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.

Is ASI Listening??

Be it State Archaeological Dept or the ASI , their job seems to be over once they take down the inscriptions found on the walls before placing a blue board over there to claim that the site belong to them. There is no word on maintaining the structure unless it draws visitors , especially foreigners. There are archaeological sites left uncared by the Government where you will not find even a board, forget about maintaining and renovating them. Compound walls are in damaged condition and urchins freely enter and cause irrepairable damage to the structure and its sculptures. Since the site belongs to them, nobody else will be permitted to renovate it. They will raise hue and cry as it would alter the original glory. Who prevented them from taking up the renovation work in time before it is too late. Are they waiting for the entire structure to collapse? Are they not ashamed to claim the ruined structure without taking appropriate action? Do they monitor the structures periodically and initiate speedy action? There is no use in taking down the inscriptions and forgetting the whole structure that carries them. Are we able to proudly say that the Historic monument is being looked after properly? Barring exceptions, the Dept keeps a blind eye on the responsibility bestowed on them. There are people who are ready to give suggestions but are unwilling to do any field work. Those who shout against whitewashing the walls and sandblasting should give pressure to the Dept to take up the work instead of crying foul.

Manampadi is a village situated on Kumbakonam- Anaikarai Highway where you find a beautiful Temple close to the road. The locals say that it belongs to the ASI. The entrance itself is in danger as it has cracks all over. There is no proper door either. Thanks to the efforts of the locals, a priest comes from a nearby village to offer puja. Someone has laid the floor in front of the sanctum and the villagers have created a path around the structure by removing the bushes and thorns to enable the visitors to walk freely. The main deity is called Naganatha and the Vimanam above Him is in shambles.

ASI may have to dismantle the entire structure in order to restore it . It has developed cracks everywhere and the presence of thick vegetation will accelerate the process of deterioration. The status of Goddess' shrine is no way better. It is pathetic to find the Temple in a neglected state. A statue of Bhairava with eight arms is half burried at the entrance. Other main deities have been kept inside as they do not have their enclosures in the Prakaram.

All statues in the Deva Goshtas draw our attention. The first one is that of Bhikshadana , with Hare on one side and a Bootha Gana on the other. His "jata" (Hair) is carved beautifully. Lord Nataraja's statue is equally charming. The smile on His face is attractive and He is flanked by devotees on both sides . Ganapathi in standing posture is simply brilliant. Cracks are seen close to the bracket.Dhakshinamoorthy with His matchless smile makes us to stand unmoved there for a long time although His left foot is found damaged. Lingodhbava murthi, Ardhanarreswara , Durga Devi and UmaMaheswara are equally outstanding.

We were told that someone came from ASI few months back to estimate the funds needed for restoration of the Temple and construction of outer walls. There is no word yet on when the work will commence. Since the Temple is passing through several monsoons year after year, collapse is inevitable if left unattended for a long time. By the time the ASI arrives at the site after comleting their priorities all over the country, it could be too late. All art lovers and students of History should raise a common voice on the need to save the Temple. Such a representation will surely catch the attention of ASI officials and they will swing into action without further delay. Until then, the status of the Temple at Manampadi can only bring tears. The Emperors whose inscriptions are read and hailed would not have even dreamt that their gift to the following generations would be ignored like this.

Saathanur - The Pancha Linga Kshetram

Saathanur, near Aduthurai used to be a large village during Chola dynesty. It may be surprising to note that Thiruvaavaduthurai was one of the hamlets under Sathanur in those days.The deity in Thiruvavaduthurai has been sung not only in Thevaram Hymns but also in Thiruvisaippa. Sendanar in his Thiruvisaippa padigam of this place called Sathanur as "Saandhai" . This place is also known as a "Pancha Linga Kshetra" as it contains five Siva temples of ancient origin, the biggest among them is at Thiruvavaduthurai, about 3 Km from Sathanur. The other four temples are within the limits of Saathanur village of which Siddheswarar temple , which was consecrated about 50 years back required least amount of repair work when compared with the rest. Our Sabha is blessed for having participated in the renovation of Sri Kailasanatha temple, Siddheswara temple few years back and presently engaged in the rebuilding work at Kasi Viswanatha temple.

