Trinity's Houses in Thiruvarur

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 16 Aug 2010, 17:11

Have planned to visit Thiruvarur this week end, request rasikas to provide the exact address of Trinity's houses in Thiruvarur. I love to visit these houses. If this topic is alreday discussed in this Forum, a link may pl be provided.

Thanx in advance.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 16 Aug 2010, 23:18

vsm:
ThiruvArUr is a small town. When you get there by bus or train, take an autorickshaw and go to the temple straight. The houses of the trinity are around the temple streets (formerly called agrahAram). The temple priests should be able to direct you. Anyway you would be checking into a hotel and take shower before you go to the temple. Even the hotel manager will be able to tell you where to go.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 16 Aug 2010, 23:52

vs_manjunath wrote:Have planned to visit Thiruvarur this week end, request rasikas to provide the exact address of Trinity's houses in Thiruvarur. I love to visit these houses. If this topic is alreday discussed in this Forum, a link may pl be provided.
.

Check my post here in this link
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic. ... ur#p157935
If possible please upload photographs or better yet video clippings. It is a very nice place all the houses stones throw away from the kamalAmbA temple .

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Aug 2010, 01:46

rajeshnat:
Isn't it more commonly known as Thyagaraja temple (rather than kamalamba temple)? We don't call naTaraja temple as sivakami temple, do we? or even mInAkshi temple as Sundareswara temple--right?

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 17 Aug 2010, 04:44

mahakavi & rajeshnat- Thanks for info. Have planned to stay in Kumbakonam for 4 days. Would love to cover as many temples as possible. May be each day I will take one direction.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Aug 2010, 05:40

That is a good central location. You go towards Mayuram one day, towards Tiruvarur another day, towards TiruvaiyARu and ThanjAvUr another day, and keep the 4th day to cover those missed. Actually the 4th day could be used for going beyond Mayuram, such as sIrgAzhi, vaidIswarankoyil, tiruveNkADu,tirunaLLARu, tirukkaDaiyUr, Cidambaram, and tiruppungUr (vazhi maRaittirukkudE, and saTrE vilagi irum piLLAy fame). You still may have to rush through some of them in the limited time you have. Remember all the temples close between 12 noon and 4 PM. That period can be utilized for lunch and a pleasant nap so that the afternoon/evening trip may not be tiring.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 17 Aug 2010, 15:33

mahakavi wrote:rajeshnat:
Isn't it more commonly known as Thyagaraja temple (rather than kamalamba temple)? We don't call naTaraja temple as sivakami temple, do we? or even mInAkshi temple as Sundareswara temple--right?

Yes you are right kamalAmbA is only a shrine there , most of locals there only refer as thyagarajA temple . But since musically kamalAmbA navaavarna krithis are famous,few of us call that way too

. But as such you are right it is only thyagarAja temple.

But however while mayuranAthar temple in mayavaram is what books name it and publish, every one inclusive of most locals there refer as only avayAmbAL periyA kOiL . I guess nomenclature is localized with families and locals , and changes too...

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 17 Aug 2010, 15:44

vs_manjunath wrote:mahakavi & rajeshnat- Thanks for info. Have planned to stay in Kumbakonam for 4 days. Would love to cover as many temples as possible. May be each day I will take one direction.

My suggestion is bit late , but you can still try. Try staying for 2 days in kumbakonam and stay in another hotel for 2 days in mayavaram. That way you can cover more temples , as mahakavi stated with all temples closing between 12 and 4pm coming back to hotel in afternoon will give you more chance to cover more and take rest.Your leg aches going around different temples.

Use this map http://www.marskarthik.com/navagraha.html . It is very useful.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 17 Aug 2010, 16:26

Manjunath,

Wish you a happy , temple hopping pilgrimage in Tiruvarur and nearby towns/villages.

Please find below a picture of the Gopuram of the Thyagaraja Temple and a view of the huge temple tank in Tiruvarur.!

