Thribuvanam: Another Great Living Chola Temple Tanjore Papanasam TK
{another tripuvanam (not “B” but “P” in sivaganga}Sarabeswara worship is to counter the black magic effect on human. By now you would have been familiarized with the distinctive style of the Cholan architecture and the features could be immediately recognized and verified if you come across one. (Since Rajendra cholan built it and he conquered a large landscape was named as RTRIBUVANA CHAKRAVARTHY AND HENCE THIS PLACE WAS NAMED AS TRIBUVANAM AND THIS PLACE IS FAMOUS FOR THE SAREES. } Some of the most notable features are Vimana Of Thirubuvanam Temple which resembles the colored version of the granite vimana of Chola Temples Vimana Of Thirubuvanam Temple which resembles the colored version of the granite vimana of Chola Temples The height of the Vimana is greater than that of the entrance or the gateway of temple called the Gopuram. Their Vimana is distinctly identified with detailed designs depicting tales from the puranas. The presiding deities of all these temples are in the form of Shiva Linga owing to the Saivite sect they followed. They are made of granite. They are richly adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures. They all have or had fortified walls that surrounded the temple premises They all were built in close proximity to each other and established in places where they exercised their direct control. Owing to its heritage and the cultural influence they had throughout Southern India, they rightfully deserved their place in the UNESCO World Heritage site. Vimana Of Thirubuvanam Temple which resembles the colored version of the granite vimanaof Chola Temples Vimana Of Thirubuvanam Temple which resembles the colored version of the granite vimana of Chola Temples But what if I tell you there was one more temple that satisfies the entire above criterion and is built in stark resemblance to the Great living Chola temples contradicting all the conventional Dravidian style of architecture. And the best part is you need not even travel far for viewing another marvel which historians believe to be have constructed by the Cholas. The temple in question is Kampaheswarar Temple located at Thirubuvanam which is less than 6 km from Kumbakonam. On reaching there I couldn’t stop associating it with the typical Cholan style architecture. This temple was definitely bigger than the one at Darasuram and present day Gangaikondacholapuram campus. Statue of the Guard of Lord Shiva found at every temple of Lord Shiva Statue of the Guard of Lord Shiva found at every temple of Lord Shiva The Temple Built in traditional Cholan style, it is hard to imagine why it is not considered among the Great Living Chola temples and I believe this is the only temple following the classic Cholan architecture that stands even today apart from the remaining three. But one difference you could notice even before entering the temple is that it is well painted and doesn’t have that sandstone color that the remaining three temples wore. It is vibrant with color may be attributed to the recent renovation that had been performed here. This temple is spacious and has a huge Praharam or the place for Pradakshina. The walls encircling the main temple are richly carved with ornate designs similar to the ones found in Darasuram. The gopurams too have been well carved and resemble the other two existing gopurams and also depicts tale from the ancient puranas. Image of Goddess Lakshmi immortalized on the vimana of the temple Image of Goddess Lakshmi immortalized on the vimana of the temple The sanctum sanctorum As mentioned earlier the presiding deity is that of lord Shiva but this time to immortalized as Kampaheswarar but in the form of a Shiva linga. (IN A PILLAR IS KAMPA ) The Shiva linga is pretty small when compared to the imposing Shiva linga found at other places (the Shiva linga at darasuram ( MY 5TH GENERATION GRNDMA PLACE) is comparatively smaller). The Pillar which indicates the direction of the sanctum sanctorum (Kambam) Another notable feature of the sanctum is that it also houses another idol of the Lord Shiva only to be immortalized this time as Lord Sarabeswarar. This is more like a mythical creature with features borrowed from a man, a lion and an eagle. Its origin is unknown but is alive in mythological tales and is believed to have help Narasimha (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) calm down after killing Hiranyakashipu in order to rescue his ardent devotee Bakht Prahalad. Anyways it was a very distinct form of lord Shiva I have seen. Prior to this I was only aware of the Linga and the dancing form of Natraj. So, very new information and it was also a delight to see its implementation for real. The interesting feature of this particular deity is its intrinsic artwork carved all through its metallic body. The Wall murals sculptured above the sanctum The Sculptures The temple owing its resemblance to the Cholan architecture is rich in its sculptural splendor and marvel. The sculptures here depict the lifestyle of the royal kids and the common man and also depict the lifestyle of women in the region around here. There is also one depicting the image of Sarabeswarar in a very colorful avatar. It appeared more of a mythical creature from Chinese culture with the vibrant color combination. The wall sculptures of the favorite pass time of the royal bloods having fun with the elephants Other Deities and Sub Shrines As seen in most of the temples of Lord Shiva, there are deities of Dakshinamoorthy and Brahma (the creator of universe) is present attached to the walls. Another prominent sub shrine includes one exclusively for the son of Lord