Tuesday, June 6, 2023
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Sunday, April 16, 2023
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Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Trichy Muthumariamman Temple
The Trichy Muthumariamman Temple is a temple of the Hindu goddess Muthumariamman and is located in the city of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is believed to be over 1000 years old and is one of the most important religious sites in the region. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Muthumariamman, who is an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga. The temple attracts devotees from all over India and many other countries, making it one of the most visited temples in India.
The origin of the Trichy Muthumariamman Temple is said to be associated with a story of a cowherd named ‘Vadamalai’ who used to graze his cows near the village of Lakshmi Nagar. One day while he was grazing his cows, he encountered a divine being who told him that there was a special place beneath a nearby hillock where he could find an idol of the goddess Muthumariamman. Vadamalai followed the instructions of the divine being and discovered an ancient idol of Muthumariamman beneath the hillock. He then built a temple for the goddess and began to worship her there.
The temple has seen many renovations over the years, with various rulers contributing to its construction and expansion. In 1609, the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I put up a golden shrine for Muthumariamman at the site, making it one of the most majestic temples in the region. The Maratha kings also made several contributions to the temple and it was further expanded by King Vikramaditya during his reign in 1672. It was also during this time that the main deity Muthumariamman was enshrined in its present form.
In modern times, the Trichy Muthumariamman Temple has become one of the most important religious sites in Tamil Nadu and is visited by thousands of devotees every year. It is believed that by worshipping at this temple, devotees can have their wishes fulfilled and their problems solved. The temple also hosts various festivals throughout the year, such as Navratri, Dussehra, Hanuman Jayanti and Thaipusam. During these festivals, devotees from all over India come to offer their prayers and seek blessings from Muthumariamman.
The Trichy Muthumariamman Temple is a must-visit destination for anyone visiting Tiruchirappalli or Tamil Nadu as a whole. The majestic architecture, intricate carvings and rich history make it an ideal place for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and peace of mind. So if you’re ever in Tiruchirappalli, don’t forget to pay a visit to this ancient temple and experience its divine atmosphere firsthand!
Muthumarriamman Temple is a unique Hindu temple in the city of Chennai, India. Built in the 17th century, the temple is dedicated to the Goddess Muthu Marriamman, a form of the Mother Goddess Shakti. The temple is considered a special place for devotees and has been attracting thousands of visitors and pilgrims from all over the world.
Since its inception, the temple has been a source of great spiritual importance to many and has become a symbol of faith and devotion. The temple is said to have been established by Bhagwan Krishna during the reign of King Raja Raja Chola I. It is believed that Bhagwan Krishna wanted to establish a place of worship where people could find solace and inner peace. To achieve this, he chose a place near the banks of River Kaveri, where he built the temple.
The architecture and design of the temple are quite remarkable, with its gopuras (towers) and mandapams (covered pavilions). The walls of the temple are adorned with intricate carvings depicting various Hindu deities along with several scenes from mythology. The most impressive feature of the temple is its sanctum sanctorum where the deity Muthumarriamman resides. The inner sanctum consists of a golden idol of the Goddess Muthu Marriamman, which is said to be about two thousand years old.
The history of Muthumarriamman Temple is closely linked to Bhagwan Krishna's devotion towards Shakti. According to mythological accounts, Bhagwan Krishna often visited this temple to pray for peace and prosperity for his people. He even gave his blessings to those who prayed here sincerely.
Devotees from all over India come to this temple to seek blessings from Goddess Muthu Marriamman. They offer prayers and perform various rituals in her honor, such as lighting lamps and offering sweets. Every Tuesday and Friday, special poojas and homas (fire rituals) are performed at the temple. The temple also hosts festivals such as Navaratri, which attract thousands of devotees from far and wide.
The Muthumarriamman Temple is one of the most revered temples in India and is visited by millions of devotees every year. With its rich history and religious significance, it is truly a marvel to behold!
