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𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳

@tskrishnan

Apr 6

The Sri Vimana of the Thanjavur temple is designed with some fundamental agamic principles and is unique in many aspects. Keeping aside the false ‘prides’ of one stone 80 tonne, shadow not falling on ground etc. let us look at some of the key aspects of the design of the Vimana.

The Vimana sits on 30 Sq.m Athishtana with the Sanctum at the bottom. The inside of Vimana is hollow. If somone draws a straight line from the centre of Shivalinga at the top, all the way up, it will end in the centre of the Kalasa atop the Shikara. That is the kind of engineering skill the Chola Shilpis had. The Vimana raises like a Pyramid from the square base but also ends in a square top. Then there is Kirivam, Shikara & Kalasa atop. The total height is 60 m from the ground. There are 13 Avaranas (stories) in the Vimana which has some beautiful scuptures.

At the bottom of the Vimana, there is another wall adjustant to main wall and there is a circumambulatory passage in between these two. This is called as Santharam, which is about six feet wide. At the first level, these two walls are joined by another passage. In this, the Vigrahas of Rudramurthy is seen on South, Nruthamurthy is seen on the West and Manonmani is seen on the North. Here is where one can see the Chola and Nayakar period Murals.

On the second leve, the Karana sculptures which depicts the 108 Karanas from the Bharathamuni’s Natya Sastra are sculpted. However, only 81 are in complete state and the rest has only the stones which are intended for the remaining.

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𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳

@tskrishnan

Mar 31

கச்சத்தீவைப் பற்றிய தெளிவான விவரங்களோடு இந்தக் கட்டுரையை TOI நாளிதழ் வெளியிட்டிருக்கிறது. ராமநாதபுரம் சமஸ்தானத்திற்குச் சொந்தமான இந்தத் தீவு ஏன் காங்கிரஸ் அரசாங்கத்தால் இலங்கைக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டது என்பது புரியாத புதிர். சொல்லப்போனால் தலைமன்னார் வரைக்குமான பகுதி ராமநாதபுரம் சமஸ்தானத்திற்குச் சொந்தமானது என்பதைக் கூத்தன் சேதுபதியின் செப்பேடு சொல்கிறது. மேலும்

1885ம் ஆண்டு முத்துச்சாமி பிள்ளை என்பவர் கச்சத்தீவு முதலிய தீவுகளை ராமநாதபுரம் சமஸ்தானத்திலிருந்து குத்தகை எடுத்தது ஆவணப்படுத்தப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.

சுதந்தரம் அடைந்ததற்குப் பிறகும் கச்சத்தீவு சமஸ்தானத்திற்குச் சொந்தமாகவே இருந்தது என்பதை இந்த ஆவணம் உறுதிப்படுத்துகிறது. முகம்மது மீராசா மரைக்காயர் என்பவர் ராமநாதபுரம் திவானிடம் குத்தகை உரிமை கோரி கையெழுத்திட்ட ஒப்பந்தம் இது.

ஜமீந்தார் ஒழிப்புச் சட்டத்தை அடுத்து கச்சத்தீவு அரசிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டது. பல எதிர்ப்புகளை மீறி அன்றைய காங்கிரஸ் அரசு இதை இலங்கைக்கு 1974ல் அளித்தது.

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𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳

@tskrishnan

Mar 30

Koneswaram temple at Trikonamalai (Trincomalee), Sri Lanka is one of the very ancient temples in this region. But it has a very sad history behind it. Why ? Read on

Like many ancient temples, Koneswaram was also renovated / rebuilt by many kings. It was a descendant of Manu Neethi Chola, Kulakottan who extensively renovated the temple around 5th century. Saint Sambandar sings about the sthalam during 6th century :

குரைகடல் ஓதம் நித்திலங் கொழிக்குங் கோணமா மலையமர்ந் தாரே

Subsequently Pallavas and Cholas did lot of renovations to the temple. There is an inscription of Rajaraja Chola in the temple. Pandyas also made lots of grants to the temple & there is Pandya insignia, Irattai Kayal, in the temple. Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan gold plated the Vimana like he did in the temples of Tamilagam. The temple complex was a huge one and housed three shrines. But all changed when the European powers landed here

Portuguese captured the town during early 17th century and was trying to demolish the temple. The citizens of the town resisted it and even started paying a Temple protection tax to Portuguese to save the temple. During 1622, a Portuguese general Constantino de Sá de Noronha came to this place and he wanted to built a fort in the place where the temple stood.

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𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳

@tskrishnan

Mar 20

Thiruvarur temple Chariot, Azhither is unique in many aspects. This is the only chariot which is based on 'Vesara' type architecture. Further, differing from the normal hexagonal or circular peetam, this has five side bars per side totalling 20 sidebars.

While the festival has been celebrated from ancient times, the first recorded details about the Ther comes during the time of Saint Appar (7th century) who sings 'Azhither Vithaganai Yan Kandathu Aroore' - I saw the God in Azhither at Thiruvaroor.

Hence it is considered as Appar presides over the entire festival which happens during the month of Panguni (Meena Masam). Thyagaraja, the form of Shiva who took the Halahala poison during the Samudra Manthan, is the presiding deity here. He will get into the chariot today (Pushya Nakshatra) in the night and the festival happens on Aslesha Nakshatra that is tomorrow

There is another documentary evidence of this festival found in the Modi lipi document of Thanjavur Marathas during 1748. After that year there are a number of Modi documents which tells about the details of the festival.

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𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳

@tskrishnan

Mar 8

Of the various forms of Shiva, 64 of them are considered significant & auspicious, which are described in detail in our scriptures & silpasastras. On this auspicious occasion of Mahashivaratri, here are few of the forms of Shiva.

The Mahasadasiva swaroopa is one where Shiva has 25 faces and 50 hands. Per Skanda Purana, this is the form of Shiva in which he appears in Kailaya for protecting all the living beings.

#Shivaratri

Uma Sahita Murthy, where Shiva is with Umadevi. This is a picture from Kodumbalur

Somaskanda Murthy, which can be found in most of the Pallava temples. Sa Uma Skanda, meaning Shiva & Uma are with their son Skanda.
#kailasanathatemple

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𑀓𑀺𑀭𑀼𑀱𑁆𑀡𑀷𑁆 🇮🇳

@tskrishnan

Feb 21

Swami Shanmuga from Tiruchendur. Why is the Vigraha like this ? There is a history behind it. During the time of Thirumalai Nayakar (1649) who was ruling Madurai, the European powers of Dutch & Portuguese were fighting for a foothold here. Portuguese had a base in Tuticorin, Dutch landed in nearby Tiruchendur & a battle took place between them. After it was won by Dutch, they occupied Tiruchendur temple & made it as their base. Now this has completely put the temple in disarray.

The devotees complained to Thirumalai Nayak who had asked the Dutch forces to leave, but they refused. Nayakar sent a small army to remove them from the temple. In that conflict, few Dutch soldiers lost their lives. With no compensation provided by Nayakar for their losses, the Dutch looted the temple and ran with the Shanmuga & Nataraja vigrahas thinking that they were made up of Gold.

While on the way to Srikanka, they had to face rough weather. Thinking that it was due to the gods they had carried, Dutch threw the Vigrahas in the sea & escaped.

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