A mural in Tiruppudaimarudhur celebrates saint-composer Annamacharya, his son and wife

Tiruppudaimarudhur, a village on the banks of the Tamiraparani river, is home to the revered Narumpoonathar Shiva temple, a must-visit for anyone passionate about history. The temple boasts a five-tiered rajagopuram, with a narrow staircase that ascends to its apex. Each tier is adorned with stunning murals and wooden carvings that date to the Vijayanagara and Nayak periods.

The paintings illustrate the sthalapurana of Tiruppudaimarudhur.

The paintings illustrate the sthalapurana of Tiruppudaimarudhur, events from Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam and Periyapuranam, as well as scenes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Valli Thirumanam. The artwork also offers a glimpse into the socio-political and economic events of the time and an intricate imagery of the Venad-Nayak war, highlighting the temple’s historical significance.

The Tiruppudaimarudhur temple painting depicting a scene from the Ramayana.
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Special Arrangement

S. Balusami, associate professor of Tamil at the Madras Christian College, Chennai, has conducted an extensive research about Tiruppudaimarudhur paintings. He has concluded that these artworks vividly depict the ‘Tamiraparani battle’ of 1532 CE, fought between the armies of the Travancore king Bhoothala Veera Udaya Marthanda Varma and the Vijayanagara emperor Achyutadevaraya.

A painting representing the army of Vijayanagara emperor Achyutadevaraya seen inside the Tiruppudaimarudhur temple.
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Special Arrangement

Balusami identifies Dhalavai Ariyanatha Mudaliyar, the distinguished general of the Madurai Nayaks, as the visionary behind the commissioning of the paintings. He is also credited with establishing the shrine for Ariyanayaki amman at Tiruppudaimarudhur.

The timeline for the paintings is believed to be between 1532 and 1564 CE, post the Tamiraparani war of 1532 and preceding the pivotal battle of Talikotta in 1564, which marked the collapse of the Vijayanagara empire.

The vibrant paintings also portray a diverse array of musicians and dancers. Publications by Balusami and the Department of Museum describe the musicians’ appearance, but don’t identify the individuals. However, one notable artwork that has historical significance is seen on the third level. It features two men, one holding a tambura and wearing the distinctive Kullayi cap and the other holding cymbals. They unmistakably identify as the revered saint-composer Annamacharya and his son Pedda Tirumalacharya, for it matches with the iconographic representation of other known sculptures of Annamacharya. The woman is Thimmakka, Annamacharya’s wife, the first woman Telugu poet.

Celebrated as the ‘Pada Kavitha Pithamaha’, Annamacharya lived between 1408 and 1503 CE and composed 32,000 keertanas. His profound legacy of creating sankeertanas dedicated to Swami Venkateswara was continued by his descendants, notably his son Pedda Tirumalacharya, and his grandson Chinna Tirumalacharya, also a notable composer of sankeertana. The famous composition ‘Vandeham jagat vallabham’ is attributed to him.

The statue of Pedda Tirumalacharya, son of Annamacharya, at Krishnapuram.
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Special Arrangement

In 1922, about 14,000 sankeertanas, along with several other literary works, were discovered in a chamber (Sankeertana Bhandagaram) within the Tirumala temple. The entrance to this repository features sculptures of Annamacharya and Pedda Tirumalacharya, symbolising their significant contributions to devotional music. This iconography also matches with the Tiruppudaimarudhur paintings. In Krishnapuram village near Tirunelveli, one can find a sculpture of Annamacharya at the Venkatachalapathy temple. Initially it was difficult to identify the sculpture, but now a board identifies the sculpture as that of Annamacharya.

The timeline of Achyutadevaraya and Ariyanatha Mudaliyar and their connection with Krishnapuram and Tiruppudaimarudhur confirm the sculptures and the paintings are of Annamacharya.

But more significant is the portrayal of Annamacharya’s wife, Thimmakka also known as Tirumalamma. Her remarkable work, Subhadra Kalyanam comprising 1,170 padas, eloquently narrates the marriage of Arjuna and Subhadra. The work flows gently, and the verses are suitable for singing. She has written it based on Nannayya’s Andhra Mahabaratam.

Unlike the Vyasa and Nannayya versions of the Mahabharata, Thimakka’s sees Arjuna also visit Srirangam during his pilgrimage.
| Photo Credit:
B. Velankanni Raj

Thimmakka also adds a bit of humour to the exchanges between Krishna and Arjuna. Another notable aspect is that the sringara rasa is expressed from a woman’s point of view. Unlike the Vyasa and Nannayya versions of the Mahabharata, Thimakka’s sees Arjuna visit Ahobilam, Tirumala, Kanchipuram and Srirangam during his pilgrimage, perhaps a pointer to the places she had visited.

One does wonder though as to why there is no sculpture of hers in Tirumala. Perhaps, she was not that famous at the time those sculptures were commissioned. The one in Tiruppudaimarudhur is precious because there appears to be no other known sculpture or painting of Thimmakka. And that is how an iconic Telugu poet ended up being celebrated in a village in Tamil Nadu far away from Tirumala.

Published – February 27, 2026 04:00 pm IST