Good and the Bad

The long wait is over at Thalayalangadu, about 14 km from Thiruvarur. This historic place,praised in Sangam literature and Thevaram Hymns has taken more than four decades to undergo renovation and consecration. Since we firmly believe that mere identification and publishing blogs on dilapidated temples will not suffice, we did not stop with writing about the Temple but went all out to extend all possible help. Our visits were made useful for meeting people and bring out an organised action plan . As ever, our friends generously helped in the renovation work without which the task would have been too difficult. It is well known that all village temples rely on external help to carry out the job. Until they find the donors the renovation gets postponed and dilapidation process activated. Hence it becomes important to find donors as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the already dilapidated structures.

Mahakumbabishekam was perfomed at Thalayalangadu by strictly adhering to Sivagamas. Although the locals could not afford to meet the high cost, the external help came in time. Of course, the need could not be met fully as some deficit is still faced. With clues on hand, one hopes that the dues are cleared shortly.
The Yagasala presented a beautiful and divine look and the rituals were conducted in the most sincere manner. A Shiva lingam was seen in the flame when we took picture of one of the nine "kundams" meant for Sri Nardhanapureeswara Swami.

We could witness the rare art of drawing over the pot that consisted Holy water into which "Kalakarshanam" was done. Two leading Sivacharyars were busy in" creating" the faces of Swami and Ambal and then fixing it at the neck of the "Kalasams". The job was done meticulously with lot of precision.

Everyone was delighted when the "Kalasams" with the "addition" was worshipped and taken on the heads around the Temple for Kumbabishekam.

Earlier, Go Puja,Brahmachari puja,Sumangali puja and Suvasini puja were conducted as per customs. The involvement of people in this function is exceptional.

The grand occasion in the evening marked the Celestial Marriage of Nardhanapureeswara with Balambika. Ladies participated in the event with enthusiasm. The colourful occasion was greeted by the much awaited rain which lashed the village and its surroundings for over 30 minutes.

We found time to visit two temples nearby- the first one at Achuthamangalam,near Srivanchiyam where a single devotee swings into action by constructing a Temple for a ShivaLinga as the original temple is lost. He contacts many people for help and succeeds in his tireless efforts. Shrines for Shiva and Parvathi are already built and the consecration is planned to take place in 3-4 months. A very tall "Iluppai" tree is there facing the temple.Details can be had from 9524348725.

The second temple is at Elandhavanamcheri, 2 km fromThalayalangadu. It is in a totally ruined state with no takers. The remaining structures can collapse at any time.The Mahamandapam has already fallen and left the idols under the sky. Deep roots of massive trees have ploughed into the walls of the sanctum,threatening to push it down at any point of time. HR&CE dept which controls the temple keeps a blind eye on it. No effort has ever been made to renovate the shrine. The villagers ,though helpless, look keenly that something good will happen soon. A huge" Elandhai"tree is seen in front of the temple. Future generations will be deprived of losing the Heritage sites one by one due to  negligence of this kind. The long wait is over at one place but continues at many places to differentiate the Good and the Bad.

Marvel(Less ?) Mangudi to become Marvellous

 Temples made of bricks were rebuilt with granite during Chola regime. Sembian Madevi, wife of Kandaraadhitha Chola was deeply involved in this process as she envisaged long life for the structures made of granite. She continued to contribute to many Temples even after the demise of her husband. The effort of Cholas in this direction is commendable as granite was not available in their Kingdom. They had to transport the stone from far away places by bullock carts. It is not enough to admire their devotion but it is imperative to vouch for the safety and preservation of the great Temples built by them.

Huge cost involved in building new structures with granite was the reason why the Temples of later period were built with bricks once again.Well ground lime paste was applied between the bricks and people switched over to easily available materials like cement. There are places where the bricks have whithered due to ageing and poor maintenance.One such Temple is at Mangudi, about 4 km from Thiruvidaimarudur near Kumbakonam. This place justifies its name as one can find good number of mango trees throughout the route.
The Shiva Temple at Mangudi is ruined and the shrine of Goddess is literally hanging with the help of the remaining bricks. The structure may collapse at any time due to lack of support. The idol of the Goddess is not there.

