Ancient Hindu Temples - Lets discuss their History..

[gaddeswarup]

This is not really about temples; it is about democratic practices in ancient Tamilnadu and might have been discusses before. I came across it through a post of mark Thoma during the recent American elections. From
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/f...1001421200.htm
"THE KUMBABHISHEKAM on June 8 last of the Sundaravarada temple of Uttiramerur, Kanchipuram district, was the culmination of a great renovation work.

This temple was built around 750 A.D. during the Pallava rule, but underwent a second great renovation in the hands of Rajendra Chola in 1013 A.D., and again in the reign of the great Vijayanagar Emperor, Krishnadevaraya in 1520 A.D.

The village is known for its historic inscription of a written constitution that deals with elections to the village assembly, qualifications required of candidates contesting in elections, circumstances under which a candidate may be disqualified, mode of election, tenure of the elected candidates and the right of the public to recall the elected members when they failed to discharge their duties properly and so on.

It is interesting how in every aspect of life the highest standard of democracy was enforced in Uttiramerur."

[podalangai]

Elections through the "kudavolai" system were an ancient custom all over Tamil Nadu. The Uttaramerur inscription from Parandhaka Chozhan's time is the best known historical reference, but the practice is many hundreds of years older. There is a reference to it in Sangam literature, in the Ahananuru.

Literacy was also very high in those days. A very large number of potsherds have graffiti which gives the name of the owner.

TN did not become a "feudal" society until the empires collapsed in the 14th century.

[Raghu]

Can some1 pls elaborate on the Architectural Differences from Various states within the states amongst Tamil Nadu?

Such as if you look at the temples in Maharashtra to a temple in TN or Srilanka, the Architecture including some of the ditties shapes and styles are so different

[podalangai]

Can some1 pls elaborate on the Architectural Differences from Various states within the states amongst Tamil Nadu?

Such as if you look at the temples in Maharashtra to a temple in TN or Srilanka, the Architecture including some of the ditties shapes and styles are so different

There are some few things in common for both north Indian and south Indian temples. All have a garbagruham and a tower over the garbagruham. In addition, there is usually place to do pradatchinam, and a hall (mandapam) or porch (ardamandapam) for devotees. But beyond this basic agreement, the architecture is completely different. The biggest difference is in the tower over the garbagruham.

North Indian towers

• North Indian temples are built in what is called the Nagara style. In this style, the garbagruham has a square layout, above which the tower rises in the shape of a beehive.

• The tower's layers start with the base kapota which is usually decorated with carvings. The next layer is the chandrasala or gavaksha window, which is also embedded in a richly decorated layer. From this, the tower itself rises, usually with little ornamentation, until the top, where it is topped with a circular disc - called amalaka, I think it symbolises a crown - over which there is sometimes a kalasha vessel.

• Around this main tower there will often be smaller reproductions of it, which cluster together to create a beautiful effect, almost like a fountain in stone.

• They also tend to have domes over the mandapam and ardhamandapam, usually several of them. These domes are sometimes spherical in more recent temples (due to Mughal influence), but in older temples they were layered.

• Look at this picture of the Somnath Temple for a good example of these features. Note the clusters of smaller towers around the main tower, the domes over the entrance and hall, etc. The Neasden temple in London also uses this style.

South Indian towers

• Temples in TN, Sri Lanka, Andhra and many parts of Karnataka don't follow this pattern, and use what is called Dravidian temple architecture (Kerala have a different architecture of their own, especially in north Kerala). In Dravidian temple architecture, the tower is completely different. Rather than being beehive shaped, it is structured like a pyramid. The shrine itself is also not always square. Instead, its shape is dictated by the deity who is being worshipped. For Aranganathar, it is always square, for Natarajar it is usually rectangular, for some other deities it is circular, or octagonal, etc. I don't think they have this tradition in north Indian temples.

• The tower consists of storey after storey of small pavilions, each smaller than the previous one. These pavillions are very richly decorated, with intricate carvings, and often an opening analogous to the gavaksha window in the chandrasala of north Indian temples. The tower ends in a narrow throat on top of which is a cylindrical structure. There isn't usually a amalaka or kalasha.

• Unlike north Indian temples, the carvings cover the entire tower, and not just the kapota and chandrasala. They are usually so intricate that they completely hide the underlying architecture of the tower. They are usually painted in very fine detail, in bright colours unlike north Indian temples where the tower usually has teh colour of the stone.

• In Tamil temples to Narayana, there are sometimes shrines within the vimanam tower which together with the main shrines will present Vishnu in all three poses, standing, seated and reclining. These other shrines are opened to the public during very special festivals (usually once in several years). This is also unique to TN.

• In north Indian temples the temple tower is the most prominent bit of the temple. Their gateways are very simple. In south Indian temples, and particularly Tamil temples, we have towering gopurams and very often several of them for each temple (Srirangam has seven successive enclosures, each of which has imposing gopurams). These gopurams dwarf the vimanam over the garbagruham. In addition, the width of the storeys and the other elements have certain specific proportions, which create a particular overall contour.

These are the most obvious differences. There are also others. For example, north Indian temples don't have moolavars and utsavars like many Tamil temples do.

In parts of Karnataka, the temples are built according to a hybrid style. The ancient temples of Halebidu and Belur are examples.

More knowledgeable hubbers may please correct any mistakes I have made.

[Raghu]

Podalangai

Thanks 4 the info,
Did not realise that Keral temples are of different architectures

[Surya]

Arulmigu Prananadeswarar Temple, Thirumangalakudi.



Reputation of the place:

Devotees set to Suriyanar Temple to worship the Sun God should visit this place for relief of adverse effects of the nine planets (Navagrahas). Women are blessed with full marital prosperity (Deerga Sumangali Bagyam), getting the Mangal Sutra from the blessingful hands of Mother Goddess are the glories of the temple.

Relief from planetary problems, best marriage alliances, getting children, relief from enemy fears, relief from theft fears are the boons the devotees achieve by their prayers to the Lord and the Goddess in the temple.

Prayer commitment:

The devotee, seeking relief from various problems, should offer Curd Rice for 11 Sundays continuously on the Vellerukku leaf and partake in the puja proceedings of the temple devotionally. This relieves him/her from all planetary afflictions.

Speciality of the Temple:

Thirumangalakudi is known as Panchamangala Kshetra. The name of the place is Mangalakudi. The Goddess is Mangalambika. The tower is Mangala Vimanam. The Holy Water is Mangala Theertham. The Vinayaka is Mangala Vinayaka. Everything in the temple is Mangala.

Lord Prananadeswara is a Swayambu. (Existing of His own, meaning that no one had made the vigraha, it had just appeared) It is in Thirumangalakudi temple that even the Planets got relieved of their curses. The Lord has three faces representing human, animal and birds own forms, not found in other temple.

Here it is said that Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Protector, Sage Agasthya, Sun, Akashvani, Mother Earth worshipped the Lord. There are two holy temple lakes here called Chandra theertham and Suriya Theertham. There are two Nataraja Sannidhis here. This was renovated by the KING Kualothunga Chozha in the 5th Century.

History:

Minister Alaivanar was ordered to be beheaded by King Kulothunga in the 11th Century for building a temple from the revenues of the country without obtaining his permission. The minister requested that he be cremated in Thirumangalakudi. His body was brought to the place as wished by him. His wife went to the Mangalambikai temple and sought the grace of the Goddess for getting back her husband. The minister came alive. He went to the temple, embraced the Lord calling him Prananadeswara. As prosperity means a married life till the end (Mangalam) and as it was granted to the woman in distress, the Goddess is known as Mangalambika.