Sri Kasi Viswanatha Temple was in ruins and it had to be rebuilt from scratch, thanks to the efforts undertaken by the villagers. It is going to be consecrated on 7th February and the villagers expect support from outside as well.

The fifth temple is on the outskirts of the village and only the Lingam (Sri Airavadheswarar) is remaining! The temple precincts are occupied by people for the purpose of cultivation. The sanctum faces Paddy fields and a lonely atmosphere prevails over there. However, well wishers have cleared bushes and thorns around the area to go near the Lingam. A shrine needs to be built here as the Lord is left under Sun and rain.

Mahakumbabishkam was performed at Sri Gomuktheeswarar Temple in Thiruvavaduthurai on 26th January in a grand scale. Necessary repairs were undertaken by the Mutt without affecting the old glory. Six Kaala yaga sala poojas were carried out strictly as per the Agamas. Nine kundams were erected for Swami, Ambal and Nataraja and Thyagaraja had 10 Kundams. As this place is known as Nandikeswara sannadhi for Sri Mahalinga Swamy of Thiruvidaimarudur, five kundams were erected for Nandhi , a unique offering to the mighty Bull! People thronged the temple in thousands on that day and occupied vantage positions to have a glimpse of the Kumbabishekam. Devottees were thrilled to see Garuda circling the sky right above the sanctum at the Holy hour.

The temple faces East and the Holy tank, Pankchaakshara Theertham is in front of it. Lord Ganesa, who accompanied His Mother when she took the form of a cow, is known as "Thunaivandha Vinayakar" whose shrine is close to the Main Gopuram.

When Saint Thirugnanasambandar came here to worship the Lord, his father also arrived from Sirkazhi and met him. As he had plans to conduct an yagnam at Sirkazhi, Sambandar sang a Padhigam praying for Lord's assistance in this regard. Lord Siva was too pleased and he sent his Bootha Gana to hand over a pouch containing 1000 sovereign of gold. The bootha ganam kept it on top of the bali peetam behind the Nandi and Sambandar handed over the same to his father. Images depicting this incident and that of Thyagaraja are installed and neatly painted. One must thank Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam who are consecrating the temples coming under their Mutt one by one .

Chozhanpettai awaits Takers

Maappadugai and Chozhanpettai are twin villages situated on the outskirts of Mayiladuthurai. They can be reached either through Thiru Indalur, a Vaishnavaite town,2 km from Mayiladuthurai or through Siddharkadu on Mayiladuthurai- Kumbakonam route. Many tiny villages like Ramapuram, Kozhikuththi surround this region Manny stories related to Ramayana are connected to this region.When Maareecha appeared in front of Rama in the form of deer, Rama wanted to catch it and bring it to satisfy Sita. The deer ran swiftly and took Rama to this place and finally covered itself from beeing seen. Hence the name ,Maappadugai derived from this story as "Maan (deer) padhungiya idam" . Rama stayed at Ramapuram and worshipped Shiva. Maappadugai is not a small village but it is divided into Keezha Maappadugai and Mela Maappadugai. There are Shiva temples at both these places, the one at Keezha Maappadugai (Sundareswarar Temple) is undergoing renovation. The other one at Mela Maappadugai has a temple dedicated to Sri Chandrasekara. The former temple seems to be of ancient origin.

Sri Swayambunathaswami Temple at Cholanpettai belongs to Chola period. The Dwara palas at the entrance of Swami Sannadhi are amazing. Since the Devi is called Abhirami, people refer this temple as Abhirami Temple. The Local children are taught Divine Hymns and are engaged in group singing. As the priest has to come from a nearby village, puja is being carried out only once in a day.

Sri Sundareswarar (Azhagiya Nathar) Temple in the other part of Cholanpettai is a big one. The deity is worshipped by PurushaMirugam ( whose sculpture is seen in the temple in the form of a Rishi with a long beard and his body is that of a Tiger(?) . Another place where PurushaMirugam has worshipped Shiva is ThiruMazhapadi,on the banks of the river,Collidam.

