Tuesday 13 September 2016

An Aspidal Vishnu Temple / Sri Varadharaja Srinivasa Perumal Temple at Vandalur, Chennai District, Tamil Nadu

 10th September 2016.
This Heritage visit was arranged  through R.E.A.C.H Foundation for it’s Epigraphy students by Mr Ramanath on 10th September 2016. Though it was not a planned visit, 19 heritage enthusiasts in their car and motor cycles participated. I was fortunate  to hear the history, architecture and inscriptions of Chozhas and Pallavas once again from Mr Ramachandran Sir and Mr Vakula Varadharajan after a long gap. We had covered Madambakkam, Sri Dhenupureeswarar, a Chozha Period Shiva Temple, A Buddha Statue at Ottiambakkam, Nandhiwaram Sri Nandeeswarar a Nandhivarman, pallava period temple and a Pallava period and reconstructed during Vijayanagara Period Gajaprishta / Gajabirushta sanctum Sanctorum Perumal temple at  Vandalur.


Sri Varadharaja srinivasa Perumaal Temple, at Vandalur Chennai District. / AN ASPIDAL VISHNU TEMPLE AT VANDALUR, CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU.

A continuation to the previous post …..
The temple is immediately after the Vandalur over bridge towards Padappai via Manimangalam. Even though  the deity is Maha Vishnu, as per the inscription the temple must be a Shiva Temple. 

Moolavar   : Sri Varadharaja Srinivasa Perumal
Consort     : Sri Mangalambigai

Some of the salient features of this temple are.....
The temple is facing east with a Deepa sthambam / vilakkuthoon and Garudan sannidhi. Moolavar Sri Varadharaja Srinivasa Perumal is on a pedestal. The Koshtas are empty without any images.


ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of Sancum Sanctorum and  ardha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is is of Gajaprishta style up to prastaram on a pada bandha adhistanam with three patta kumudam on a lotus pedastal. The Brahmakantha pilasters are shown on the Bhitti with kalasam, kudam, mandi, palakai and Pothyal. The prastaram consists of Valapi, Kapotam with nasi kudus and Vyyalavari. The brick ekatala nagara vimana is over the Gajabrushta sanctum Sanctorum was built at a latter date.
 

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The inscriptions belonngs to Vijayanagara period ie. 17th century and as per Mr Ramachandran may belong to 1520 CE. The original temple may be constructed during Pallava period and reconstructed during Vijayanagara Period. During reconstruction, the athistanam stones are not kept in their original position, hence the continuity of the inscription is lost. Vandalur was the ancient Vandainagar during Chozha period which is referred in “Kalingathuparani”. 

The 17th century Vijayanagara King Maha Mandaleswara.... period  inscriptions, records the endowment of Pooja and burning a sandhi / day light lamp at this temple in Vendalur - வெண்டலூர். For the same 2005 Kuli land was gufted to this temple. The inscription confirms an earlier grant of land for the daily worship and the burning of a day / sandhi lamp.

The inscription’s ompadaikilavi / curse is in two parts. One part mentions that obstructing this endowment will be equivalent to the sin of killing of a cow on the banks of River Ganga and Killing of their mother and father. The second part is so strong that, obstructing this endowment, will be equal to the sin of sending  their wife to the person who burns the dead body ( Vettiyan ) and to the umbrella holder.

The inscription  traced by Dr Gift Siromoney  (click here ) is written wrongly in the website, as per Mr Ramachandran Sir.





An inscription srtone is missing --so the continuty of the inscription is lost
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE







--- Om SHIVAYA NAMA :---

1 comment:

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