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Monday, March 6, 2023
Ramanathaswamy Temple
Temple
Ramanathaswamy Temple
( Rāmanātasvāmi Kōyil) is a Hindu temple
dedicated to the god Shiva located on
Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil
Nadu, India. It is also one of the twelve
Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 275
Paadal Petra Sthalams, where three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite saints),
Sambandar, have glorified the temple with
their songs. The temple was expanded
during the 12th century by the Pandya
Dynasty, and its principal shrine’s sanctum
was renovated by Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan
and his successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan, monarchs of the Jaffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all
Hindu temples in India. It was built by King
Muthuramalinga Sethupathiy. [1] [2] The
temple, located in Rameswaram, is considered a holy pilgrimage site for
Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas.
Mythological accounts depict the
presiding deity, the Lingam of
Ramanathaswamy (Shiva), as having been
established and worshiped by Rama,
before he crossed his bridge to the
present-day island of Sri Lanka. It is one of
the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
Arulmigu Sri Ramanathaswamy Thirukoil
Religion
District
Ramanadhaswamy
(Shiva) Parvatavardini
(Parvati)
Location
State
Country
Architecture
Type
Creator
Pandya and Jaffna
kings
Rameswaram
Badrinath
Legend
According to Hindu epic Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu,
prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins
that he might have committed during his
war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri
Lanka. According to the Puranas (Hindu scriptures), upon the advice of sages,
Rama along with his wife Sita and his
brother Lakshmana, installed and
worshipped the lingam(an iconic symbol
of Shiva) here to expiate the sin of
Brahmahatya incurred while killing Ravana
(who was a Brahmin and son of Vishrava).
To worship Shiva, Rama directed his
trusted lieutenant Hanuman (avatar of Shiva himself) to bring it from Himalayas.
Since it took longer to bring the lingam,
Sita built a lingam made of sand from the
nearby seashore, which is also believed to
be the one in the sanctum of the temple.
This account is well supported by the
original Ramayana authored by Valmiki
where it is written in Yudha Kanda.
According to another version, as quoted in
Adhyatma Ramayana, Rama installed the
lingam before the construction of the
bridge to Lanka .
History
A historic image of the temple
corridor. The corridor is the longest
for any Hindu temple in India
A modern image of the temple
corridor
The temple in its current form is believed
to have been built during the 17th century,
while Fergusson believes the small vimana
in the west corridor belongs to the 11th or
12th century. [3] The temple is said to have
been sanctioned for construction by King
Kizhavan Sethupathi or Raghunatha
Kilavan. The contribution of the Jaffna
kings of Pandya Dynasty to the temple
was considerable.[4] King Jeyaveera
Cinkaiariyan (1380–1410 CE) shipped
stone blocks from Koneswaram temple,
Trincomalee to renovate the temple's sanctum sanctorum. Jeyaveera
Cinkaiariyan's successor Gunaveera
Cinkaiariyan (Pararacacekaran V), a
trustee at Rameswaram who also oversaw
structural development of this temple and
the promotion of Saivite beliefs donated
part of his revenue to Koneswaram.
Especially to be remembered are the
immense sums that were spent during the
tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai
towards the restoration of the Pagodas
which were falling into ruins and the
splendid Chockattan Mantapam or the
cloistered precincts of the temple at
Rameswaram that he finally completed.
The rulers of Sri Lanka also contributed to
the temple; Parakrama Bahu (1153–1186
CE) was involved in the construction of the
sanctum sanctorum of the temple.[4] Also,
Sri Lankan king Nissanka Malla,
contributed to the temple's development
by making donations and sending
workers.[5]
Pappakudi a village was donated as a
grant to Rameshwaram Temple and one
Deva Venkala Perumal Ramanathar in
(1667 CE) by Perumal Servaikaran Son of
Sokkappan Servaikarar who belongs to
Pandiyur. They are local Chieftain under
Tirumalai Regunatha Sethupathy Thevar
Rein in Ramnad Kingdom. The grant
details are published by Government
Press, Madras Presidency for
Archeological Survey of India in 1885.