Since Sun God has also worshipped here, a 21/2 feet well carved sculpture of Surya is also installed in the Temple. Sheer Negligence has caused vast damage to the shrine. A portion adjacent to the front Mandapam has fallen down. Vimanam is engulfed with trees and shrubs that could collapse the structure at any time. The person who does the daily rituals stays near the temple and hopeful of early renovation. As this temple is not known to the outside world, very few visitors come here for worship and it is upto the locals to bring it to limelight.

The priest expects the "Balalayam" ceremony to be carried out before the end of the year. Only then the renovation work can be taken up to preserve this Historic Temple. As this place is close to Mayiladuthurai, initiative to mobilise support from philanthropists of the town can be taken up to focus attention on this dilapidated temple. A monthly visit organised by small groups from nearby towns can draw attention of people towards preservation of our rich Heritage.
We do not know the blessed souls for whom the restoration work is waiting to take off.

Pazhayarai Temples

It has been my desire to write elaborately on Pazhayarai,the Chola capital. Due to various constraints the wish could not be fulfilled through the blog. But then,I thought of presenting a brief sketch of the present status of the place where the Royal kings lived and built several temples which stand testimony for their faith and love towards art and culture. The place is not far away from the temple town of Kumbakonam. It can also be reached from Swamimalai and Thiruvalanchuzhi. When I took the journey from Thiruvalanchuzhi, all I could see was temples which were neglected over several decades, undergoing renovation.

Gopinatha Perumal temple is a huge temple that comes first in this route. Negligence of the first order has made the shrine pathetic. The sanctum is kept closed and we could not walk around freely due to the presence of vegetable growth. It may take 1-2 years to complete the work . Before entering Patteeswaram, we could see Kailasanatha temple at Pazhayarai Melthali , the reference for which can be seen in Thevaram Hymns. There are four ancient Siva temples in Pazhayarai,one on each side,namely, Keezh Thali (On East) MelThali(On West),Then Thali(On South) and Vada Thali (On North).The temple at MelThali is situated on a raised platform with no compound wall around it. The pooja is said to be performed only once in a day. The temple complex occupies a vast area with a collapsed Gopuram in front. The renovation work may be completed within a year and God alone knows how perfectly the job will be carried out. No work was in progress when we visited the site. Paucity of funds may be the reason for the grinding halt it has suffered.

Pazhayarai Vadathali is also undergoing Renovation, though lot of work remains to be taken up. Weeds can be seen in the unfinished Rajagopuram. We could remove some plants from the structure from a reachable distance. It requires volunteers and support from wellwishers. The Lord is sung by Appar in his Thevaram. Appar observed fast on seeing the temple under the clutches of jains that kept the temple closed. His act inspired the king to open the temple for regular worship. There is a statue of Appar in sitting posture on the outer prakaram. People who throng the temple at Patteswaram should also visit this temple which is just 2km from Dhenu-pureeswarar /Durgambika Temple. The other two temples at Patteswaram and Thiruchatthi Mutram are in good condition and draw devotees from many parts of the state.

While the above mentioned temples are undergoing renovation, hare is another temple of Chola period under ruins at Korkai , some 3km from Patteswaram. Brahma Gnanapureeswarar temple will bring tears to those who witness the present status of the great shrine. In the absence of compound walls, the outer prakaram is open for cattles to enter freely. The legend says that the Lord has been worshipped here by Brahma,Moon God, and Gorakka,a Siddha. The sculptures of Ganapathi,Dhakshinamurthi, Ardhanaareeswara and Durga on the Goshtas are outstanding. The front hall of the sanctum presents wonderful scuptures of Subramanya,Kiratha Murthi and Adhikara Nandhi with His Devi. Nandis facing Siva and Devi have a common shelter which is a rare sight.

