Nageswaran Temple

Location: Kumbakonam, 36 kms from Thanjavur
Built in: 1005 AD

The Tanjore district has a definite magic- a magic endowed by the towering presence of many ancient temples, built over 1000 years ago. One such temple is the Nageswaran temple, a place where where devotion, mythology and aesthetics form an ideal medley. Built around 1005 A.D, it is an outstanding symbol of Chola sculpture. It draws many foreigners keen to interpret the rock wall edicts and study the sculptures.

Structure of the Temple

The main sanctum has a large lingam and legend stated that the temple got its name because of a snake found worshipping the lingam. The front tower is of moderate height, with very lovely sculptures. A peculiarity of the temple is that the Sun_s rays fall directly on the lingam, every year, for three days, from April 14, the traditional Tamil New Year day. Crowds gather during this phenomenon, as the deity_s powers, it is said, are further enhanced then.

A Close View

Going round the temple prakaram, one comes across some of the most splendid architectural sculpture ever seen. Niches in the outer wall of the sanctum contain large, graceful figures in standing postures-both male and female. Their beauty, hairstyle, attire, jewellery and shape are all examples of the supreme skill of the Chola sculptor. These are not figures of gods, but those of the wealthy patrons of the temple. A fabulous Brahma and Ardhanariswara are found on the other side of the outer wall. Smaller sculptures can be seen along the temple main walls.

Idols and Images

A mesmerising Goddess Durga is housed in a separate shrine here. Further down the compound on the left, is a huge Mandapam complete with giant chariot wheels in stone. Mythology states that the entire Mandapam descended from heaven, on a chariot drawn by elephants. One has to climb the steps of the chariot to the shrine of Nataraja and Sivakami- said to be one of the loveliest bronze images that exist. Lord Siva is seen dancing vigorously here, and Sivakami is shown keeping tala (the beat) for his cosmic dance.

Kanyakumari Temple

Kanyakumari India, the sub-continental country is known for its richness in culture and tradition. Speaking of the topography of India, the Northern side is covered by the wide range of the huge snow clad Himalayas. The west is covered by the Arabian Sea. The East is covered by the Bay of Bengal. The southern side is very unique as both these seas mingle with the Indian Ocean. The Land that is located in the tip of the country, where the three seas get united is none other than cape comerin or Kanyakumari.

DETAILS ABOUT KANYAKUMARI
The name of this place has been christened after the virgin goddess – Kanyakumari Amman. Mythological stories depict that Goddess parvati under the disguise of Devi Kanniya did a penance in one of the rocks in this area to reach the hand of Lord Shiva. This place is also a popular pilgrimage. The tourists who visit this southern most tip of India would certainly enjoy the exuberant scenes of the sunsets, the sunrises especially on full moon days. The nature of the sand in the beaches of Kanyakumari is unique as it is multicolored.

PALANI TEMPLE

The temple at Palani dedicated to Lord Thandayuthapani (Lord Murugan) is one of his six famous abodes known as 'aarupadai veedu'. It is situated in the district of Madurai about 112 km from Madurai and 152 km from Trichi. The shrine of Lord Thandayuthapani is at the top of a hill about 500 feet high, but there are several shrines and 'theerthams' surrounding the hill itself. One of these is the famous shrine called 'Aavinankudi' situated at the foot of the hill, which is mentioned in old religious verses. It is believed to be more than 2000 years old. Some devotees go round the hill itself before climbing it.

Location : The temple is about 5 km from the railway station on the Dindugal - Coimbatore line of the Southern Railway. Therse are bus services from all the major towns in Tamilnadu as well as from the adjoining state of Kerala.

The Temple : The shrine situated at the top of a hill can be reached either by climbing the flight of steps or by travelling in a carriage hauled to the top by winches along rails laid on the side of the hill. Along the steps there are small shrines to various deities with resting places where tired devotees can rest awhile during their climb. There are about 690 steps to the top of the hill. Extensive building works and renovation have created a large area at the top of the hill. Large corridors run on all sides of the temple with various buildings attached to it. The whole complex had been built at a height of 1086 ft above sea level, and standing at the top one realises the mammoth task involved in transporting the building materials to the top of the hill which has no access either by road or rail.

Legends : Sasge Agasthiar during one of his trips away from his abode at 'Pothigai' created two hills, Sivagiri and Sakthigiri. He then prayed to Lord Shiva and his consort Sakthi to appear on these hills so that he could offer his daily 'pooja'. In response to his prayer Lord Shiva along with his consort appeared one on each hill. At the end of his worship Agasthiar wanted to take these two hills to his place in Pothigai. He therefore asked his disciple Idumban to transport these two hills. Idumban in response to his preceptor's request tied these two hills in a 'thandu' (pole) and carried them like a 'kavadi' and followed Agasthiar on his journey. Arriving in the area now known as Palani Idumban felt tired and put the 'kavadi' down and rested for a while. While Idumban was resting another event was unfolding in 'Kailash' - the abode of Lord Shiva.