Brackets are seen to accomodate Deva Goshtas but we find a mutilated idol of Dakshinamurthi where a well carved figure of lion is shown near His feet. It reminds us the sculpture of Dakshinamurthi, seen at Vyagrapureeswarar Temple in Pulivanam near Uthiramerur.  All other Goshtas are empty.
Many huts have occupied the Temple premisses. Even the local Panchayat has encroached the Temple by building new rooms for their mid day meal scheme. As no objection is made against these illegal occupation, tresspassers continue to stay there.  When Mangudi is about to lose one of its marvels, is it not our duty to retain it for the future generations?

Having witnessed the pathetic sight of the Temple, our Sabha felt that an initiative to restore the Temple followed by evacuation of huts was the need of the hour. Plastering Shiva sannadhi was   taken up immediately after an hour long discussion with locals. Materials are being procured and the work will start in a day or two and expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Special mention has to be made here about the involvement of a Sri Vaishnavaite who is a native of the village . He was instrumental in renovating Mariamman & Perumal Temples of the village. He has come forward to join the good cause of rebuilding the Shiva Temple. We wish to thank for his  gesture  as he stands as a  good example for others in preserving the village Temples.

Readers may recall the post in this blog,posted on April10,2009  about a newly constructed Temple at Edamanal,near Sirkazhi. It is a classic example of coordinated work ,done in a professional manner. Mahakumbabishekam of this Temple will take place on 31st May,2012 with six "Kala" pujas. No stone is left unturned by the Trustees who have shown lot of enthusiasm in constructing the Temple to fulfil their father's vision of building the shrine in that village.

We also refer to our earlier post citing the good work done at Marudur by the sivacharyars who are the heredetory Trustees of Rajarajeswarar Temple here. One should visit the place to see the hard work carried out by them. It is said that King Sarjofi had deputed his minister to build the west facing Temple in order and arranged to send Veda Pundits from different places to reside at Marudur. The Trustees are understood to have taken legal steps to get back the Temple lands which are allegedly occupied and enjoyed . However, steps have been taken to renovate the Temple and  devotees are requested to contact Sri Swaminathan at 0435-2442483 for more details.

Forgotten Marvels

   It is sad to note that only few of us bother about the depleting Treasures of the past. It happens as the loss is not considered seriously. Even responsible people do not wish to come forward to render help even  at the eleventh hour. Many of us seem to believe that the moment the issue is shared through press or Internet, their job is over. We need people who followup and fight till the end. Everybody knows that it is a mammoth task and a  hardnut to crack with obstacles all the way. It is also well known that the neglected monuments loose their territory in the absence of a boundary wall. Some of us are merely interested to take pictures of the ruin and publish them in their books or save them in their picture gallery. It is high time to ask ourselves what little step we have taken to restore the dilapidated Temples. Do we wish to remain as spectators and reportors without initiating whatever step we can? Are we interested in gaining popularity when we are called "Best Blog writer" or "Best Jounalist"? Does it not show that we confine with a suitable platform on self interet? Do we drive the point beyond getting sympathy from the viewers? Which religious Magazine /Newspaper has initiated a corpus Fund and invited contributions for the purpose of rebuilding the neglected Temples?

           The erlstwhile Thanjavur Dt has scores of neglected shrines which need immediate attention. The Government and the Philanthropists should focus their attention more on this area. My recent visit to this region gave shock waves to the already disturbed mind. The two shrines at Thirumangalam and P(o)undareekapuram are crying for instant support and any further delay will present a huge heap of stones at these marvellous sites.

             Thirumangalam is around 12 km from Mayiladuthurai which can be reached by buses  that ply via Kali. One can also take the road from Kuttalam that passes through Thirumananjeri, the distance being 6 km.  The Sthalapuranam of this place has a connection with that of Thirumananjeri. The celestial Wedding held at Thirumananjeri was attended by Sage Vasishta with his wife Arunthathi.The images of this couple can be found inside this couple. The Divine couple gave dharshan to the devotees on earth. Shiva with His consort Parvathi, gives dharshan at the front Mandapam by sliding on His Bull. Moolavar is known as Bhoolokanatha and His consort Bhooloka Nayaki,who occupied a separate sannadhi in the next Prakara is now shifted to the Sannadhi meant for Nataraja . Nevertheless this Sannadhi is also facing ruin. The original Ambal Sannadhi is covered with thick growth of trees around it and the surroundings are also encroached due to the absence of a boundary wall.  The pillairs in the front Mandapam are richly carved with beautiful sculptures.