The Granite structure above the Sanctum and the front Mandapam are threatened by wild growth of trees . Their thick roots have gone deep inside and created wide gaps at many places. Devi shrine,though small, is damaged everywhere. Pooja is done once a day when the priest arrives in the afternoon from Kumbakonam. Hence it will not be possible to have dharshan of the deities due to non availability of the priest at this place except at Noon.

Although many people from outside have visited the temple and written articles in the magazines, no fruitful work has begun so far. An aged couple who live closeby and take active interest in lighting lamps and organising Pradosham etc wish the appeal for renovation should reach the right persons. Unity among the locals is essential for the outsiders to take up the job. I suggested them to form a Renovation committee with the formal approval of the Executive officer of the temple. May Lord BrahmaGnana pureeswara shower Gnana on everybody so that the shrine attains its old glory at the earliest.

Project Ends but Journey Continues

Exemplary behaviour is the key for success for those who involve themselves in the renovation and consecration of Temples. It demands lot of patience, hard work, sacrifice,dedication and unshakable faith. This blog brought out a feature on two such dedicated persons in the service of God in the last issue. The School Head from Pavattakudi had tremendous faith and the village temple was renovated in a record time and the kumbabishekam was conducted on Friday,27th August 2010. The pressure was too much on his shoulders as the temple was in dilapidated condition when I visited the site some three months back. He worked hard by aproaching the right people and started the work. The main vimanam had deep rooted trees and the whole structure had developed cracks at many places. It was not an easy job to bridge the gap without disturbing the structure. Yet he successfully conducted the whole process with lot of patience. Now the vimanam presents a new look after the removal of weeds. He had to strike a balance beteen his official work and family duties apart from sparing his time for such activities.

The whole village wore a festive look as Yagasala poojas were started on wednesday itself. This responsibility is inclusive of the ability to get the job done through various persons. A perfect coordination is required to carry out different tasks at the appropriate time. Hence it can not be an one- man show. The leader has to plan and execute things precisely .Any failure or delay may irk others and lead to criticism.

Manpower is a must to execute things in the right direction. It will be more difficult in small villages if proper support is not provided. Shortage of funds will be there until the final stage and it is not uncommon to see people running from pillar to post to mobilise funds at the last hour. With all these challenges, Kumbabishekam at Pavattakudi was carried out in a modest way without compromising anything that is prescribed for the function.

The real challenge follows only after the great event. It is all about arranging funds to carry out the daily poojas for which little thought is spared by the villages. As far as the priest is concerned,it will be back to square one once the Mandalabhishekam is over. This temple requires atleast 4 ltrs of oil and milk to conduct abishekam for all deities. With the current price of oil, approx. Rs 400 is required for oil alone every day. Since oil needs to be applied to harden the ashtabandana paste that binds the deity with the base, this expenditure can not be avoided. Then comes the Priest's salary. The villagers with the help of outsiders have to arrange for a regular monthly income for the priest who is fully dependent on the only source . Hope the organisers will plan accordingly to generate a reasonable income for him. However,the temple authorities have pleaded for a contribution of Rs 400 per person everyday to conduct the Mandala pooja.

The Lingam brought from the temple tank is installed in the prakaram without any shelter at present. A separate shrine for Sri Subramanya needs to be built on the outer prakara as nothing is there in its original place.Our Sabha has come forward to share nearly half the cost for raising the structure. As there is no compound wall around the temple, the Executive officer of the temple was requested to arrange for the same by getting grant from HR&CE dept.

It is equally important for people who left the village long ago to continue to contribute liberally to maintain the temple and visit the temple periodically which will inspire the locals to join the good cause. Though the project has come to an end, plans for maitaining the temple and carrying out regular poojas are to be framed immediately when the enthusiasm is high among the locals. It will be yet another historic journey for the temple in the process of handing it over to the next generation.