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 17 Aug 2010, 17:17

mahakavi;rajeshnat;Cienu- Thank U so very much for your inputs.
Cienu- Thanx for your Excellent Photos.
mahakavi & rajeshnat- I will plan as both of u have suggested.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Aug 2010, 19:36

rajeshnat wrote:
But however while mayuranAthar temple in mayavaram is what books name it and publish, every one inclusive of most locals there refer as only avayAmbAL periyA kOiL . I guess nomenclature is localized with families and locals , and changes too...

I don't disagree with that. Given the predilection of most people to pray to their favorite deity and given the so-called compassion inherent in the mother towards her children (while the father is much more inquisitively discerning, if not dispassionate) the devotees think the way to attain their wishes is to approach the mother goddess. Hence they go to the abhayAmbA, mInAkshi, kamalAmbA, dharmasamvardini (although it is panjcanadIswarar/ayyArappan temple) temples.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 17 Aug 2010, 21:28

I have a book titled "Pavithra Kshetragalu" a kannada translated book of the Tamil book " Thirumurai Tharangal" which contains almost all Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. This is a fat book having around 1900 pages. Thiruvarur is explained for more than 10 pages. I have visited Navagraha Temples,Panchalinga Kshetrams, Thiruvaiyar & Tanjore( Brihadeeswara & Bangaru Kamakshi) Temples. This trip is to visit Thiruvarur,Saraswathi & Lalithambikai Temples as a starting point, followed by other major/minor temples.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 17 Aug 2010, 22:36

vsm:
OK, you really did your homework. So the only thing to do is to make the best use of your time while you are there. You said you visited navagraha temples, tiruvaiyARu, and ThanjAvUr temples. I will give you a list of temples and you can pick and choose from them.
1. KumbankONam itself has kumbeswarar, sarangapANi (the favorite deity of mathematics genius Ramanjujan---he lived in the same street as the temple) temple, Ramaswamy temple, cakrapANi temple---not to miss. Oppiliyappan koyil in tirunAgEswaram. ThiruviDaimarudUr temple (mahalingaswami temple---MD's famous kriti), tirunaRaiyUr (nAcciyArkoyil), UttukkADu, KoottanUr (saraswati temple). The last one can also be reached easily from Mayuram. Also tiruchengATTAnguDi (vAtApi GaNapati fame).
2. Mayuram: mayUranathar temple, vaLLalAr temple on the banks of kAvEri, sIrgAzhi (gnAnasambandar birthplace---the famous divine milk feeding sthalam), vaidIswarankoyil (MuttukkumAraswami ---the deity who gave the boon of a long-awaited son to Ramaswamy Dikshitar), tiruppungUr (I mentioned it already), Cidambaram (naTaraja as well as gOvindaraja), tiruveNkADu (agOramUrthy--you may have gone there before), tirukkaDaiyUr( mArkaNDEya and kAlasamhAra murthy and abhirAmi bhaTTar fame), tiru indaLUr, tErazhundUr,

There are several other divya dEsams in and around KumbakONam and Mayuram. You can visit the sites
http://www.trsiyengar.com/divya_desam.shtml
http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/english/DivyaDeshams.pdf
for more info if you like.

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 17 Aug 2010, 23:27

Manjunath: I do realise that you are interested in temples in the area. However, if you find time, do visit DARASURAM on the outskirts of KumbakONam and Gangaikonda sOzhapuram, not far from Kumbakonam. These two are under Geological survey of India and are open all day, if I am not mistaken. I did visit these two sites besides all the PanchubhUtha sthalms, as well as Chidambaram, sIrkAzhi, Vaideeswaran Koil, ThiruvArUr and Brihadeeswar temple in ThanjavUr during my visit to India in 2006. Some of the roads were horrible and hope they have been fixed in the interveing years. Have pleasant pilgrimage.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 18 Aug 2010, 03:56