             Both Ganapathi and Subramanya are seen at the entrance of Mahamandapam. Lord Subramanya is seated on a peacock with a japa mala in his hand. Idols of Mahavishnu, Lakshmi,Saraswathi (who attended the Wedding) are also seen here. The unusual dharshan of KalasamharaMurthi with Ambal,facing south, is a treat to the devotees. Many people come here on their 60th/70th birth days to conduct the religious function at this Holy place.

             The outer prakara presents negligence of the first order. Devakoshtas are empty except the one meant for Goddess Durga. All these brackets are exceptionally carved and the one at Dhakshinamurthi sannadhi is outstanding. "Kodungai"(sunshade) has fallen at many places. Stones with inscriptions are either misplaced or used as stepping stones. The grand Vimanam of the Moolavar is extensively damaged due to the deep rooted trees. There is no point in cutting the branches as new branches will emerge at the outset of next monsoon. Rebuilding the entire structure by carefully marking stone by stone and then restoring in the same place appears to be the only option although the labour cost involved will be very high.

                 "Thirimaaligaipathi" in the outer prakaram is open to sky. It has few sculptures along with some Shiva Lingams. Ganapathi shrine is untraceable like that of GajaLakshmi. Both Subramanya and Chandikeswara sannadhi are in pathetic state as thick roots of trees have uprooted the structures at many places. In the absence of a shrine in the outer prakaram, Kannimoola Ganapathi's idol is kept in the front Mandapam, waiting for good things to happen. God willing, this forgotten Temple should be in the priority list of all those who really wish to participate in this kind of activity.

                Soundaranayaki sametha Somanatha Swami Temple at P(o)undareekapuram has become a victim in the handa of vandals. This is located between Thiruvidaimarudur and Thandanthottam. Main entrance and boundary walls have vanished and urchins have taken advantage of the same to destroy most of the beautifully carved sculptures on the walls of the Prakaram. These mutilated figures bring tears to the onlookers leaving us to think how soon the remaining sculptures and the decayed Temple can be saved.

                 Nandi Mandapam faces the Sanctum and the sculpture of a sage {Pundareeka Maharishi? -- after whom the place attained the name?} is on the right. The Rishi is seen crosslegged and his left palm is clearly viscible. Vandalism starts from here as his left hand is broken. Another sculpture of Soola Devar with a crecent is kept near him.

                 Adhikara Nandikeswara with folded hands is on the left. He carries stag and "Parasu" in his hands . He has a sword kept across his chest and wears a ring on the left ear to mark the ardhanari amsam. A nicely carved crown adorns his head. The hands of the Dwarapalas are also damaged.

                  The idol of cross legged Shiva with Nandi is absorbing. He has japa mala and fire in His hind arms and the front left arm is broken.His jatabaaram (Locks) is intrinsically carved. The kodungai{sunshade}above Him is partly collapsed and dangerously hanging. Other bracket figures include Ardhanari, Bhikshadana and Lingothbava. Ganga visarjamoorthi is a must watch for the visitors.

                    Hands are broken in the idol of Chadesanugrahamurthi. The Lord is found tying His garland over the head of Chandeesa,who sits below Him with folded hands. Devotees and Art lovers will definitely curse those vandals who have committed the sin.

                   Sometime back Thiruvadikudil swamiji of Kumbakonam had taken up the task of clearing the weeds and cleaning of the Temple premises. But the vimanams of all shrines are encircled with vegetation once again.

                   The executive officer of the Temple was contacted immediately for seeking assistance from the Government. He has promised to get all possible help from HR &CE once the renovation is started . Heritage lovers should swing into action instead of posting articles and keeping the fingers crossed. An article had appeared in the Heritage section of a leading Newspaper in 2005 itself but the attempt could not create the desired result. Not a stone has been moved since then! On the other hand, many stones are pushed down by the wild growth of trees. The heart breaking scene continues to prevail.