Naradha, the celestial wanderer and 'mischief-maker', acquired a rare and precious mango fruit and offered it to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy. Lord Shiva in turn wanted his children to enjoy this rare fruit. So he summoned his two children Subramanya and Ganesha but he could not decide as to who should get this fruit. So he set a contest between them. He told them, "Whoever goes round the Universe and returns to me first will get this fruit". Lord Subramanya without wasting time immediately got on his mount, the peacock, and flew away at a lightning speed, while Lord Ganesha pondered over this problem for a while. He then slowly got up from his perch and went round his parents and requested the fruit for himself, saying, "You are the Universe and all the Universe is in you. By going round you I have gone round the Universe. Therefore the fruit is mine." Parvathy and Parameswaran (another name for Lord Shiva) delighted by these words gave him the fruit. Lord Subramanya on his return found that he had been outwitted by his brother and became angry. He threw down all his ornaments and renouncing all his worldly possessions but with just a loin cloth (Kaupeenam) and a staff (Thandu) went in search of a retreat for himself. On his search he came across the hills that Idumban had laid down and settled on one of them.

Idumban after his rest tried to lift his 'kavadi' so that he could continue on his journey but found that he could not lift them. He found out that there was an intruder in one of his hills and tried to attack him without realising who the intruder was. Lord Murugan (Lord Subramanya) immediately killed Idumban but he was later restored to life at the pleadings of Idumban's wife and of Agasthiar. Idumban then prayed to Lord Murugan that he be allowed to stand at the entrance to Lord Murugan's shrines as 'Dwarapalaka' and any devotee carrying a 'kavadi' to these shrines in fulfilment of a vow should be granted his wish.

Lord Shiva finding that his son had become a recluse tried to pacify his anger by appealing to him that he (Murugan) himself was the fruit of all the wisdom and righteousness of this world and that he did not need another fruit. The pronouncement that Lord Murugan himself was a fruit (Pazham = Fruit; Nee = yourself) gave the name to this place as 'Palani' .

The deity on the hill shrine thus appears in the form of an ascetic and stands with just a pole in his right hand and is called 'Thandaayuthapaani' (Thandu = Pole; Aayutham = weapon; Paani = Appearance. There is another hill nearby called 'Idumban malai', the other hill that was carried by Idumban.

Festivals and Opening Hours : The early morning worship starts at 6 am. and the temple is open all day until the last worship is conducted at 8 pm.

There are special 'pooja' every month on 'karthigai' day. The main festivals fall on 'Thaipoosam' in January; 'Panguni uththaram' in March; 'Vaikasi visakam' in May; 'Skanda sashdi' in Oct/Nov. 'Pankuni uththaram in March is the main festival and draws large crowds from all over Tamilnadu and the neighbouring state of Kerala.

A Quick view of History

TEMPLES IN TAMILNADU, INDIA

Thousands of temples with lofty towers dot the skyline of the southernmost state of Tamilnadu in India. These temples are torchbearers of the glorious heritage of the Tamil speaking region, and are repositories of the magnificient art forms that evolved over several centuries.The Cholas (900-1250 AD) have a number of monuments to their credit. Mention must be made of the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjavur. The Cholas added many ornate mandpams or halls to temples and constructed large gopurams - towers.

The Pandya Style (Upto 1350 AD) saw the emergence of huge towers, high wall enclosures and enormous towered gateways. The Vijayanagar Style (1350 - 1560 AD) is noted for the intricacy and beauty especially for the decorated monolithic pillars. The Naik style (1600 - 1750 AD) is noted for the addition of large prakarams (circumambulatory paths) and pillared halls.The above is a rather terse description of the Dravidian temple styles found in Tamilnadu. The age of a temple could be determined from the architectural features exhibitied by it, as well as from references to it in ancient literature.

The Sangam period literature of the pre Christian era refers to some temples. The songs of the revered Saivite Saints (Nayanmars) and the Vaishnavite Alwar Saints that date back to the period 7th to the 9th century CE provide ample references to the temples of those days, and these are a valued source of reference in estimating the age of temples.

MADURAI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE

The name 'Madurai' evokes in the minds of the Tamils the golden era when their language, culture and arts flourished under the patronage of successive Pandian kings. The city was the home of such illustrious institutions as the 'Sangam' which revived and nurtured great works of Tamil poets and artists. It now houses the largest temple complex in Tamilnadu built by the Nayaka Kings who ruled Madurai from the 16th to 18th century. They have left an indelible imprint of their glorious period in the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple. The goddess Sakthi rules the world as Meenakshi in Madurai, as Kamakshi in Kanchi and as Visalakshi in Kasi. But the most revered and worshipped of these three is the Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai.

Location : Madurai has a small airport served by flights from Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Bombay. It is about 16 Km south of the city. There are four bus stands serving local towns and towns afar. The inter-state buses arrive at the TTC bus-stand which is nearest to the centre of the town. The railway station is just west of the temple complex. The Temple : At first glance the most striking feature of the temple is the soaring 'gopuram' (gateway towers) built above the four entrances on the four sides. The most popular entrance is on the East Side through a towerless entrance in line with the shrine of Meenakshi. This entrance leads to the 'Ashtasakthi Mandapam' where the pillars are full of sculptures illustrating the different aspects of Goddess Meenakshi and the miracles performed by Lord Siva in Madurai.