Mahakavi- Which is the MD's song on Shiva @ Thiruvidaimarudur ??
Extremely happy to know that the great Indian Mathematician Ramanujam(by the by i am also a mathematician) stayed in the street where Chakrapani Temple is situated in Kumbakonam. Although I have visited all the famous temples @Kumbakonam, will love to visit once again.
SinceThiruvarur Temple is big, it's ideal to visit in the morning slot than @ 4 PM. Vaitheeswaran Koil(Kuja Kshetram) being part of Navagraha Temples have visited twice - I do know the famous MD's song in kalyani " Bhajare re Chittha Balambikam" made on this shrine. Thirukadaiyur & Uppiliyappan temple will see once more.
The "Vathapi Ganpathi " shrine is inside Thiruvarur temple itself, if i am not wrong.
Sundararajan- I love to visit Gangaikondacholapuram being constructed by son of Raja Raja Chola, I belevie it's a parallel temple to Brihadeeswara Temple @ Tanjore. Nacchiyar temple as well as Sri Rangam, i want to cover.
Staying in kumbakonam and visiting Sri Rangam may take lot of travel time. It may be better to shift to Tanjore for a day and cover Srirangam. Has any one visited the famous " soundara rajan " temple at Nagapattinam ?, i am attracted to visit this shrine due to the famous krithi of MD in Brindavana Sarangam.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 18 Aug 2010, 04:35

On tiruviDaimarudUr MD wrote 3 kritis on MahAlingEswara
1. mahAlingEsvarAya (aThANA)
2,. mahAlingEshwaram (paras)
3. cintayE mahAlingamUrtim (paras)
tiruviDaimarudUr (tiru + iDai + marudUr) is also known as madhyArjunapuri. This is the middle (iDai) stalam which has a maruda tree as the vriksham

To read about Ramanujan pl visit the following URLs. The first two are my articles.The third is a historical/academic account by a Japanese author.
Ramanujan lived in SArangapANi koyil street (not CakrapANi koyil).
http://chennaionline.com/Columns/Notes- ... 105830.col
http://chennaionline.com/Columns/Notes- ... 040717.col
http://www.ams.org/notices/200606/fea-ono.pdf

>>The "Vathapi Ganpathi " shrine is inside Thiruvarur temple itself, if i am not wrong.<<
There is a vAtApi gaNapati in TiruvArUr about which MD's song is written. But it is historically known that the originalvAtApi gaNapati statue was brought by the Pallava commander-in-chief (who became a Shiva servitor--nAyanmAr in Thamizh) who took up religion seriously in his native village tiruchengATTAnguDi where he established the gaNapati statue. Pl visit that village temple. It is between Kumbakonam and Tiruvarur.

As for gangaikoNDa sOzhapuram, it is really a marvel comparable to Thanjavur temple. It was constructed by Rajendra sOzhan who wanted to excel his father's achievement. He did in one respect. Either the height of his temple is more than the Thanjavur temple or the lingam inside is bigger than the one in Thanjavur.

If you want to visit Srirangam you are better off going straight to Tiruchirapalli rather than Thanjavur. Staying at Tiruchirapalli you can visit mAtrubhUtIswarar temple (MD kriti you can recognize---shrI mAtrubhUtam in kannada) and the hill top temple for GaNapati right there. Srirangam is a short distance away across the river KAvEri from there. KAvEri must be in spate now. It is huge in that area.

Have a great time!

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Aug 2010, 06:49

The Durgai temple at Patteeswaram is one place you should visit.

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 18 Aug 2010, 10:42

SIimilarly Uppiliappan temple is a must visit temple for vaishnavites, some staunch vaishnavites even take a vow not to use salt after a visit to that temple. The prasadam served will be without salt GOBILALITHA
Almost every village or town in Thanjavur didt is associated with a musician's name , tiruvaduturai, Tiruveezzhi mazhalai, sembonnar koil, semmangudi,, thanjavur, to mention a few .

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 18 Aug 2010, 11:13

Oppiliappan = oppu+ili+appan
Lord Vishnu, who has no equal.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 18 Aug 2010, 19:37

PB:
Yes, nammAzhwAr sang that he is "oppili appan". But todate the Lord there is offered naivEdyam without salt and the prasadam is distributed to devotees. That relates to the legend when the little daughter (actually bhUmAdEvi incarnate) of a sage (mArkaNDEya) was to be given in marriage to the lord but the daughter did not know how to cook with proper amount of salt or something like that. The lord accepted her, it seems, knowing that and accepted her cooking (I think she cooked without salt).
If I remember right, there is a pit in front of the sannidi where people dump some salt thinking the lord would partake that. It is also considered a taboo to carry items (which have salt) inside the temple sanctum.