Neglected Mandapams

It is a well known fact that ancient Vasantha Mandapams and "Chariot mandapams" of Temples are given least priority when the renovation work is undertaken. This is true with almost all village Temples depending upon the extent of dilapidation towards which the entire resources are utilised. Finally the organisers are left with nothing and the focus on dilapidated Mandapams is given up. Even the Heritage groups are interested in renovating the Mandapams located in well known pilgrim centres as fund raising becomes easy and gaining popularity is equally simple. It is unfortunate that neither the Govt nor the philanthropists take care of the Mandapamsof village Temples in order to restore them. There should not be any valid reason (other than difficulty in raising funds) why these Heritage structures are abandoned.

While visiting the neibourhood of Thiruvarur, the ignored mandapam in front of Nellivaneswara Swami Temple at Thirunellikkaval caught our attention. It has received severe damages with deep rooted trees all over the tall structure. Yet it is not too late. It should also be acknowledged that the Temple has been renovated well and poojas are carried out in organised manner. Had they stretched a little more by including the Mandapam as well in the budget, they could have successfully restored it.

Another striking point is that Temple chariots are allowed to whither in rain and sun. The precious artwork is left uncared and remain under the sky without any protection. Chariot Mandapams with steps on the side were constructed to make it easy for the decorated idols to reach the top and get shifted into the chariot during the festival. In the absence of proper maintenance, trees start growing from the seeds left over the structure by the birds. Big cracks are developed as the roots penetrate deep into the Mandapam. Unless the Chariot festival is restarted, there is no scope for restoring them. Apart from the ruined vasantha Mandapam, the Chariot Mandapam at the road corner in Thirunellikkaval is engulfed with trees.

The neglected Mandapam outside Karaveeranatha swami Temple near Thiruvarur is also in a ruined state. A part of the structure is already gone and the firmly rooted trees threaten the left out portion that hangs dangerously. In a pillar , bricks are so beautifully arranged to portray a sculpture as if made in granite. We thanklessly ignore the treasures left by our ancestors . It is a shame to insult our great artisans who took enormous pain to build the mandapams with skill.    

It is always easy to point out the ruins, take some photographs and write blogs on them. But the need of the hour is to create awareness among the locals by renovating the "Vasantha Mandapams" and "Chariot Mandapams". In our quest to involve ourselves in this activity, we undertook the renovation of a "Vasantha Mandapam" at Gangajadeswara Swami Temple in Govandha Puthur,Ariyalur District. It was the only structure left unattended during the recent Renovation of the shrine. The renovation committee , however, has done a marvellous job in restoring the Temple to its original glory. Since we felt that the left out Vasantha Mandapam had to be preserved to prevent further damage,members of our Sabha ( Thiruvathirayan Thiruvarut Sabha) took interest and renovated it recently. Repairing the floor and some finishing touches alone remain to be completed.

Lot more has to be done in this front and participation from all quarters at warfooting is essential to save the structures as one can not even think of building new mandapams at huge cost.  

Tharangambadi--Shore Temple gifted to Ocean??

Tharangambadi is referred in Thevaram as Alapur. Although Padhigams exclusively on this place are not available, Appar and Sundarar have mentioned about this place. Hence Tharangambadi is regarded as a "Thevara Vaipputh Thalam". Among the Temples, located on the sea coast like the one at Mahabalipuram, Tharangambadi is known for the Historic Temple facing the erosion of sea. Sea waves have uprooted the front portion of the Temple. It is not uncommon that the sea enters into the Temple during monsoon when the sea turns rough. As of now we see the only remaining part of the shore temple which is the main sanctum. Some attempts have been taken to prevent further damage by dumping granite stones in front of the temple. But people were simply watching the ruin helplessly all these years although some voices were raised to save the Chola Temple.

Tharangambadi is situated 15 km north of Karaikal. It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845 A fort built by a Danish captain was the residence and headquarters of Governor and other officials for abour 150 years.It now houses a Museum containing a collection of artifacts of the colonial era. A printing press was established in1712 which published 300 books in Tamil.The British took control of this place in1801 and it was sold to them in 1845.Very little information is available on the maintenance of the Historic Temple on the shore during this period.

