VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT

Friday 22 July 2016

Sri Veeramathi Amman / ஸ்ரீ வீரமாத்தி அம்மன் கோயில், and Sri Karuppana Swamy Temple, Annual Festival 2016, தாழ்குணி / Talguni, Erode District, Tamil Nadu

22^nd July 2016.

The annual festival of our Kula Deivam Sri Veeramathi Amman, at Talkuni, near Kolapalur was celebrated this year on 20^th, July and 21^st July 2016. This Sri Veeramathi Amman belongs to a section of Viswakarmas of Kuruppu nadu in Kongu mandalam ( During Chozha, Pandya, Vijayanagara kings rule the present Coimbatore, Erode, Salem districts are called as Kongu mandalam and the same was divided in to 24 subdivisions and one of the subdivision is Kuruppa nadu with Vijayamangalam as head quarter ) and worshiped as Kula Deivam.

The festival will be held during 1^st week of every year. This year I was fortunate to attend the both days functions. Since it is a village god, the temple is little away from the village Talkuni and poojas are performed by a non Brahmin priest, usually called as poojari. Kannimar and Karuppaswamy are in the adjacent building. The Poojas conducted are typical Village type and not confirmed to any agamas.

TIRTH POT ( KUDAM ) PROCESSION

On 19^th July 2016, afternoon, A batch of 20 people went to Bhavani river ( Puliampatti ) 12 KM away from Gobichettipalayam and brought theertham for abhishekam usually called as “Abhisheka tirtha kudam“. The abhisheka tirtha kudams are brought to the temple in procession with melathalam and fire works ( Musical Instruments like Thavil, Nathaswaram, Pambai are played. Few ladies also danced to the tune of music, called as “sami aduthal” throughout the procession.

Abhisheka Theertha kudam procession with melathalam

Abhisheka Theertha kudam procession – Ladies dancing – sami aduthal

Abhisheka Theertha kudam procession

Abhisheka Theertha kudam kept at temple after procession

AMMAI AZHAITHAL ( அம்மை அழைத்தல் ) ( INVITING THE OTHER GODS FOR THE FUNCTION )

This function is used called as “ammai azhaithal”, is to invite other gods right from Sri Vinayagar, to all the Ammans of Tamil Nadu ( Mari Amman, Kali Amman etc..). The Pooja was offered to a very small linga shaped stone, called as Padavettamman on a small platform. The offerings are brought from the temple with mela thalam, by a person who has the authority of the same village. At the end of the pooja, the pambai musician invites all the gods to attend Sri Veeramathi Amman’s thiru Kalyana urchavam ( ie the annual function and not the usual thirukalyana functions held at Shiva or Vishnu temples. )

Pooja to Sri Padavettamman

AMMAN ABHISHEKAM.

On 20^st, July morning around 07.00 hrs the Abhishekam was done to Sri Vinayagar, Sri Veeramathi Amman and Sri Murugan, with the abhisheka theertham brought from river Bhavani. After Abhishekam the mavilakku was brought to the temple by a group of Ladies after performing a small pooja at Sri Azhagu Raja Perumal Temple with melethalam. Pooja was performed to Sri Veeramathi Amman after the mavilakku reached to the temple. Abhisheka panchamirtham and prasadam sarkarai ( sugar ) Pongal was distributed to the Devotees.

Maavilakku at Sri Azhagu Raja Perumal temple

Mavilakku procession

Maavilakku procession was received at the temple and a pumpkin was cut to remove thiristi ( to remove bad happenings)

Abhishekam to Amman

Amman in Santhana alangaram after Abhishekam

THE PERUM POOJA TO SRI KARUPPANNA SWAMY.

After the pooja to Sri Veeramathi Amman, the perum Pooja was started to Sri Karuppanna Swamy and Non vegetarian prasadam was offered after sacrificing the goats and cocks.. A separate poojari conducted the pooja for Sri Karuppanna Swamy with the mouth covered. During that time, Kannaimars are covered with cloth. The Non veg prasadams are distributed to the was distributed to the devotees.