ksrimech (our resident authentic vaishnavite) can enlighten on the details.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 18 Aug 2010, 20:24

mahakavi wrote:On tiruviDaimarudUr MD wrote 2 kritis
1. mahAlingEsvarAya (aThANA)
2,. mahAlingEshwaram (paras)
tiruviDaimarudUr is also known as madhyArjunapuri

To read about Ramanujan pl visit the following URLs. The first two are my articles.The third is a historical/academic account by a Japanese author.
Ramanujan lived in SArangapANi koyil street (not CakrapANi koyil).
http://chennaionline.com/Columns/Notes- ... 105830.col
http://chennaionline.com/Columns/Notes- ... 040717.col
http://www.ams.org/notices/200606/fea-ono.pdf

>>The "Vathapi Ganpathi " shrine is inside Thiruvarur temple itself, if i am not wrong.<<
There is a vAtApi gaNapati in TiruvArUr about which MD's song is written. But it is historically known that the originalvAtApi gaNapati statue was brought by the Pallava commander-in-chief (who became a Shiva servitor--nAyanmAr in Thamizh) who took up religion seriously in his native village tiruchengATTAnguDi where he established the gaNapati statue. Pl visit that village temple. It is between Kumbakonam and Tiruvarur.

As for gangaikoNDa sOzhapuram, it is really a marvel comparable to Thanjavur temple. It was constructed by Rajendra sOzhan who wanted to excel his father's achievement. He did in one respect. Either the height of his temple is more than the Thanjavur temple or the lingam inside is bigger than the one in Thanjavur.

If you want to visit Srirangam you are better off going straight to Tiruchirapalli rather than Thanjavur. Staying at Tiruchirapalli you can visit mAtrubhUtIswarar temple (MD kriti you can recognize---shrI mAtrubhUtam in kannada) and the hill top temple for GaNapati right there. Srirangam is a short distance away across the river KAvEri from there. KAvEri must be in spate now. It is huge in that area.

Have a great time!

MK- Thanks for all u'r inputs.
Has any one sung the mentioned songs of MD ( One in Athana & one in Paraz) abt Mahalingam @ Thirividaimarudur. Request to provide Audio links for these songs by rasikas.
Secondly, The great mathematician Ramanujan's house in Sarangapani Temple street @ Kumbakonam - Can we visit ??
Once again, thanks for URLs abt u'r published articles as well as Japanese URL abt Ramanujan. Have taken print out, yet to read.

Punarvasu- Thanks for suggesting abt Patteeswaram.
Thanks once again for all the rasikas who have wished me to have a great pilgrimage in addition to giving lot of valuable info.

I still have another day to take the bus from B'lore.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 18 Aug 2010, 20:38

>>Secondly, The great mathematician Ramanujan's house in Sarangapani Temple street @ Kumbakonam - Can we visit ??<<

By all means! It was declared open by (former) president Abdul Kalam as a National Museum. It would definitely be a pilgrimage of another sort for you as a mathematician and a real humbling experience. It is such a small house (similar to one in which I grew up in Mayuram when I was 10 or so) in size but a lofty one in significance.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 18 Aug 2010, 20:41

vs_manjunath wrote: Secondly, The great mathematician Ramanujan's house in Sarangapani Temple street @ Kumbakonam - Can we visit ??

I have visited that house last year. It is open to public after sastra university funded the renovation and abdul kAlam inaugurated it and is now an international monument.It is vintage house and there are few lovely photographs at every place .

kssr · Post by **kssr** » 18 Aug 2010, 20:44

Pratyaksham Bala wrote:Oppiliappan = oppu+ili+appan
Lord Vishnu, who has no equal.

Also, called Uppiliappan= uppu +il +appan. Lord who does not take salt.

The sthala puranam goes like this. Vishnu asks for the hand of Bhoomidevi thaayaar from her father Markandeya Maharshi. The father said that she was too young and does not even know to add salt in her dishes. The lord pledged that he will from then on take food without salt! Also, He promised never to leave her side. Even today the lord never comes out without Thaayaar. Also, no salt. We can offer salt (an offering made near the Dwajasthambam)before entering the sanctum sanctorum. Excellent temple near Kumbakonam. Azhwar paadasthalam.