Shiva, Karthikeya (Murugan) and there is also an ideal of Lord Ganesha in place, not as a sub shrine though. The graceful Lord Vishnu adorning the walls of the Thirubuvanam temple The existence of a separate sub shrine for Dharmasamvardhini amman acknowledges the fact that this temple was built slightly at a later time as placing an Amman within the Shiva temple is a concept that evolved in the medieval stages and every temple that is built in these ages had an equally important place for Amman along with the presiding deity of Lord Shiva. Or it can also imply that this was put in place as a later addition during recent times. One of the best parts which I liked about the temple here is that they have artistically grilled window panes that have a skeletal outline structure of Goddess and objects akin to Hindu mythology. Goddess Saraswati playing the traditional Classical musical instrument carved as a grilled window This temple with brightly painted colors is very lively and blends the ancient architectural brilliance with modern day lively environments and brings out the vivid details in the carvings even more. In short it appears to be a black and white temple that has gone through color processing and converted to a “colored temple” as in converting color photo into black and white photo. Wall Sculpture of the sacred Cow believed to have 36000 crore Gods and Goddess residing within it The Temple town But are you aware of the fact that there is an equally popular saree spinning center and it is the very place you are standing in. Yes Thirubuvanam silk sarees are also very famous and are known for its superior quality and is a hallmark for the proficiency of the handloom silk weavers. The weavers here have formed a cooperative and sell their products under the name of “Thico Silks”. So if you want to get home something apart from the usual souvenirs from temples, you can try gifting those artistically rich silk sarees. They are bit pricey but they are worth every penny you spend on it, such is the artistic brilliance of silk weavers here. So you got to know another temple that still remains with its imposing Cholan architectural feature apart from the three in the Great Living Chola temples. KR IRS 5125 ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Gopala Krishnan <[email protected]> Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2025 at 08:26 Subject: [iyer123] SARABHESWAR OR KAMPAHESWARAR TEMPLE, THIRUBUVANAM To: <[email protected]> *SARABHESWAR OR KAMPAHESWARAR TEMPLE, THIRUBUVANAM* Dear friends, I have visited the temple with my wife and a friend with family from Orissa on temple visits during 20210. Today morning there was a video about the temple in a Tamil TV channel, watching it my wife reminded me about my visit to the temple. I thought of writing about the temple today. Gopalakrishnan 5-1-2024 1 Introduction The Kampaheswarar Temple or kampa-hara-ishvarar ( kampa-hareswarar ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is situated in Thirubuvanam, a village in Thanjavur district in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu, on the Mayiladuthurai-Kumbakonam road. Shiva is worshiped as "Kampahareswarar" as he removed the quaking (Skt. Kampa) of a king who was being haunted by a Brahmarakshas. It was built by Kulothunga Chola III and is considered the last of the four masterpieces built during the Medieval Chola era. The temple has a shrine for Sharabha, a depiction of Shiva, a part-lion and part-bird beast in Hindu mythology, who, according to Sanskrit literature, is eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump. The temple is considered in the line of Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple, with the trio forming the Great Living Chola Temples. 2 Legend As per Hindu legend, Shiva is believed to have relieved Kampa (quaking) of a king haunted by evil spirits on account of the king killing a Brahmin by mistake. This led to the name of Kampahareshvara. As per another legend, Shiva is believed to have assumed the form to quench the fury of Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu. 3 Vaippu Sthalam It is one of the shrines of the Vaippu Sthalams sung by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Appar. 4 History As per inscriptions found in the south wall of the temple, the shrine was constructed by the Chola king Kulothunga Chola III as a memorial of his successful North Indian campaign. The inscriptions indicate the contribution towards the construction of the Nataraja shrine and the mukhamandapa. Some of the other temples that figure in the inscriptions are the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, the Ekambareswarar temple at Kanchipuram, the Meenakshi temple at Madurai, the Mahalingeswarar Temple at Thiruvidamaruthur and the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur. The inscriptions in the shrine of the presiding deity is similar to the one in the outer gopuram (gateway tower), which indicates the building of the temple by Kulottunga-Choladeva. While it is unclear which Kulottunga it is, scholars have placed it at 1176 CE, which is closer to the reign of Kulothunga Chola III, who is believed to have been the last powerful Chola king. There are four inscriptions from Kulothunga Chola in Grantha script. The inscription 189 of 1907, the one on the southern wall of the central shrine, is damaged and mentions Arya Sri-Somanatha. Inscription 190 on the same wall indicates the building operations of Kulothunga Chola. 