Pooja to Sri Karuppanna Swamy

Saptamatrikas or Kannimars

A musical treat

The tablet contains the names of the donors for the expansions of the temple was opened by Mr T P Thangaraj of P R D Exports, Thiruchengode.

For the details and Photos of the annual functions held earlier : CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA:---

Sri Azhagar Raja Perumal Temple and a Shiva Temple at Talguni, Tippu Period Temples at Talguni near Gobichettipalayam, Erode District, Tamil Nadu.

22^nd July 2016

When I was at Talguni, Kolappalur near Gobichettipalayam, the locals claims that the Sri Azhagar Raja Perumal temple and the Shiva temple are very old, built during Tipu Sultan period, by his Hindu minister. There is evidence found to prove the same. The temples are maintained by local Vellalar/ Gounder caste peoples.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLES : CLICK HERE

SRI AZHAGAR RAJA PERUMAL TEMPLE

The temple is facing east with a garudathoon/ vilakku thoon / Deepasthambham. In side the sanctum there is no murti/ Deity of perumal instead there is a platform on which linga like stones were kept. What is the significance, do not know and nobody was there to explain. Anjaneyar relief is kept in a separate sannadhi.

SHIVA TEMPLE

The shiva temple is facing east in the midst of field near a burial ground. The vimanam is in pyramid shape with a kalasam on the top. Vinayagar and murugan are at the entrance of the sanctum. A nagar relief is there on an unfinished stone.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA:---

Monday 18 July 2016

Sri Devi Bhavani Amman Temple, annual Festival 2016, Ramakrishna Nagar, Adambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

18^th July 2016

The Adi month’s Annual festival, for the year 2016 of Sri Devi Bhavani Amman, located at Ramakrishna Nagar, Adambakkam, Chennai 88 was celebrated in the first week of the Tamil month. In other temples the Adi month’s festival will be celebrated in any one of the week. The main purpose of this celebration is to distribute Koozh made of rahi –a variety of millet, since this month will be the dry season of the year. The procedures followed will be very much similar to the festival celebrated in Drowpathy Amman Temples. Normally this will be three days function starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday. The important features of this festival are, providing annathanam to all the devotees, walking on the fire and Amman will be carried in procession through the streets. In addition to this in some of the temples theru koothu / street play ie drama of Mahabharata will be conducted.

Amman in sandal paste alangaram

The kumbhams taken for the procession

This amman is made of mud and the lamp will glow throughout the function

Kumbam in procession

It was believed that if the procession crosses on the lying man, all the evil effects will be vanished..

Arul vakku

Preparation of fire for the fire walk

Amman is ready for procession

After fire walk – the man in costume

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Thursday 19 May 2016

Sri Thyagaraja Swamy Temple and Vadivudaiamman Temple, - A Temple Walk around Thiruvottiyur.

17^th May 2016

A temple walk around Thiruvottiyur Thyagaraja swamy temple ( Popularly known as Sri Vadivudai Amman Temple ) was planned at 3.45 PM on 16th May, 2016 (since the temple reopens at 4pm). It will include discussions on Thyagaraja cult, Nayanmars and Thiruvotriyur and similarities between Thiruvarur and Thiruvottiyur based on the Thyagaraja cult.

Even-though I had been to this temple number of time, this visit is on a different perspective. The walk was lead by Mr Madhusudhanan, an architect by profession and passion on temple architecture. He had done a wonderful presentation of the temple and explained all the details from the place where changes were made. I really wonder how he could collect the details in the midst of his professional work. It will be difficult for me to recollect many things which told during the discussion.