Along with Pappakudi, Anandur and Urasur
villages are also donated to
Rameshwaram Temple. These Villages
falls under Melaimakani Seermai province
The temple is one of the most famous
pilgrimage sites and has several historical
references about it. The Maratha kings
who ruled Thanjavur established chatrams or rest houses throughout Mayiladuthurai
and Rameswaram between 1745 and 1837
CE and donated them to the temple. [7]
Image of the east and west temple towers
The primary deity of the temple is
Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) in the form of
lingam. [2] There are two lingams inside the sanctum - According to tradition, one built
by Rama from sand, residing as the main
deity, called the Ramalingam, and the one
brought by Hanuman from Kailash, called
the Vishvalingam. [8][4] Rama is said to have
instructed that the Vishvalingam be
worshipped first since it was brought by
Hanuman - the tradition continues even
today.[4]
Like all ancient temples in South India,
there is a high compound wall (madil) on
all four sides of the temple premises
measuring about 865 feet furlong from
east to west and one furlong of 657 feet
from north to south with huge towers
(Gopurams) to the east and the west and finished gate towers to the north and
south. The temple has striking long
corridors in its interior, running between
huge colonnades on platforms above five
feet high. [3]
The second corridor is formed by
sandstone pillars, beams, and ceiling. The
junction of the third corridor on the west
and the paved way leading from the
western gopuram to the Setumadhava
shrine forms a unique structure in the form
of a chess board, popularly known as
Chokkattan Madapam, where the Utsava
deities are adorned and kept during the
Vasanthotsavam (Spring festival) and on the 6th day festival in Adi (July–August)
and Masi (February–March) conducted by
the Sethupathi of Ramnad.
The outer set of corridors is reputed to be
the longest in the world, measuring about
6.9 m in height, 400 feet each in the east
and west and about 640 feet in the north
and the south. The inner corridors are
about 224 feet each in the east and the
west and about 352 feet each in the north
and the south.[9] Their width varies from
15.5 feet to 17 feet in the east and west
about 172 feet on the north and south with
width varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet. [4][9] The
total length of these corridors is thus 3850
feet. There are about 1212 pillars in the
outer corridor.[9] Their height is about 30
feet from the floor to the center of the
roof. The main tower or rajagopuram is 53
m tall. [2] Most pillars are carved with
individual compositions.[9] At the
beginning, Ramanathaswamy Temple was
a thatched shed. The present structure
was the work of many individuals spread
over a number of centuries. The pride of
place in the establishment of the Temple
goes to the Setupatis of
Ramanathapuram. In the seventeenth
century, Dalavai Setupati built a portion of
the main eastern Gopuram. In the late
eighteenth century, the world-famous third
corridor was constructed by
Muthuramalinga Setupati who lived for
forty-nine years and ruled between 1763
and 1795. The corridor was called
"Chokkatan Mandapam". The Mukhya
Pradhani (Chief Minister) was
Muthuirullappa Pillai and the Chinna
Pradhani (Deputy Chief Minister) was
Krishna Iyengar. The Setupati's statue and
those of his two Pradhanis (ministers) can
be seen at the western entrance to the
third corridor.
The composite columns of Virabhadra
holding sword and horn are found be
additions of the Vijayanagara kings during
the early 1500s. Similar columns of
Virabhadra are found in Adikesava
Perumal Temple at Thiruvattaru,
Meenakshi Temple at Madurai, Nellaiappar
Temple at Tirunelveli, Kasi Viswanathar
temple at Tenkasi, Krishnapuram
Thadikombu, Srivilliputhur Andal temple,
Srivaikuntanathan Permual temple at
Srivaikuntam, Avudayarkovil, Vaishnava
Nambi and Thirukurungudivalli Nachiar
temple at Thirukkurungudi.[10]
There are separate shrines for
Ramanathaswamy and his consort
goddess Parvathavardhini separated by a
corridor. [3] There are separate shrines for
the goddess Vishalakshi, the utsava images, sayanagriha, Vishnu and Ganesha.
The samadhi of the great Yogi Patanjali is said to be at this temple and there is a
separate shrine for him here. There are
various halls inside the temple, namely
Anuppu Mandapam, Sukravara
Mandapam, Setupati Mandapam, Kalyana
Mandapam, and Nandi Mandapam.