This hall leads to the 'Ciththirai gopuram' passing through which will take you to a passageway on the eastern end of the 'Pottramarai kulam'. Steps go down on all four sides of this tank to the water in the middle of which stands a brass column. Walking around the tank in a clock-wise direction brings into view the golden 'vimanam' of the shrines of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar while on the east of the tank. As you come round the tank you pass the 'Oonjal mandapam' where every Friday Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are put on a swing while 'othuvars' sing the ancient Tamil hymns. Passing the 'Oonjal mandapam' you arrive at the 'Kilikkoottu mandapam' where parrots were used to be kept. Next is the entrance to Meenakshi shrine. North of the entrance to Meenakshi koil is the entrance to Sundareswarar koil.

Legends : There are many legends as to the origin of Meenakshi. The Pandyan king, Malayathuwajan, performed a 'Yagna' seeking the blessing of God for a child as he had none. From the sacrificial fire appeared a 3 years old child with three breasts. This caused a great anxiety among those gathered at the ceremony. They were then told by a mysterious voice that the third breast would disappear when she met her future husband. The voice also commanded that the child be known as 'Thadathagai' and be brought up as if she was a son. So she was given training in all aspects of royal duties befitting a prince including the art of war. One day while she was pursuing her princely duties she came across a young person of immense beauty and aura. She was so attracted by the majesty and divine nature of this person that she became shy and was love stricken towards this heavenly person. Her third breast also disappeared at this point and she became aware that she had met her future husband. This was none other than Lord Sunthareswarar who had come to take her consort as pre-ordained.

The king was informed of his daughter's wishes and a marriage ceremony was arranged. The bride was decked with all fineries and taken to the temple where she walked into the sanctum and became one with the Lord. Over the years Goddess Meenakshi (meaning the one with the beautiful fish-shaped eye) has gained prominence and the temple is now called 'Meenakshi koil' though the original name was Meenakshi-Sunthareswarar koil. Another legend is that Goddess Sakthy was born to a Pandyan king in Madurai. When she reached the age of marriage, she was so beautiful that many suitors vied for her hand. She was a warrior princess and vowed that she would marry only someone who could defeat her in combat. Many of her suitors came forward and faced defeat in her hands. Finally Lord Shiva came in the guise of Sundareswarar and won her in combat. He then took her as His consort, they thus becoming the deities at the temple in Madurai.

The name Madurai itself has a legend associated with it. King Kulasekara Pandyan heard from his subjects that celestial beings were visiting his kingdom in order to bathe in a pond and worship at the Lingam installed nearby. He built a temple next to this tank and arrangements were made to install this Lingam in the temple. At the appointed hour Lord Shiva himself appeared and bathed in the pond. As he came out of the water droplets from his matted hair fell upon those gathered around and on the earth. This water was found to be the sweetest of all waters (Mathuram - Nectar of the Gods) and the place where this water fell came to be known as 'Mathurai'. The temple where the Lingam was installed came to be known as Sundareswar koil and later as Meenakshi - Sundareswarar temple.

Opening Times and Festivals: The temple is open for worship throughout the day. There are festivals in this temple practically every month. Two main festivals fall in the month of Chiththirai (April/May) and in Aavani (August/September).The temple abounds with sculptures depicting the various lore of Hindu mythology. The dancing pose of Lord Nadarajar usually has the left leg raised. In the 'Hall of Silver' (Velliamblam) there is a statue of Lord Nadarajar with his right leg raised, which is very unusual. Near the Southern tower there are five musical pillars made up of 22 slender rods. Each of these rods gives out a different note when tapped gently. The pillar is carved out of a single piece of granite stone.

" Where adoration sublimes ! "

"A land of temples", as Tamil Nadu is better known enchants divinity. There are more than 30,000 temples in Tamil Nadu. The temples were constructed by various dynasties. Tamil Nadu is the home of the legacy of ancient Dravidian art and culture, characterised best by deliberately ornate temples with their towers known as gopurams which aspire to touch the heaven.

These temples bear a superficial architectural resemblance with each other in that they share the similar physical features,which include the gopuram or the imposing tower over the entrance, from all four directions the vimanam which is the tower over the sanctum and the spacious halls and corridors. The temples were also much more than a place of worship. They were a place for social gathering, for education, for celebration.

Temple Architecture

The most ancient temples were constructed of brick and mortar. Upto about 700 AD temples were replicated out of caves. The Pallava Kings (upto 900) were great builders of temples of stone. The Cholas (900-1250 AD) have a number of monuments to their credit. It must be mentioned about the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjavur which unfurls history itself. The Cholas added many ornate mandpams or halls to temples and built large gopurams - towers. The Pandya Style (Upto 1350 AD) saw the emergence of the architecture of huge towers, high wall enclosures and enormous towered gateways. The Vijayanagar Style (1350 - 1560 AD) is recognised for the intricacy and beauty especially for the decorated monolithic pillars. The Naik style (1600 - 1750 AD) is known for the addition of large prakarams (circumambulatory paths) and pillared halls.