People extract salt from seawater by using the backwaters of the sea. "alam" in tamil means a place where salt is extracted from sea water. Hence the Historic name, "Alapur". "Tharangam" in Tamil refers to waves. Sri Masilamaniswara Temple at Tharangambadi carries inscriptions of Chola Period wherein the place is called as Kulasekaran Pattinam and the Lord is addressed as "Kulasekaran pattinaththu Udayar"It was during Achuthappa Naicker's rule in 13th century, the Temple was renovated. Masilamaniswara is the main deity in the Sanctum, the extension of which are ardha mandapam and Mahamandapam. The Goddess is known as Dharma samvardhani. There was a proposal to shift the Temple away from the sea but it did not materialise. Now we find entirely a new Temple on the sands behind the old structure. Since the construction is almost over, the consecration is planned to take place sometime next month after shifting the deities from the dilapidated Temple to the new one. It could have been better had they shifted the old Temple in full by numbering the stones to the new site instead of abandoning the structure of Historic importance. By doing so, the Chola monument could have been restored. It is not known why the Heritage lovers who offered "Technical assistance" to this Temple remained silent. Getting things happen in the proper way is therefore important than just protesting and writing blogs."Never give up" attitude is missing which alone is the need of the hour. There is an undeclared writing on the wall that the old structure is abandoned which is due to the absence of Joint Protest from different quarters.

The new structure on sands is brightly painted and awaits the entry of respective deities from old Temple. Only the construction workers were available at the site and more information could not be gathered. At the moment , school children on excursion visit both old and new Temples and spend some time on the shore looking at the turbulent and unrestrained sea dashing against the shore.

Pudu Mandapam, Madurai

"Pudu Mandapam" in front of the Eastern Tower of Meenakshi Temple, Madurai is known for splendid sculptures. Some of them narrate the Purana related to Madurai.A huge Nandi on the middle of the road faces the 17th century Mandapam built by Thirumalai Nayak. An unfinished Entrance with well carved wall is is there behind the Nandi. The Mandapam has become the house of various shops which sell miscellaneous items. Hence it will be difficult for the visitor to see the beauty of the Hall in full . Some sculptures are hidden behind the shops denying a close look at them.

As soon as we enter the Mandapam, we can see a huge sculpture of Lord Shiva on our right , in the form of a Mother Pig , embracing the little pigs on both sides close to Her (Him?) . The story goes that there lived a group of Pigs in a forest near a place called Guruvirundha Thurai (now known as Kuruvithurai, some 15 miles west of Madurai) when Raja Raja Pandya ruled the Pandya Empire. There lived a woman, Sukalai, who had twelve sons. The children wandered in the forest after the demise of their parents and chose to hunting as their profession. On seeing Brahaspathi, the Deva Guru, they bagan throwing mud and stones on him. The sage became angry and cursed them to become pigs and suffer in the forest after losing their parents(pigs). When the boys felt sorry for their act, the sage pardoned them and said that Lord Somasundara Shiva Himself will show compassion towards them and take the form of Mother pig and feed them with milk. Hence the boys had to take birth as pigs in that forest. When Raja Raja Pandya went for hunting in that forest, the King pig and the Queen Pig, parents of the twelve pigs fought bravely against the Pandya. Finally the King Pig was killed by the Pandya and the Queen pig also died after a tough fight with the Pandya's commander. The place where the two pigs died is called "Panri Malai". The twelve little pigs therefore became orphans after losing their parents in the battlefield. On seeing the suffering of the tiny pigs, Lord Sundareswara took the form of Mother pig as He is The Mother of all living beings.The little ones greeted the arrival of their "Mother" by embracing "Her". The Lord fed them with milk and blessed them to become humans but retained their original face of the pig. This story is narrated in stone at two places in Madurai , one at Pudu Mandapam and the other one in Thirupparankunram, about 5 km from Madurai Vandals have disfigured the one at Pudu Mandapam, the Lord' s Pig face is damaged but the remaining portion of the sculpture is in order.

Similarly, another great piece of Art, Shiva as "Hunter" has also been damaged by anti social elements.Two hands are broken. One hand holds the bow the other arm holds the weapon, "Parasu" .The workmanship can be admired when we look at the ornaments on His chest and waist which are crafted precisely.The crown on His head proves testimony to the skill of the artisan.

Luckily, some sculptures are left in good shape-- those of Vallabha Ganapathi, Meenakshi Kalyanam, Urdhva Thandava Murthi, Kali,Eka patha Murthi, Gaja samhara Murthi, to name a few.Ganapathi, in sitting posture, with ten hands, faces East. He is seen seated on his vehicle, the Mouse along with His Shakthi. His Trunk is turned towards His right and hands holding different weapons.