Temple Tanks
Agni Theertham - the primary sea shore associated with the temple
There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water
bodies) in and around the island of
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. [11]
According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four
of them are important.[12] Bathing in these
Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage
to Rameswaram and is considered
equivalent to penance.[13] Twenty-two of
the Tīrthas are within the
Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple. [14] The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's
quiver.[8] The first and major one is called
Agni Theertham, the sea (Bay of Bengal). [2]
Rameswaram is one of the few temples
that has the distinction of being the stala,
Murthy, Theertham. Ramanathaswamy
Temple Theertham is very special. There
are 22 theerthams in the form of a pond
and a well. These 22 theerthams represent
the 22 arrows of Sri Rama.[15]
Significance today
Char Dham
Adi Sankara, the Guru of Advaita, who is believed to have started the Char Dhams
The temple is one of the holiest Hindu
Char Dham (four divine sites) sites
comprising Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka and
Rameshwaram. [16] Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of
Hinduism established by Sankaracharya,
who created Hindu monastic institutions
across India, attributes the origin of Char
Dham to the seer.[17] The four monasteries
lie across the four corners of India and
their attendant temples are Badrinath
Temple at Badrinath in the North,
Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East,
Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the
West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at
Rameswaram in the South. The temples
are revered by the various spiritual
traditions of Hinduism, such as Saivism
and Vaishnavism. The Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair.[18] There
are four abodes in the Himalayas called
Chota Char Dham ( Chota meaning small):
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and
Yamunotri - all of these lie at the foothills of Himalayas. [19] The name Chota was
added during the mid of 20th century to
differentiate the original Char Dhams.[2]
The journey across the four cardinal points
in India is considered sacred by Hindus
who aspire to visit these temples once in
their lifetime. [20] Traditionally the trip starts
at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in
clockwise direction in a manner typically
followed for circumambulation in Hindu
temples. [20]
Jyotirlinga
As per the Shiva Purana, once, Brahma
(the god of creation) and Vishnu (the god
of preservation) had an argument in terms
of their supremacy in creation. [21] To settle
their dispute, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge and endless pillar of light
called the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma
split their ways downwards and upwards
respectively to find the end of the light in
either directions. Brahma lied that he
discovered the end of the pillar in his
direction, while Vishnu conceded his
defeat. Shiva cursed Brahma that he would
have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu
would be worshipped till the end of
eternity. The jyotirlinga is regarded to be
the supreme partless reality, out of which
Shiva partly appears. The jyotirlinga
shrines are believed to be the places
where Shiva is said to have appeared as a
fiery column of light. [20][22] Originally, there
were believed to have been 64 jyotirlingas,
of which the present 12 are considered to
be sacred to Shiva. [21] Each of the twelve
jyotirlinga sites take the name of the
presiding deity - each considered a
different manifestation of Shiva.[23] At all
these sites, the primary image is the
lingam representing the stambha pillar, symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva
(without beginning or end). [23][24][25] The
twelve jyotirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat,
Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra
Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in
Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya
Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas,
Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath
Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra,
Vaidyanath at Deoghar in Jharkhand,
Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat,
Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil
Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad,
Maharashtra.[21][26] This temple is the
southernmost of all the twelve
Jyotirlingas. [27]
In the news
The temple priests are Marathi Brahmins
of Maharashtra who get Diksha from
Sringeri Mutt. [28] A shortage of priests has been reported in recent years as there are
only five priests to manage the 13 shrines
within the temple. [28] The shortage is more
pronounced during the 12-day Maha
Shivaratri festival when the festival deities
of the temple are taken in procession. [28]
The temple is maintained and
administered by the Hindu Religious and
Charitable Endowments Department of the
Government of Tamil Nadu. [29] The temple comes under the renovation and
consecration of the 630 temples planned
by the Hindu Religious and Charitable
Government of Tamil Nadu. [30] Temple authorities had planned to renovate and
widen the pathways to the 22 holy
theerthams of the temple.[30] The
consecration of the temple was planned
during 2013. [30] The temple is among
those offering free meals under the Free
Meals Scheme of the government, which
provides meals to devotees of the temple.
A pilgrim house is planned by the
government to extend the scheme to more
pilgrims. [30]
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Ucchi Pillayar Temple
Temple, Rockfort
Ucchi Pillayar Temple is a 7th-century
Hindu temple, one dedicated to Lord
Ganesha located a top of Rockfort, Trichy,
Tamil Nadu, India. According to legend, this rock is the place where Lord Ganesha
ran from King Vibishana, after establishing
the Ranganathaswamy deity in Srirangam.
Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is also fondly called as Malaikottai in Tamil.
Religion
Thayumanavar (Shiva) Manikka Vinayagar
(Ganesha) Uchi Pillayar
(Ganesha), Mattuvar Kuzhalammai(Parvathi)
Location
State
India
Architecture
Type
Completed
20th century AD
Website
trichyrockfort.tnhrce.in (http://trichyrockfort.t
Architecture
The Rock Fort temple stands 83 metres
(272 ft) tall perched atop a rock. The
smooth rock was first cut by the Pallavas
but it was the Nayaks of Madurai who
completed both the temples under the
The temple is situated at the top of the
rock. The Ganesha temple is much smaller
with an access through steep steps carved
on the rock and provides views of Trichy,
Srirangam and the rivers Kaveri and
Kollidam. Due to its ancient architecture, created by the Pallavas, the temple is maintained by the Archaeological
department of India.
temple
Vibhishana, was the younger brother of the
Asura King Ravana who ruled Lanka. Lord
Rama in the epic of Ramayana rescues his wife Sita, who was kidnapped and held by Ravana, with the help of Sugriva and
Hanuman defeated him. In this war, the moral and truth-abiding brother of Ravana,
Vibishana aids Rama in his battle against
his brother. Ultimately Rama wins the war
and as a token of love, he gives Vibishana
a vigraham (idol for worship) of Lord
Vibhishana, though he supported Rama, was basically an Asura, hence the Devas
(who are arch rivals to Asuras as per
Hindu mythology) wanted to stop this idea
of an Asura taking Lord's supreme form to
his Kingdom. They request the help of the
Remover of obstacles and God of learning,
Lord Vinayaka and the Lord accepts the plan. Vibhishana, while on his back to his
Kingdom, goes through Trichi, and wanted
to take his bath in the river Kaveri and do
his daily rituals. However, he is perplexed
as the deity, once kept in land, can never
be removed and has to be in that place
forever.
As a solution, Vibishana tries to find someone to hold the deity while he was
taking bath. He finds the Lord Vinayaka
under disguise of a cowherd boy. As per
the plan, when Vibishana is fully into water,
Vinayaka takes the deity and keeps it
firmly in sand, in the banks of kaveri. On
seeing this, the angry Vibhishana chases
the boy, to punish him, and boy keeps
running and climbs over the rock near the
Kaveri bank. Vibhishana finally reaches the
boy and hits him on the fore-head. One can
see a pit in the forehead of the idol even
today.[2] The little boy then reveals himself to be Vinayaka. Vibishana immediately
apologizes and the Lord gives him his
blessings, reveals that the idol is destined to remain in Srirangam and sends him off
to Lanka. This is similar in many regards to
the story of Lord Ganesha in Gokarna[3]
with Ravana in the same Ramayana
period.
The place in which the Ranganathan deity
was kept was later covered in deep
forests, due to disuse and after a very long
time, it was discovered when a Chola king
chasing a parrot found the deity
accidentally. He then established the
Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam as the largest temple complexes in the world.
Meanwhile, the Pallavas built the Vinayaka
temple and the Thayumanaswamy temple, in the rock which Vinayaka used to escape
Vibishana.
Uchi Pillayar is always associated with
Manicka Vinayagar at the foothills. It is a
general worship practise to pray obeisance
with Manicak Vinayagar before visiting
Uchi Pillayar. [4]
The temple is maintained and
administered by the Hindu Religious and
Charitable Endowments Department of the
Interior of a Temple on the Rock of
Trichinopoly (1847)[6]
Rockfort as viewed from Lourdes Church
View from the east side of the temple
Gopuram of the Temple
Trichy at night, as viewed from the Uchchi
Pillayar Temple, Rockfort
Peruvudaiyar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Gaṅgaikoṇḍa Chōḻapuram is a village
located near to Jayankondam, Ariyalur
district, Tamil Nadu, India. It became the
capital of the Chola dynasty in c. 1025 by
Chola emperor Rajendra I, and served as the capital for around 250 years.