Also, in Kumbakonam itself you have great temples of Saarngapani, Chakrapani. Ramar - all large amazing Vaishnavaite shrines.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 18 Aug 2010, 20:47

vsm:
Here is another must read blogspot for you (on another MD kriti on brihatkucAmba --consort of MahalingEswara)
http://nadhasudharasa.blogspot.com/2008 ... nyasi.html

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 18 Aug 2010, 22:13

MK- Thanks for this link. I knew the existence of this song of MD, but never knew abt. the shrine. Glad to read the meaning of this song. I also have not heard the song.

Will also visit Ramanujan's house.

Will also love to visit "Kivalur" of "Akshaya Linga Vibho" fame.

Ponbhairavi · Post by **Ponbhairavi** » 20 Aug 2010, 02:36

A very late sugestion sorry. Pl visit Oothukadu just 15 km from kumbakonam, the home of the peerless tamil bard this small temple houses the kalinga narthana krishnan idol which is the inspiring deity of venkatakavi and also a marvel of iconographic art: viz the centre of gravity of Krishna dancing on the head of the Serpent -- ponbhairavi

smala · Post by **smala** » 20 Aug 2010, 02:42

vs_manjunath wrote:MK- Thanks for this link. I knew the existence of this song of MD, but never knew abt. the shrine. Glad to read the meaning of this song. I also have not heard the song.

Will also visit Ramanujan's house.

Will also love to visit "Kivalur" of "Akshaya Linga Vibho" fame.

manjunath, at nadasudharasa, scroll down and you will find a heavenly article with all the appropriate songs by Dikshitar at the relevant temples, sung and mentioned by the author who took a pilgrimage similar to yours, in about 4 days. I felt I was visiting all the shrines myself, while reading his sensitively written account.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 20 Aug 2010, 02:49

Ponbhairavi wrote:.... Pl visit Oothukadu just 15 km from kumbakonam, the home of the peerless tamil bard this small temple houses the kalinga narthana krishnan idol which is the inspiring deity of venkatakavi and also a marvel of iconographic art: viz the centre of gravity of Krishna dancing on the head of the Serpent -- ponbhairavi

I mentioned UttukkADu in my earlier post. The problem is to find time all at one stretch.
As for OVK he wrote excellent and scholarly kritis both in Thamizh and Sanskrit.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 24 Aug 2010, 22:15

We had an excellent pilgrimage covering around 30 temples which was covered in 4 days.
Day 1: Nachiyar Kovil; Sheranathan(5 Godesses- Sri Devi, Bhu Devi,Neela Devi & Cauvery);Thiruvarur(Visited Trinity's Houses);Thirunallar;Lalithambika & Saraswathi Temples

Day 2: Bhodendra Swamigal Matham;Kethu, Budha,Angaraka Kshetrams; Vana Durge; Suryanar Koil; Sukra Bhagavan Koil; Vanamutti Srinivasa Perumal;Sri Mangalambike sametha Sri Prananatheswara Temple(2000 years old)

Day3: 108 ShivAlayam (Ramalingaswamy - Papanasam);Brihadeeswara Temple; Thiruvaiyar; Thingalur(Chandiran); Swamy Malai;Patteswaram(Durgai Temple);Darasuram;Ramaswami & Sarangapaani temples(Kumbakonam)

Day4: Thirunageswaram; Uppliyappan Temple;Thiruvidaimarudur(Mahalingeswarar); Vrishabeswarar & KarkatakEswarar Temples;Alangudi(Guru);Srinivasa Ramanujan's House.

More details love to write later.
(PS: E & OE)

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 24 Aug 2010, 22:24

vsm:
Glad to know you had a good trip.
Alangudi (near Kumbakonam) is guru kshetram (not chandiran)
sheranathan--you mention only 4 goddesses. Who is the fifth one?
>>Sri Mangalambike sametha Sri Prananatheswara Temple(2000 years old)<<
What is the name of the village in which it is situated?

