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#Thread Did you know that there are 7 temples in Tamil Nadu around Thiruvarur that are known as Sapta Vitankas because they have 7 images of Somaskanda that are believed to be divinely created without a chisel? (Vi-Tanka). These were sacred to Saint Thiagaraja. #TamizhTales 
Each of these shrines is associated with a certain form of dance. The Sapta Vitankas have been glorified by the Tevaram verses of Nayanmars or Saivite saints of TN from 1st millennium CE. The first one is at Thiruvarur and is known as Thyagaraja Swamy Kovil #TamizhTales
Next is the Tirunallar temple that has a shrine dedicated to the planet Saturn. This is one of the Navagraha temples as well. King Nala from Mahabharat is said to have worshipped here. #TamizhTales
#thread Sembian Mahadevi was a 10th cent CE Chola Queen who built/renovated more than 14 temples. She was the queen of Gandaraditya Chola and mother of king Uttama Chola. She built temples, established Veda salas, gave land grants even after she was widowed. #tamizhtales
Marxist distortians like Romila Thapar will tell you that Hindu queens had no power, and that they committed Sati after their husbands died. But here is a 10th century Queen who not only built/renovated temples, she ensured a common style to all of them and installed inscriptions
Today we visited the Uma Maheshwarar temple built by Sembian Mahadevi in a village called Konerirajapuram, a little away from Kumbhakonam. Surrounded by lush green paddy fields, the temple today is known for the 9 feet Nataraja commissioned by Sembian Mahadevi. #tamizhtales
#Thread My heart and mind are lost in the thoughts of the great temple of #Chidambaram. For Shiva devotees of TN, this is THE kovil, just like for devotees of Shri Vishnu, Srirangam is THE kovil. This is also one of the few temples in India that is managed by hereditary priests.
The temple has 4 Rajgopurams in 4 cardinal directions, built at different times and yet, all 4 Gopurams are uniform in size, structure and form. All are 7-storeyed and 135 feet tall. All have 13 Copper Kalashas on them.
Belief is that temple of Chidambaram IS Lord Shiva. The gold-roofed garbhgriha has d Lord manifested in 3 forms:
- Murti of Lord Natarajar, as the Sakala form
- semi-form Crystal lingam, as the Sakala nishkala form
- formless - the empty Space known as Chidambara Rahasyam.
- Murti of Lord Natarajar, as the Sakala form
- semi-form Crystal lingam, as the Sakala nishkala form
- formless - the empty Space known as Chidambara Rahasyam.
A thread on #krishnapuram temple, near Thirunelveli, TN. Even in a land full of ancient temples full of sculptural treasures, the Arulmigu Venkatachalapathy temple at Krishnapuram stands out for its unique sculptures. #TamizhTales
Located barely 8 kms from Thirunelveli, the #krishnapuram temple is a storehouse of exquisite sculptures carved during the Madurai Nayaka period. Inscriptions say the temple was built by Krishnappa Nayak, after whom the place is named. #TamizhTales
The temple is spread over an area of 1.8 acres. Originally, the temple had three praharams, built from granite. But the outermost praharam was demolished by an Izlamic general Chanda Sahib at the orders of Nawab of Arcot. The stones were used to build the fort of Palayamkottai!