Town
Gaṅgaikoṇda Chōḻapuram
The Shiva temple in Gangaikonda
Cholapuram
Country
State
Languages
• Official
The town is about approximately 125
kilometres (78 mi) northeast of
Tiruchirapalli international airport. As of
2014, the ancient city exists as a heritage
town in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The great Arulmigu Peruvudaiyar
Temple at this place is next only to the
Arulmigu Peruvudaiyar Kovil at Thanjavur
in its monumental nature and surpasses it
in sculptural quality.[1] It has been
recognised as a World Heritage site by
UNESCO. [2]
History
Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple Entrance
The city was founded by Rajendra I to
commemorate his victory over the Pala
Dynasty. The translation of the city's name
may be split into Gangai (Ganga)/ Konda (Obtained)/ Chola (Chola)/ Puram (City).
Hence, it refers to the city of the Cholas
built on a locale to commemorate the
occasion when the water of the Ganga
was obtained. It is now a small village, its
past eminence only remembered by the
existence of the Mahashiva Temple. The
Chola Empire included the whole of
southern India to the river Tungabhadra in
the north. For administrative and strategic
purposes, they built a new capital and
named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
The city seems to have had two
fortifications, one inner and the other
outer. The outer was probably wider. The
remains of the outer fortification can be
seen as a mound running all around the
palace.
Ruins of the ancient city
Excavations suggest that the outer
fortification was built of burnt bricks, was
about six to eight feet wide. It consisted of
two walls, the intervening space (the core)
being filled with sand. The bricks are fairly
large in size and are made of well-burnt
clay. [3][4] The Tamil Nadu State Archaeological Department has taken up
fresh excavations to probe a nearby village
named Ayudhkalam which is believed to
have weapon manufacturing workshops,
as the name suggests. [5]
The surviving temple in Gangaikonda
Cholapuram was completed in 1035 CE. [6]
Rajendra emulated the temple built by his
father after his victory in a campaign
across India that Chola era texts state
covered Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Odisha, and Bengal. After his victory, he
demanded that the defeated kingdoms
send pots of Ganges River water and pour
it into the well of this temple. [3]
Rajendra I, according to Tamil tradition,
thereafter assumed the name of
Gangaikonda Cholan, meaning the one
who conquered the Ganges. He
established Gangaikonda Cholapuram as
his capital from the medieval Chola capital
of Thanjavur, which would go on to become the capital for the next 250
years. [7] Rajendra I built the entire capital with several temples using plans and
infrastructure recommended in Tamil
Vastu and Agama sastra texts. [3] These
included a Dharma Sasta, Vishnu and
other temples. However, all of these were
destroyed in the late 13th and 14th
centuries except the Brihadishvara temple.
The other Chola landmarks are evidenced
by soil covered mounds and excavated
broken pillar stumps and brick walls found
over an area of several kilometres from the
The reasons for the city's destruction are
unclear. According to Vansanthi, the
Pandyas who defeated the Cholas during the later part of the 13th century "may
have razed the city to the ground" to
avenge their previous defeats.[4] However, it is unclear why other temples were
destroyed and this temple was spared, as
well as why there are around 20
inscriptions from later Cholas, Pandyas
and Vijayanagar Empire indicating various gifts and grants to this temple.[8] An
alternate theory links the destruction to
the raids and wars, particularly with the
invasion of the capital city and the
territories that were earlier a part by the
Chola Empire along with Madurai by the
armies of Delhi Sultanate led by the Muslim commander Malik Kafur in 1311,
followed by Khusrau Khan in 1314 and
Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1327.[9][10][11]
The period that followed saw wars
between the Hindu kings and the Muslim
Sultans who seceded the Delhi Sultanate
and carved out new polity such as the
nearby Madurai Sultanate (1335–
1378).[12][note 1] The Vijayanagara Empire
defeated the Madurai Sultanate in 1378
and this temple along with other Chola era
temples thereafter came under Hindu
kings again who repaired and restored
many of them. [9][12] The temple has been re-consecrated in 2017 with installation of
a dwajasthambam and performing maha
kumbhabhishekam [14][15]
Arts and architecture
Chola rulers were patrons of the arts and
architecture. They built the temple of
Gangaikondacholisvara. The temple has
sculptures of exceptional quality. The
bronzes of Bhogasakti and Subrahmanya
are masterpieces of Chola metal icons.