Selfless Service

We come across many magazines,doing business under the cover of Culture. Their true color gets exposed only when we send articles and photographs of neglected temples that cry for immediate attention.These publishers never bother to accept the articles unless they are introduced by an influenced person. Even though the writer does not expect anything in return, he is simply ignored. I am reminded of the statement of a novelist that publishers are ready to print even his laundry bill. The only advantage of writing to these magazines is that it would attract large section of the people.Finally the writers ,who are already dumped by the publishers,get another platform in the name of Google. By uploading the photos to your blog you can present a clear and true picture of the story.At the same time you can project the services of some people who deserve better recognition.This post aims to introduce the meritorious and selfless services of two gentlemen whom I met recently.

Udayavar Theeyanur is a tiny village in Pazhuvur Mandalam. Pazhuvur is now divided into Mel Pazhuvur and Keezhapazhuvur. Pazhuvettaraiyars ruled the region and stood like pillars for the safety and security of Chola Dynasty. After the Great war with Pandyas in 880 A.D., at Thiruppurambiyam,near Kumbakonam, Aditya I established the Chola Kingdom and his son Paranthaka I expanded it. We come to know about Pazhuvettaraiyars until the rule of Rajendra I . They had constructed many temples in this region during this period. I had the opportunity to visit Theeyanur,some 20 km away from Ariyalur/Pazhuvur. The gentleman who took me to this place hails from this village. A Chola period Shiva temple in this village requires renovation at the earliest . My friend who works in Bangalore visits this place everyweek amidst his busy work at his office.In fact he worked even after midnight on that day and started at 3 A.M. and drove straight to Chennai to meet someone in connection with the renovation work.I joined him in the after noon and reached his place around 7.30 p.m . We visited the temple on the next day .

The entrance does not have a Raja gopuram. The temple is also not very big in size. Luckily the compound wall shows only minor damages.The vimanam which stands on granite has plant growth at many places. Ganapathi shrine on the prakara is damaged in the front and needs to be reconstructed.Levelling of the Prakara remains to be carried out. The Six faced Subramanya is a delight for the worshipper. Since the Sage Jamadagni(Father of Parasurama) worshipped Shiva here, the main deity in the Sanctum is called Jamadagneeswarar. The Goddess is named as Amrithaambikai.The villagers are very eager to see the Temple attaining its past glory.A dedicated team of about ten villagers wear a T-shirt (in which the names of the God and Goddess are written) extend help in all possible ways.One can rarely see such a dedicated team in villages.I should commend my friend who made this possible.I think all philanthropists should come forward to encourage this young man. I can never forget the innocent men who involved themselves in the glorious work. Our Sabha wanted to encourage and assist the team in a small way by donating paint for the entire temple. Since we went by car we could carry a boot full of paint tins.

Paavattakudi is another place where a Shiva temple needs renovation urgently.It is situated about 20 km south of Mayiladuthurai, on Kollumaangudi-Karaikkal road. There are no signs of compound wall and we can see lot of encroachments in the temple land. I was invited to visit this temple by a gentleman who works as a HeadMaster in a nearby school. He is an ardent admirer of Sage Agasthya.The sanctum built in granite has a vimanam made of bricks.The East facing shrine has a Tank(Agasthya Theertham) in front. Chola inscriptions are seen on the outer walls of the sanctum. A smiling Dhakshinamurthi is seen on the south Prakaram . All other Deva- koshtams are empty. Deep rooted plants pose threat to the aged structure.

The Lord is known as Sundareswarar and the Goddess as Sivakamasundari. Shrines for Ganapathy and Subramanya might have collapsed long back and there are no signs of them now although the deities are protected and kept inside the temple. Though a lot of work needs to be undertaken, my friend ia going ahead with the desire to conduct the Kumbabishekam in the last week of August. Foundation work for the Ganapathi shrine is likely to be taken up this week .

There is also a totally ruined Vishnu shrine nearby. Only the damaged portions of the compound wall is remaining. My friend has made a temporary shelter to house the Vishnu,Sridevi,Boodevi idols inside. The foundation work is over for the sanctum where these idols will be shifted. But it appears to take a very long time due to paucity of funds.

As I wanted to bow before his dedication and commitment, I handed over our Sabha's contribution as a token of our humble gesture towards the reconstruction of Sundareswara temple.