191, at the entrance of outer gopura, is a duplicate of the 190. On the same gopura, inscription 192 indicates record of king Kulothunga Chola. There are two inscriptions in Tamil from the period of Jatavarman Tribuvanachakravarthin Parakrama Pandyadeva registered by Epigraphy Department in 1911. One of them, 159, registers a contract between the residents of Tribhuvanavirapuram and Kulamangalanadu, who were urkaval (watchmen) of the village. On the same wall, the inscription numbered 160, records a similar contract in the presence of chief Udaiyar Kulasekharadeva. 4 Architecture It follows the Dravidian style of architecture. Its vimana is extremely high compared with other Dravidian-style South Indian temples. The temple's architecture is similar to that of the Big Temple at Thanjavur, Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram and Gangaikonda Cholapuram temples. *The distinct features of all the temples is the vimana, the structure over the sanctum, being taller than the gateway tower, which is an unusual feature in Tamil temples*. There is a separate shrine for Sarabeswarar and a metal icon of the same deity within the sanctum, which has fine artistic work.Yali, a mythical creature with the face of a lion, otherwise considered a symbol of Nayak architecture, has its earliest representation in Chola art in the temple. The temple was built by the Kulottunga Chola III of the Later Cholas, who ruled between 1176–1218 AD of the 13th century. The two circular pilasters with circular shafts on four sides of the vimana indicate the temple's antiquity, and is possibly termed Vrittasputitas in silpa texts like Shilparatna. This feature is found only in a few other temples like Neyyadiappar Temple, Tillaistanam, Tiruttalinathar Temple in Thiruputhur, the central shrine in Moovar Koil in Kodumbalur, Vijayalaya Choleeswaram in Narthamalai, and Anantheswara temple in Udayarkudi. 6 Complex The temple is approached through a five-tiered pyramidal rajagopuram, the original structure, according to Sarkar, is from Kuluthonga's regime. The vimana, the shrine over the sanctum is axial and of same height of that of the gopuram. The temple's gopuram is similar to its counterparts at Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur, Someswarar Temple, Pazhayarai and Nageswaraswamy Temple, Kumbakonam, which all belong to the same period. The presiding deity of the temple is Shiva lingam in the form of Kampaheswarar and is housed in the central shrine. There is a separate shrine for the deity Sarabeswarar, a fusion of man, eagle and lion, who is believed to have relieved the devas (celestial deities) from the fury of Vishnu in the form of Narasimha after he slayed Hiranyakasipu. Sharbeshwaramurti is depicted with six legs, the body and face of a lion, and a tail. It has four human arms, with an axe held in the right upper hand, a noose in the lower right hand, a deer in the upper left hand, and fire in the lower left hand. Narasimha is shown with eight arms, flailing and struggling under Sharbeshwaramurti's feet. The shrine also has sculptures of Sridevi and Bhudevi, the consorts of Vishnu. The bronze image of Sarabheswara temple is believed to be from the period of Kulothunga Chola III. 7Festivals Chitirai Brahmotsavams, Margazhi Thiruvathirai, Karthika Deepam and Pradhosam are the festivals celebrated in this temple with great pomp and fervor. The auspicious days for doing pooja in this Temple are Sundays, Fridays, Saturdays, and the eighth day of the full or new moon. There are special poojas conducted on Karthika star day for Lord Muruga. The Chaturthi Pooja for Lord Ganesha is also performed here. Navaratri and Shivaratri are other auspicious days in this Temple. Special poojas are performed during Pongal and English New Year. Every year thousands of devotees and tourists visit this majestic temple. *This place is also a famous silk weaving industry.* 8.Timings, phone number and Address Timings: 6 AM to 12.30 PM and 4 PM to 9 PM Sannathi Street, Thirubuvanam, Tamil Nadu 612103 9486467597 (Archakar Balu), 9 Benefits of Kampaheswarar Temple A visit to the Kampaheswarar Temple is believed to bring relief from many worries of life. It can reduce the ill effect of witchcraft, hidden enemies, and also the effects of bad planetary movements. Praying to this god is known to bring relief from many health problems and also financial problems. Devotees can also get promoted in jobs, get freed from debt, have good children, and lead a life of their wishes. There is also a belief that those praying to Kampaheswarar get complete relief from fear in their mind, lack of brain development, neurology problems, and other such illnesses. The sins of the devotees are reduced, couples lead a contented life, get children boon and have a healthy and long life. 10 How To Reach Kampaheswarar Temple By Air To reach this Temple by Air, the nearest airport is Trichy International Airport. Many airline operators fly to this airport from various cities in India. The Temple is 109 km from the airport, and one can book a cab from the airport to reach the temple. By Rail The Kumbakonam Railway station is the nearest railway station to this Temple. It is about 7km from the Temple. By Road It is one of the most preferred options. Kumbakonam city is about 7km from this Temple. So you can take a bus to reach this place. You can catch a local bus or hire an auto from the city bus stand, and in about 15 minutes, you get to the temple. My note- During my visit the priest told us the Devi here is ugraswaroopani. There are many Textile shops in and around selling silk sarees. -- To go to your groups page on the web, login to your gmail account and then click on https://groups.google.com/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iyer123" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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