Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 9, 2025
More than 50 devotees of Lord Murugan (often referred to as The Tamil God) found solace and piteous inspiration as they walked from one abode of the Lord to another chanting hymns in His Praise in Auckland on February 22, 2025.
The Devotees belong to the New Zealand Nattukottai Nagarathar Sangam Inc, a community organisation formed to foster the values of the Tamil-speaking Chettiars of Tamil Nadu.
The Padayatra, or Religious Journey, covering a distance of 6.3 kms on foot from Thirumurugan Temple in Otahuhu (145 Church Street) to Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam in Mangere (69 Tidal Road) was completed in four hours (9 am to 1 pm) with stopovers and respite since the undertaking involved the elderly and children. Such Journeys are common in many parts of the world.
While there are hundreds of places of Worship for Lord Murugan, Six Houses located at Thiruparankundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruthani and Pazhamudircholai in Tamil Nadu are considered His Abodes. There are tales of ardent devotees undertaking Padayatra between these Temples in a spirit of atonement.
About the Nattukottai Nagarathar Sangam
The New Zealand Nattukottai Nagarathar Sangam is led by Ramanathan Nachiappan as President with Ramanathan Karuppiah as Secretary, Veerappan Narayanan as Treasurer and Rathna Manikandan as a Member of the Executive Committee.
Ms Manikandan said that Patha Yathirai is a Sacred Pilgrimage undertaken by devotees when they walk to a Temple as an act of devotion, penance and gratitude.
“Tamil tradition deeply associates this practice with Lord Murugan, the God of Valour, Wisdom, and Divine Grace,” she said.
According to her, such events help to achieve spiritual growth and reflection, self-discipline and introspection, unity and friendship, mutual understanding and respect and purification of the mind and the body.
“As well as a shuttle service, food, water and emergency facilities were at hand for all the participants throughout their Sacred Journey. Apart from serving Lord Murugan, this undertaking served as an important event for our community,” Ms Manikandan said.
She said that the Sangam has 55 members and that among its stated purposes are to undertake activities to (a) preserve and promote the Chettinad Culture (b) build the Community (c) promote educational and charitable activities (d) support and promote initiatives including scholarships and educational programmes (e) engage in charitable activities that support the well-being of the broader community (f) engage youth and foster their development and (g) provide leadership and personal development opportunities for Nagarathar youth.
About Nattukottai Nagarathars
The Nagarathar or Nattukottai Nagarathar (also known as Nattukottai Chettiar) is a Tamil caste in Tamil Nadu. The English synonym for Nagarathar is Town-Dweller and Chettiar is a derivative of the ancient Tamil term Etti, bestowed on merchants by Tamil Monarchs. The prefix Nattukottai refers to their Mansions which were fortresses.
Their ancient land Naganadu, near Kanchipuram, is believed to have been destroyed by natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. Their origins are also traced to Kaveripoompatinam (Poompuhar in 2897 BC), Karaikudi (Pandiya Kingdom from 707 AD) and other places in Tamil Nadu.
Nagarathars are a mercantile community traditionally involved in commerce, banking and moneylending. They use the title Chettiar and are concentrated in the modern region of Chettinad. As good-hearted social workers and philanthropists, they funded the construction of Hindu Temples, Choultries, Schools, Colleges and Universities.
Some Nattukottai Chettiars ascended to kingship through their wealth and influence. Although kings are traditionally associated with the Kshatriya Varna in the Chaturvarna System, the Chettiars’ rise to power was based on their economic achievements rather than hereditary lineage.
The nine temples connected with the Nagarathar community include: Ilayathakudi, Iluppaikkudi, Iraniyur, Mathur, Nemam, Pillayarpatti, Soorakudi, Vairavanpatti, and Velangudi.
Nagarathars also celebrate Pillaiyar Nonbu, which starts twenty-one days after Thirukarthigai, the last day of Karthigai Deepam.
The Chettiars of Chettinad of Karaikudi District in Tamil Nadu are known for their business acumen, spirit of investment, wealth-creation and community welfare. Masters in banking, trade, and money lending across India and Southeast Asia, community members follow a strict clan system with Nine Temples (Koil) and 96 clans (Kothiram). They are also renowned for building Temples, philanthropy, and contributions to Tamil culture.