The Saurapitha (Solar altar), the lotus altar
with eight deities, is considered
auspicious.[2] The shiva lingam is made from single rock.
The Chola rulers constructed enormous
stone temple complexes with intricate
carvings of Hindu gods. Rajaraja I built the
famous Brihdrishvara temple at Thanjavur,
which is about 50 km away from city of
Gangaikonda Cholapuram, between 1003
and 1010 CE. Shiva is worshipped here.
The grandeur of this temple has not been
diminished by age. There is a massive
statue of Nandi, the sacred bull of Shiva, in
the central courtyard of the temple.
The exquisite bronze statues of the Chola
period are known the world over for their
grace and lifelike appearance. Many
beautiful figures of Nataraja, or the
dancing Shiva, were made during the
Chola era.
Remains of Royal Palace as of 2005 in Maligaimedu Village
The royal palace also was built of burnt
brick. The ceilings were covered with flat
tiles of small size, laid in a number of
courses, in fine lime mortar. The pillars
were probably made of polished wood,
supported on granite bases; a few pillar
bases have survived to this day. Iron nails
and clamps have been recovered from this
palace site. There is a tunnel that links the
palace and the temple inner 1st prakaara
(north).
Side View of Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple.
In the reign of Virarajendra Chola,
Rajendra's third son, the palace at
Gangaikondacholapuram is referred to as
Chola-Keralan Thirumaligai (Chola Keralan
palace) evidently after one of the titles of
Rajendra I. The same inscription mentions
a few parts of the palace as adibhumi (the
ground floor), Kilaisopana (the eastern portico), and a seat named Mavali
vanadhirajan. Evidently the palace was
multistoried. In an inscription dated in the
49th year of Kulothunga I (1119 CE)
reference is made to
Gangaikondacholamaligai at this place. It
is likely that there were more than one
royals building each having their own
name.
Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati) statue in Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple Roads and City gates
Excavated Ancient Stone Sculptures
Besides the names of the palace and fort
walls, the names of a few roads and
streets are preserved in the epigraphs. The
entryways named Thiruvasal, the eastern
gate and the Vembugudi gate, evidently
the south gate leading to the village
Vembugudi situated in that direction are
mentioned. Reference is also found to
highways named after Rajaraja and
Rajendra as Rajarajan Peruvali and
Rajendran Peruvali. Other streets
mentioned in epigraphs are the ten streets
( Pattu teru), the gateway lane ( Thiruvasal
Narasam) and the Suddhamali lane. The
inscription also refers to the highways,
Kulottungacholan Thirumadil peruvali,
Vilangudaiyan Peruvali and Kulaiyanai pona Peruvali (the highway through which a
short elephant passed by).
City layout
The epigraphs also refer to the
Madhurantaka Vadavaru, now called the
Vadavaru, running about six kilometers
east of the ruined capital. Madhurantaka
Vedavaru, named after one of the titles of
Rajendra I, was a source of irrigation to a
vast stretch of land bordering the capital.
An irrigation channel called Anaivettuvan
is also mentioned.
"Anaivettuvan" - Anai means irrigation (step irrigation) vettuvan means labour or
engineer.
There were both wet and dry lands inside
the Fort, used for cultivation and other
purposes. The present positions of the
existing temples throw some light on the
lay out of the city. With the palace as the
centre to the city, the great temple, and the
other temples in the city seem to have
been erected. Towards the northeast
( Isanya) of the palace is the great temple
of Siva. The Siva temple according to
Vastu and traditional texts should be in the northeast of the city or village and should
face east. The temple of Vishnu should be
in the west.
A number of small tanks and ponds
mentioned in inscriptions and a number of
wells, supplied drinking water to the
residents.
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input Gangaikonda Cholapuram Gaṅgaikoṇḍa Chōḻapuram is a village located near t o Jayankondam, Ariyalur district, Tamil N...