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 25 Aug 2010, 03:57

mahakavi wrote:vsm:
Glad to know you had a good trip.
Alangudi (near Kumbakonam) is guru kshetram (not chandiran)
sheranathan--you mention only 4 goddesses. Who is the fifth one?
>>Sri Mangalambike sametha Sri Prananatheswara Temple(2000 years old)<<
What is the name of the village in which it is situated?

MK- Thanks, I have edited the mistake.
sheranathan- fifth godess is sheranayaki;

Sri Mangalambike ................... : Thirumangalakkudi. Kshetra Puranam related to Minister not taking the permission from a chola king to construct this temple.King Orders chopping off Minister's head. Minister's wife prays in this temple and the minister gets back his life !
Thirubhuvanam is an additional temple in which the god is made up of : Lion's face;BIrd's wings;Human body;Horse's legs etc;- Sri Sharabheshwara Swamy is the God. Only temple having 4 different "Bhairavas"- one in each yuga.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 25 Aug 2010, 05:15

At Thiruvaiyar, we were so happy to have seen the " Panchaloha Sri Rama Idol" worshipped by Thyagaraja in the Samadhi itself. Thyagaraja's house is getting renovated. (Saint Thyagaraja's Panchaloha idol alongwith the Sri Rama's idol has been shifted to samadhi itself.)
Kanugontini song came to my mind while seeing the Rama;Lakshmana;Seethe & Anjaneya vigrahams.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 25 Aug 2010, 05:23

vsm:
Go ahead and write short reports about your experience at each temple and town. It would be a good armchair travelogue for everybody.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 25 Aug 2010, 11:36

MK- Can u pl list the MD songs on Kumbakonam kshetram. Kumbakonam has so many temples, I am sure MD would have made songs on all the major temples.

kssr · Post by **kssr** » 25 Aug 2010, 12:29

Quite a trip. Thanks for the write up.

>>(PS: E & OE)<<

If my memory serves right, the above abbreviation stands for "Errors and Omissions Excepted". Seems to have been used for "Errors and Omissions Expected"

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 25 Aug 2010, 18:02

vs_manjunath wrote:MK- Can u pl list the MD songs on Kumbakonam kshetram. Kumbakonam has so many temples, I am sure MD would have made songs on all the major temples.

vsm:
"Lord kumbhEshvara and Goddess ma.ngaLAmbikA are the presiding deities at the temple town of kumbhakONam, where there are a host of nice temples. We have the following dikSitar compositions: â€œkumbhEshvarENaâ€ (kalyANi, Adi), â€œkumbhEshvarAyaâ€ (kalyANi, mishra cApu) and â€œshrI ma.ngaLAmbikAmâ€ (ghaNTA, jhampa)."
Source: carnatica.net

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 25 Aug 2010, 19:32

MK: Thanks for this info.How abt. MD's songs on Sarangapani; Chakrapani & Ramaswamy Temples at Kumbakonam.
Although Mamava Pattabhirama(Manirangu) is supposed to have been made by MD while visiting Thyagaraja's house when Ramapattabhisekam was being celebrated, every one visiting Ramaswamy Temple & who is aware of the greatness of the above song loves to sing this song in this shrine.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 25 Aug 2010, 20:13

vsm:
I am not aware of any MD's kritis on vaishnavite shrine deities in KumbakONam. The maNirangu kriti, "mAmava paTTAbhirAma" was supposed to have been sung on Rama at the temple in pudu agrahAram (near tiruvaiyARu), if I am not mistaken.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 26 Aug 2010, 04:30

Many of the temples visited are very old( between 1500 years- 2000 years).
The pujas in these shrines have continued for a such a long time without any beak is really amazing ! One experiences positive vibrations as we enter these shrines. We totally forget everything and we enjoy the architecture of each temple. The dravidian temple architecture is so unique. Very big Gopurams welcomes us. In big temples, 4 gopurams one in each direction.
The number of tiers in each gopuram varies and the idols depicted in each gopuram are so many, this itself takes around 5 mins to understand. Most of the idols depicted are from our puranas.

