Famous Temples in India

Architecture

The temple is huge in size and importance, with 9 Gopurams, 80 Vimanas,13 Mandapams, 15 wells of Theertha importance, 7 prakaras, 365 Shiva Lingas representing the days of the year, shrines numbering above 100, 86 Vinayaka idols and temples within the temple numbering above 24. Thyagaraja is the name given to the manifestation of Shiva at Tiruvarur called Somaskanda and six of the other Sapta Vitanka shrines. It houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower with four stories and a height of 36 meters (118 ft.). Corbels of the pillars of the mandapa in front of the shrine. There are numerous shrines and  Mandapams (halls) in the three spacious enclosures (prakaram).

Gopurams - The Eastern Gopuram on the outermost perimeter wall called the Rajagopuram because it conforms to the Vastu Shastra concept of a Maha Dwara (great entrance) is by far the most exquisite.   This is a massive 118 feet tall 7 tier Rajagopuram with plenty of sculptures. After Devendhran had to part with his Thyagarajar to Muchukunda, he was unable to bear the loss and came to Thiruvarur requesting Thyagarajar to come back with him. The Lord had told him to wait at the Eastern gopuram to take him. It is considered that Devendhran is still waiting at the Eastern entrance but Thyagarajar is yet to come out through that entrance. He comes out for all the festivals through the other entrances only.

Built between the 12th and 13th Century by the Cholas, the tall doorway of the Rajagopuram is characteristically a granite structure up to the lintel level. This humongous granite base has several rearing Yali figures, each mounted by a rider. The elegant slender bodies of these horse-like creatures that sport the face of a lion and the delicate relief carving on them are unique to the Chola artisans. These Yalis are mythical animals created to represent different stages of life. The six story, tapering superstructure above is constructed with deep red brick and mortar. Each of the six levels is proportionately smaller than the tier below, hollow, and set with proportionate window apertures aligned along the inner and outer facades. The Rajagopuram is a not only a work of art, a repository of visual cultural history, and religion, it is also a result of ancient South Indian politics  and a bearer of political history for future generations. The construction of the Rajagopuram is associated with interesting history. In 1202 A.D., there was a great war between the Cholas and the Pandyas.

The Chola king Kulothunga Chola-III caused great havoc on his enemy Sadaiyavarman Kulasekara Pandya and in the end, the Pandyan king ran away from the battlefield. The victorious Chola king celebrated his victory by crowning himself again in the Pandyan capital of Madurai as the Thirubhuvana Veerathevan (the victorious warrior of the three worlds). He then used the vast treasures of the Pandyan kingdom to raise a new temple at Thirubhuvana Veerashwaram and used some of the funds to construct this Rajagopuram at Thiruvarur. In addition, the historical book Kulothunga Meykirthi and the Thirubhuvanam inscription attest that Kulothunga-III assigned villages in the Pandyan and Chera countries to support this temple at Thiruvarur and offered all spoils from the war to the Deity, Thyagarajaswami, affectionately known as Thyagesa. A lasting image of this warrior benefactor, Kulothunga Chola-III with his guru Easwara Shivar, has been sculpted in the second tier of the Rajagopuram.

While structurally and aesthetically similar to the Eastern Rajagopuram, the Western Gopura has some beautiful figurines of dancing women and other old sculptures. Interestingly, there are no figurines that depict Demi-Gods, Devas. The Eastern side of this Gopura has several beautiful fresco murals that have not been the dated yet. While it is dated as built in the 15th century A.D, there is unfortunately no clear evidence with regard to the patron who had it built. A Thanjavur Nayaka King, Sevappan, built the Northern Gopura.  This Gopura is constructed using granite blocks up to the base level but does not have any sculptures on it. On the second level off this Gopura, there are figurines of this King and the manager of the temple of that time. Sevappan has left some inscriptional record on this Gopura. Apart from this exterior perimeter wall, the inner sanctum of the temple has two other concentric squares of perimeter walls that separate it from the busy streets outside.  

Two Gopurams on the first inner wall and another, smaller one on the second inner wall beautify the temple. Successive kingdoms that added these grand entryways to the sanctum have done so keeping in mind the overall aesthetics of the temple and have ensured that their contributions have enhanced the breathtaking impact of the entire complex. Muthu Kaviarasar in his drama on the Deity and Manuneethi Cholan,Thiyagesar Kuravanjiyam describes the tall Gopuram that reaches with a crescendo of energy into the eastern sky. As we enter the outer walls and proceed towards the Sanctum, the Eastern Gopura that opens into the second compound belonging to an earlier Chola period stands stark, without any distinguishing or significant artistic sculpture. The corresponding Western Gopura on the same wall appears to have been constructed with granite blocks. It was re-built during the time of Vijayanagara King Devaraya-II (1422-1446 A.D.). Tamil and Kannada inscriptions on this Gopura say that a man called Nagarajar built it under the patronage of Dakshina Samudradipathi Lakkana Thanna Nayaka who was a feudal king of the Vijayanagar Empire. The innermost wall and final barrier to the sanctum has only one entrance and the Gopura on this entrance was from an earlier Chola period. This Gopura has been upgraded many times by different kings, the artistic additions belong to many emperors. 