The sculpture showing the celestial marriage of The Divine Couple is a marvellous one. Some one has applied sandal wood paste on the face of Meenakshi. Lord Vishnu conducts the marriage of The Goddess. Similar sculpture can also be seen inside Meenakshi Temple.

The magnificent statues of UrdhvaThandava Murthi and Kali are adorned with clothes , possibly by some shop owners who have occupied the Mandapam. The "prabai" (arch) behind Urdhva Thandava murthi is a fantastic piece of work where we can see gaps. Karaikkal Ammaiyar, His devotee is seen near His feet. On the other side, Vishnu plays the musical instrument for the Great Dance. Muyalakan at the feet of the Lord tries to lift his face up to enjoy the dance.

Goddesss Kali with eight hands holds many weapons in Her hands and Her face is full of anger. Teeth protruding and hair lifting up ("Jwala kesam"), the distinct features are neatly shown in the statue. People have garlanded her with Lemon .

Gajasamharamurthi, on the pillar facing the road is also a treat to watch. He holds the skin of the Elephant with two hands. The other hands hold ,Trishul, Kapal,bow, arrow, deer and parasu. Anger is shown on his face clearly. The ornaments on his chest and the Jata baram are carved exceedingly well.

Ekapathamurthi is on the other pilar facing the road. Vishnu and Brahma are seen emerging from Lord Shiva and people have attempted to adorn it in their own way.

Some sections of the public have expressed their desire to relocate the shops that hinder the beauty of the Mandapam, a Heritage site. It is a good news that the collector of Madurai has visited the site recently and assured to take suitable action. He should also intervene to instruct the Temple authorities who cemented the floor of the Tank (which is regarded as SivaGangai, a Holy one in the Purana) to restore the Tank with water as it was originally seen before. The authorities have shown utter disregard at the moment by making the Tank a dry one, the move that disappoints everybody.

Prevention of Thefts

Readers may remember the earlier post in which the Selfless service of a Techie from Bangalore was highlighted. His remarkable contribution in renovating the Shiva Temple at his native place, Udayavar Theeyanur should inspire many to take up similar initiatives at their places. In fact this man had gone to several places to bring Holy waters from rivers to perform abhishekam on the day of Mahakumbabishekam. It was not easy to travel some 300 km every week to supervise the work. Still he drove all the way and finished the work within a year . We need people like him in every village to take care of the ancient temples. A good team of Sivacharyars performed the Yagasala poojas and the Kumbabishekam was performed as per tradition.

As there was enough time in the forenoon after the Kumbabishekam, it gave scope for visiting the nearby temples as well. It was a nice opportunity to visit Sri Choleeswara Temple at Vikramangalam which was hardly 2 km from Theeyanur. This huge Temple has big Rajagopurams in the front that need immediate renovation. Plant growth is seen on them that could damage the entire structure soon. The hall in front of the Sanctum is tall with the nicely carved roof. The granite pillars have beautiful sculptures of Dhakshasamhara murthi , Agora Veerabadrar etc. The outer prakaram has Devakoshtas and a small shrine for Chandikeswara. Gajalakshmi sannadhi is in a bad shape. The outer walls also require immediate attention. The heart breaking news was that the Utsava murthis of this temple and that of Sri Prahaladheswarar Temple at Sri Purandaran, a nearby village, have been stolen some years back. The administration never thinks of protection to idols until it is too late. The Govt simply builds Idol Protection centres at various places and shifts all Utsavamurthis to these cells and seal them. The locals can not perform the Utsavams in the absence of the Murthis. It may not be possible for anyone to undertake the risk of bringing the idols from custody and also for their safe return. As a result, the Utsavams of these temples come to a grinding halt. The Govt may think alternately by building safe vaults at the respective temples and provide buglar alarms and security personnel .The Govt has failed to collect the revenue due to the temples from farmers and others. It can atleast do something to prevent idol theft instead of dumping everything at a common place in the name of security.Once the idols are moved out of the country, it takes several years to go through the legal proceedings and bring them back. Who knows, even after their return they are housed in their own Temples or in common vaults.