Thyagaraja cult is a set of characteristic features, norms to be followed, similarities in which the way it was practiced. Most of the Vidanga sthalangal in and around Thiruvarur practiced the similar cult. There are some shiva temples on the coromandel coast, which has Thyagaraja Sannadhi, but Vidanga moortham is (of rare gem,) missing. Somaskanda is generally called as Thyagaraja, Thyagaraja and the secret ( covering Kanda in the middle by the flowers, some times without Kanda ) is of family tradition type of moorthams and they are Somaskandar where Murugan will be in the middle and Ganesha anugraha moorthy in which Ganesha is seating on the right side of Lord Shiva. Both of the sudhai/stucco moorthams are available in the 2^nd level of east side Rajagopuram. The original Vindangar was worshiped by Sri Mahavishnu keeping it on his chest. The vidanga moortham was transferred to Chozha King Musukundha chakravarthy through Indran. ( Which has a separate story).Similarly the natanam is also different in each temples.

1	Thiruvarur	Vidhividangar	Ajaba natanam	Depends on the chest movement due to breathing ( Maha Vishnu)
2	Nagaikaronam	Sundara vidangar	Vici natanam	Dancing like sea wave
3	Thirukolili	Avani vidangar	Drunganatanam	Dancing like a bee that hovers on the flowers
4	Thirunallaru	Nagara vidangar	Unmatha natanam	Dancing like an intoxicated person
5	Thirukkaarayil	Adhividangar	Kukkuta natanam	Dancing like a cock
6	Thiruvaimur	Nallavidangar	Kamalanatanam	Dancing like lotus moves due to breeze
7	Thirumaraikadu	Buvanividangar	Hamsapadanatanam	Dancing with the gait of swan

The Thiruvottiyur temples has the contributions of Chozha, Pallavas, Nayaks etc. The Thyagaraja sannidhi at Thiruvotriyur was built adjacent to main Chozha period temple with out much damage to the kodungai. The mandapam was built in stages may be by different king’s period. The Thiagarajar sannadhi pillars are of round with lot of inscriptions and front mandapam are of square in shape with reliefs on all the sides. The reliefs are signifies the different forms/ school of worshiping like thanthirka, Kabalika, etc.

A new comer to this temple will be confused very much by seeing the layout of the temple. Sannadhis are built in a haphazard manner and moorthams were located in different positions. The Dwarapalakas are beautiful and miniature of Shiva’s dance, Gajasamkaramurti are chiselled on the cap are worth to see. The Dwarapalakas might be originally in the inner prakaram and latter shifted to the present place which obstructs the view of inscriptions. The mandapa pillars has the reliefs of Nayanmar’s siddhu, ( Sundarar – at avinashi, child came out of croc’s mouth and Thirugnanasambandar – poompavai comes alive from ashes). Also the sacrificing reliefs with a head and two ladies holding trishul.

There is a Chandeswarar idol kept in the mandapa, which is not it’s original place. In the nayanmars place a boothagana’s moortham is named as Nambiyandar nimbi. Then comes the vattaparai Amman Sannadi. This might be of Kannaki worship, to prove this during function the pandal erected outside will not be removed, instead burnt out. Also there is a possibility that Vattaparai amman might be a Village god with ant hill near by ( Moolavar Lord Shiva is in the form of Ant hill ) and the construction of the Vattaparai Amman sannidhi, which has no space with main sanctum. There is a Dwajasthambam installed in front of Vattaparai amman sannadhi with it’s base in round shape, This might be a soolam once.

After that we had visited the Thiruvoteesar Temple, which has the main contribution of Nattukottai Nagarathars. Chandikeswarar, Bhairavar reliefs are in actual place on the pillars. The medallions are just modern as flowers and Subramanya standing on Lotus. Then comes the Bhairavar Sannidhi whose hair touches the ground and the dog is missing.

In The Vadivudai Amman sannadhi we had seen a moortham of Chamundi with skull on it’s head. There must a saptamatrikas sannadhi previously. This is the one escaped from ..... and installed here. It was interesting to note that Sri Sankarar worshiped Sri Vadivudai Amman. To prove this still pooja is being conducted by the malayalis.

LOCATION:CLICK HERE

The Voice of Madhusudhanan : CLICK HERE