Mandapams - Typically pillared halls with granite slab roofs, Mandapams were created as large congregation halls. Thiruvarur, being a very popular and powerful Sthala, necessarily had many such ancillary structures. Sekkizhar in his Periyapuranam describes the beauty of the Mandapams of this temple in the story of Siruthonda Nayanar. The Mandapams of this temple have all the required components as required by the Agama Sastras: the base, Peetam, The raised plinth, Upa Peetam, The layer of lotus petals in bas relief Padmam, and the crest Kumudam. Beautifully sculpted pillars support the roof, made of large granite slabs.  The fresco art on the ceiling of these Mandapams temple ranges from the early to late Chola periods.  Aditya Chola I's Karuvarai and Ardhamandapam, his successors developed the temple to have a Mugamandapam and a Mahamandapam. The temple has a couple of halls like Devasiriya mandapam, Rajanarayana mandapam, Rajendra Chola mandapam. The Rajanarayana mandapam has the  Simhathoon, the pillars with lion which reminded me of the similar ones in Mahabalipuram. The temple is having 13 halls in which six of them are the most prominent.

Deva Siriyam Mandapam - The largest mandapam, the Deva Siriyam is one of the famous ancient monuments of Tamilnadu. By virtue of being the site where the great poet Sundaramurthy Nayanar created his Thiruthonduthogai, its association with this benchmark in the religious-poetic history of Tamil Shaivism remains unforgotten.  As a mandapam, the sheltered open space served as a stage for Koothu, a special form of native theatre of Tamilnadu that involved music, dance, and drama in an opera style setting and the more classic and codified form of dance, Bharathanatyam. The Devasiriya Mandapam contains the still surviving ancient paintings. 

Bhaktha Katchi Hall - Bhaktha Katchi Hall is located to the left of the image of Musukuntha Nandi. The festival image of Thyagaraja arrives at this hall after the Panguni Uthiram festival.

Oonjal Hall - Oonjal Hall is located opposite to the Kabatha Katchi hall. The festival images of Chandrasekharar and Sekari Amman arrive at this hall during the Thiruvadirai festival.

Thulapara Hall - Thulapara Hall is named after the legend in which king Mucundaka placed Thyagaraja image of Thiruvarur in one and all others in another plate he received from Deva Indra.

Purana Hall - Purana Hall is located in the northern part of the temple.

Rajanarayana Hall - This artistically designed mandapam has hosted many historical events. Several inscriptions attributed to the Imperial Cholas attest that this was a popular venue to host town council meetings, and conference feudal lords and royalty to discuss national, social, business, and security issues. The Mandapa lent itself to grand occasions and was the preferred location to receive ambassadors from many nations. Of all the royalty that came and went, only the presiding Royal Deity, Thyagarajaswami and his Queen Neelothbalambal continue to hold royal court here during the Panguni Uthiram and Aathirai festivals. The art in the Rajanarayana Thiru Mandapam has seen the effort of several generations of artisans under several regimes. Many of this remains juxtaposed with the oldest sculptures blending in seamlessly with the new. Sculptures of lions embellish the pillars supporting the roof. On the ceiling are many beautiful sculptures of women in dance postures. Rajanarayana Hall is a public hall for localities of Thiruvarur.

Rajendra Chola Hall - The great king Rajendra Chola-I conquered Kadram (Malaysia), Sri Vijaya (Sumatra), and Mappalam (Bali). A pious woman called Nangai Nallal Paravai however conquered his heart. Inscriptions say that this woman inspired this king to build a new mandapam and make several additions to the temple. He is credited with the current edifice that houses the Main Deity.  Through a process of dedication, the mandapam called the "Sabhapathi Mandapam" may be this king's creation. This hall houses the museum of the temple.

Temple Pond - Kamalalayam (Temple Pond), got its name since Mahalakshmi did penance to Moolattaneswarar here to marry Lord Vishnu. The temple tank is as big as the temple itself and measures an area of 33 acres making it as one of the largest in the country (the other theertham Sengazhuneer odai is also of the same size) and has a separate temple at the centre. The small temple of Sri Naduvana nathar Temple with a small gopuram is located in the middle of the Kamalalayam temple tank.We have to go in boat and pradhosha abhishegam is very special here. There are 64 bathing ghats here and each one gives us a specific benefit by bathing and donating specific articles. The detils of these are displayed at every ghat. The most sacred of them is considered to be Devaneertha Kattam, opposite the West gopuram of the temple.