and Lord Shiva, two of the Hindu Trinity. Lord Vishnu is depicted blessing
> Prahlada after the assassination of King Hiranyakashipu, while the
> Shivalinga represents "Ardhanareeswara" and was installed by the Kavumkara
> Namboothiries.
>
> Sub Deities:
>
> Sree Hanuman, Sree Vanasastha, Goddess Vanadurga Ganesha
>
> Temple Pooja Timings
>
> 5:00 AM: Nada Thurakkal 5:10 AM: Nirmalyam
>
> 5:20 AM: Malar Nivedhyam
>
> 6:15 AM: Usha Pooja 11:00 AM: Ucha Pooja
>
> TEMPLE CLOSES AT 11:30 AM TEMPLE OPENS AT 4:30 PM
>
> 6:15 PM: Deeparadhana 7:30 PM: Athazha pooja
>
> TEMPLE CLOSES AT 8:15 PM
>
> Devotees seek the temple
>
> The temple's unique spiritual significance attracts devotees from
> distant regions seeking spiritual solace, strength, and fulfilment of their
> wishes.
>
> It is believed that the divine presence in the temple removes obstacles
> and misfortunes in family life, bringing peace and affection to those who
> worship there.
>
> Some of the offerings in the temple
>
> Chuttuvilakku ₹1001 Dhanwanthari Archana₹30
>
> Kallu Vilakku₹300 Mrithyunjaya Havanam₹101
>
> Mukhakapp₹300 Muzhukapp₹800
>
> Niramala₹5001 Nithya Pooja₹101
>
> Rudraabhishekam₹101 Santhana Gopala Archana ₹51
>
> Sarvaishwarya Pooja₹30 Shaneeswara Pooja₹101
>
> Thenga Payasam₹30 Thulasimaala₹30
>
> Udayaasthamana Pooja ₹20001
>
> Uma Maheswara Pooja₹51 Vilakku Samarppanam ₹100
>
> Pond
>
> Nearby, a pond named Sugreevan Chira believed to have been created by
> Sugreeva to quench Rama's thirst, still exists about 200 meters from the
> temple.
>
> Contact Address:
>
> Ramapuram Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple, Mahavishnu Temple Road, Nirmalagiri,
> Kerala 670701
>
> Phone Number: 7902786702
>
> Address of temple
>
> Ramapuram Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple, Mahavishnu Temple Road, Nirmalagiri,
> Kerala 670701
>
> Phone Number: 7902786702
>
>
>
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>
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