The entrance gopuram architecture in Brihadeeswara temple is very different from the usual gopuram. This is in three horizontal tiers at different distances compared to vertical tiers in the traditional gopurams.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 26 Aug 2010, 07:00

The ThanjAvUr and GangaikoNDa sOzhapuram temples are unique in the sense the so-called rAjagOpuram (at the front portal) which is huge in most temples is not of prime importance in the Big temple as it is called. The usual style is to have a big rAjagOpuram and a small vimanam (crown structure) over the sanctum. But Rajarajan wanted something unique and he erected a huge one over the sanctum containing a massive lingam and the portal one small. It may also have other purpose behind it. If you noticed there was a moat at the front portal and around, now defunct. Perhaps the temple was meant to shelter an army in times of war with the moat serving as a first line defense. At any rate it is altogether a different arrangement even inside the temple compared to others. It is more a monument than a temple meant to be talked about for ages. There is also a beautiful garden (now park) adjacent to the temple which has some trees which are hundreds of years old including a banyan tree which is appropriately named Rajarajan. The Big temple is under the control of Archaeological Survey of India.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 26 Aug 2010, 16:40

The following links provide the photos of: Muthuswamy Dikshitar's birth place; Thayagaraja's birthplace( both @ Thiruvarur);Rama's idol worshipped by Thyagaraja; Panchaloha Statue of Thyagaraja; Thyagaraja's Samadhi ( all @ Thiruvaiyar)

http://rapidshare.com/files/415231914/B ... _of_MD.jpg

http://rapidshare.com/files/415232083/B ... garaja.jpg

http://rapidshare.com/files/415232192/Rama_Idol.jpg

http://rapidshare.com/files/415232260/S ... garaja.jpg

http://rapidshare.com/files/415232453/Thiruvaiyar.jpg

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 26 Aug 2010, 19:49

VSM, glad to hear you had a nice trip, and thank you very much for the account of your pilgrimage! The trip to the Trinity's houses is probably one all CM rasikas should take in our lifetimes.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 26 Aug 2010, 20:36

bilahari- I wll be extremely happy if this Post makes more & more rasikas to visit Trinity's Houses @ Thiruvarur.

kssr:

Shyama-Priya : Very enjoyable link @nadhasudharasa

Ponbhairavi: Definitely I would love to visit Oothukkadu and enjoy "Kalinga Mardhana Krishna". In fact, this Krishna i also like due to the famous Purandaradasa song " Adidhano Ranga adbhuta-dindali " in Arabhi.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 27 Aug 2010, 02:38

vsm:
No mention of Syama Sastry's house in tiruvArUr so far. Did you not visit it?

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 27 Aug 2010, 03:33

MK- I did visit Shyama Sastri's house.
Could not take the Photo as the film for the camera i could get only after visiting this house at Thiruvarur. I did feel very bad. As u know Digital Camera is the order of the day,in my own locality in B'lore i could not get a Film before starting and proceeded for the trip thinking that i can easily get one.

Even an ethist visiting any of the famous temples which i have visited, i am sure gets transformed to a beleiver in god!

My first temple was Nachiar Kovil. The size of idols baffled me. What a lovley attracting Gods & Godesses.

Usually in all major vaishnavite's temples i have visited, there will be a lot of activities in the temple. More devotees are visiting these shrines. In the very next Sheranathan's temple- Homam was being performed with a large congregation. This was on a Friday not a Saturday. The same was true in Uppaliyappan, Sarangapani & Ramaswamy temples.

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 27 Aug 2010, 15:15

vs_manjunath wrote:In the very next Sheranathan's temple- Homam was being performed

VSM, did you probably mean Saranathan (of tiruchcherai) ?

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 28 Aug 2010, 13:48

sridhar_rang wrote: VSM, did you probably mean Saranathan (of tiruchcherai) ?

Yes, It's Saranathan only. I had correctly written as Saranathan after hearing from the priest. But my wife corrected me after we were shown a a model of KIratam ( porobably made of clay)for the lord. My wife knows a little of tamil as she stayed in Madras for quite a number of years. So, I corrected as Sheranathan than Saranathan! In most of these temples we have purchased Tamil books which provide Kshetra Puranam. But, This will take some more time to start reading.