Rajaraja’s favourite deity is this Ganapathi in the Periya Kovil. He had established a fund to ensure continuous offering of 150 bananas daily to the Ganapathi. The swami, in fact is called as Rajaraja Vinayagar due to this #Ganapathyam
There are a number of Subramanya Vigrahas in the temple with one even placed in the temple tower. Rajaraja had also donated a bronze Subramanya Murthy to the temple #Kaumaram
An ardent devotee of Siva, Rajaraja wanted to be called as Sivapatha Sekara. He followed Vedas and had Esana Sivacharyar as his guru. He designed the entire Peruvudaiyar temple based on Makutakama and Mahasayikapatha Pathavinyasam #Saivam
Rajaraja & all the Cholas had Nisumbasuthani as their family deity. Rajaraja used to pray to Goddess Eka Veeri before going war. #Shaktam
Rajaraja donated a number of bronzes of Vishnu and Lakshmi to various temples. He himself was instrumental in building two Vinnagarams (Vishnu gruhams). Notable among them are Rajaraja Vinnagaram in Ennayiram & Arinjagai Vinnagar in Ulagapuram #Vaishnavam
The entire Chola dynasty calls themselves as Suryavanshi and this figures prominently in all their copper plate grants and inscriptions. All their temples have Surya as the Parivara Devata #Sauram
So to call the great King Rajaraja just as Saiva is a historical and religious fallacy. Apart from worshipping various Gods, he has followed the key religious practices of Sanatana including performing various Yajnas & doing Hiranyagarbha & Tulabara donations among others
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Today is the Thiru Nakshatram of Vaishnava saint Kulasekara Alwar, who was one of the first kings of the Perumal dynasty who ruled the Chera country. He belonged to 8th century and considered as the contemporary of Pandya king Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan.
There are many inscriptions about him at various temples. Notable among them is in Srirangam temple. The Kulothunga I period inscription mentions about the grants given “while Namperumal was seated at the shadow of Thiruppunai tree and listening to the Thettarum Thiral song of Sri Kulasekara Alwar”
தேட்டு அருந் திறல்-தேனினைத் தென் அரங்கனைத் திருமாது வாழ்
வாட்டம் இல் வனமாலை மார்வனை வாழ்த்தி மால்கொள் சிந்தையராய்
ஆட்டம் மேவி அலந்து அழைத்து அயர்வு-எய்தும் மெய்யடியார்கள்தம்
ஈட்டம் கண்டிடக் கூடுமேல் அது காணும் கண் பயன் ஆவதே
Another inscription about him at Tirupati, during the reign of Vijayanaraga king Chaluva Narasimha says a Vigraha of Kulasekara Alwar was installed at the Govindaraja temple and grants were made to perform poojas
Today is the Guru Pooja of Ko Chenganan, a Chola king and a Saiva Saint. He was instrumental in building a number of temples in Tamilagam. Thirunavukkarasar says he built more than seventy temples, a fact corroborated by Thirumangai Alwar as below
இருக்கிலங்கு திருமொழிவாய் எண்தோள் ஈசற்கு எழில்மாடம் எழுபதுசெய்(து)உலகம் ஆண்ட திருக்குலத்து வளச்சோழன்
In his previous birth, he was born as a spider and used to weave a canopy above a Shivalinga to provide the shade. An elephant which does Pooja to the Shivalinga, thought the web was desecrating the Lord and removed it. Both of them fought and lost their lives.
Due to the memory of the previous birth, Ko Chenganan built all his temples as ‘Mada Kovil’, with lot of steps so that elephants can’t enter the sanctum.
The above legend was mentioned in a number of Chola inscriptions and literary sources. The Velanjeri copper plate inscriptions of Parantaka Chola says.
“A spider used the threads from its mouth to weave a beautiful canopy for Lord Shiva, who had adorned the moon on his head. Pleased by the spider’s devotion, the Lord blessed it to be reborn as the great Chola king, Kochengat Cholan.”
Tirupparankundram is not just the ancient abode of Murugan, which is in the northern side of the hill. It is a sacred place which has many important cultural / religious monuments.
Behind the hill, facing south, there is a cave temple known as ‘Thenparankundram’ constructed by Pandyas around 6th Century.
The shrines inside include Arthanareeswarar on whose name it is called as ‘Umai Andavar’ temple. It also has an inscription of Maravarman Sundara Pandiyan who rules Madurai during 13th Century.
The temple has borne the brunt of invaders and most of the sculptures destroyed
Today is the birthday of Krishnadevaraya, the best of Vijayanagara Kings. He had immensely contributed to the development of Tamilagam in multiple areas.
He renovated many temples which were destroyed by Sultanate invasions. He ushered a new era in building tall Gopurams in Tamil Nadu. Tiruvannamalai Rajagopuram and Chidambaram north Gopuram are two such examples.
He built Mandapams in many temples. The thousand pillar Mandapa in Tiruvannamalai was constructed by Krishnadeva Raya. The inscription in the temple which details out the grants made by him to the temple lists this as one of his donations. There is a copper plate grant which mentions that Krishnadevaraya bought land site of 275 feet and 295 feet for 500 sovereign of gold by the members of a mutt in Tiruvannamalai to construct this Mandapa.
It had exactly 1000 pillars and some exquisite sculptures in Vijayanagara / Nayakar style. Situated on a high plinth, the Adhishtana of the Mandapam is also styled on Vijayanagara architecture & similar to that of Kambathu Ilayanar shrine in the temple. It has many Nandis on top. Krishnadevaraya’s sculpture is also there in this Mandapam.
Thiruvannamalai temple is one where every dynasty, which ruled Tamilagam has contributed to its construction and development. It was built during Pallava times.
#KarthigaiDeepam
Cholas embellished it. Thiru Karthigai festival in Thiruvannamalai was celebrated in a grand manner during Chola times.
Pandyas have build many Mandapas in the temple. One can see their Irattai Kayal and Chendu symbol in the walls of the temple