VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT

Thursday 5 October 2017

A 11Th Century period Chekku with inscriptions / Grinding stone with inscriptions, Kalrayan Hills, Salem district, Tamil Nadu.

1^st October 2017.

After Kariya Ramar Temple darshan, our next destination was to this Chekku chiseled on a rock at Chinna Mangodu village. This place is about 3 Km from Karumandurai a big place on Kalrayan Hills. This Chekku was chiseled on a rock near a Village temple and at present there is no village around this temple. It was told this chekku was used to grind ingredients for preparing food during temple festival times. Also it was told that this was used to extract oil. ( The technical details like the method adopted is not known )

ALTITUDE : 843 meters
LOCATION : 11.50.489 N & 78.38.217 E

This Chekku contains inscriptions belongs to 1027 CE, Rajendra Chozhan –I period. As per the inscriptions This Chekku was chiseled by Sadaya Thevan Anambikkan, of Chinnamangodu village in Sannatha vala Nadu, Venkattu Malathuravi Nadu. From this inscription it is evident that this Region was under the direct rule of Chozha Kings during 11^th century. The Details of the inscriptions are as follows…

ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ கோப்பரகேசரி வன்மராகிய
ஸ்ரீ ராஜேந்திர சோழற்கு திருவெழுத்
திட்டு செல்லா நின்ற யாண்டு பதினெஞ்சாவது
மிலாடானகிய சனநாத வளநாட்டு வெண்காட்டு
மாலத்துறவி நாட்டுச் சிறுமாங்கோடு சடய
தவனே அணம்பிக்கன் இட்டுவித்த செக்கு

The temple

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Wednesday 4 October 2017

Dolmens, Karkuvai, Neolithic Tools at Sembur, near Karumandurai, Kalrayan Hills, Salem District, Tamil Nadu.

1^st October 2017.

Our first stop of our Kalrayan Hills Heritage Visit was at Sembur near Karumandurai. The vans stopped near a Pillayar Koil, where neolithic tools are worshipped as Vinayagar / Pillayar. Mr Veeraraghavan and Mr Veerasami explained us the use of the Neolithic tools. It was told that these tools are used for both cutting flush of the animals and agricultural purposes. Also this was used for exchange of goods. It was also told that this neolithic tools are kept in Reserve banks of India as a proof for the exchange of goods. These tools are used till the evolution of Iron age and after that these tools became obsolete.

DOLMENS ( கல் திட்டைகள் )

Then we trekked a small hill, where the dolmens are located. These dolmens belongs to megalithic period. The remains of the human are kept in a pot called “muthu makkal thazhi” and buried here. Over which a structure is formed. The structure has three side walls and fourth side is kept open. The walls are formed with small stones stalked one on the other. Over the top of the 3 walls a stone slab stone panel is placed which serves as a cover or the roof. Except one or two most of the dolmens were disturbed. The local people calls this as kulla pandi veedu and they believe that short people lived in these structures. The locals also worships this place once in a year during 15&16 of Chitra Tamil Month. Also they advised us not to wear chappals while going near this dolmens. These Dolmens are at a height of 1107 meters from MSL

KARKUVAIKAL ( கற்குவியல்கள் )

This is another form of Dolmen. Instead of building wall and placing a cover slab, small, small stones are stacked one over the other to form a round gopura. We had seen three such Dolmens on the hill.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Tuesday 3 October 2017

Hero Sones / Sati Stones / Nadukarkal / Veerakallu / நடுகற்கள் and Komarikal, Kalrayan Hills, Salem District, Tamil Nadu.

1^st October 2017.

Hero stones are erected in remembrance of a person or persons for their bravery actions and died in the process, to save their crops /cattle from the wild animals, like Elephant, Tiger, pig, etc. Hero stones are also erected for the deceased who died in the process of fight between two groups, in a battle / war, etc,. The incident will be clearly chiseled on the stone slabs, how he was died in the form of relief. If the hero’s wife also died by jumping in her husband funeral fire, then her image will also be chiseled in the same stone and these type of stones are called as Sati Stones. Some of the Hero stones will have inscriptions, which describes the purpose for which this stone was erected with the name of the hero etc,.

நடு கற்கள் என்பது இறந்த ஒரு வீரனின் ஞாபகமாக நட்டப்படும் கற்களே நடுகற்கள் ஆகும். இவ்வீரன் வளர்ப்பு கால் நடைகள், தன் சக மனிதர்கள் மற்றும், விவசாய பயிர்களைக் காக்கும் பெருட்டு எதிரி குழுக்களுடனோ அல்லது காட்டு கொடிய விலங்குகளுடன் போரிட்டு அதில் இறந்தவரின் நினைவாக நட்டப்படுவது. அதில் அவ்வீரனின் செயலை சித்தரிக்கும் காட்சியை புடைப்பு சிற்பமாக வடிக்கப்பட்டு இருக்கும். அவ்வீரன் அணிந்து இருக்கும் ஆடை, அணிகலன்கள், சிகை அலங்காரம் தெளிவாக காட்டப்பட்டு இருக்கும். அவ்வீரனுடன் ஒரு பெண் இருந்தால், அவள் அவ்வீரனுடன் உடன்கட்டை ஏறிய மணைவியாக கருதி அதே நடுகல், சதிக்கல் என்று அழைக்கப்படும். சில நடுகற்கலில் அந்த நடுகல் யாருக்காக, எதற்காக, யாரல் எடுக்கப்பட்டது போன்ற விபரங்கள் எழுத்துக்களாக வெட்டப்பட்டு இருக்கும்

During this Kalrayan Hills Heritage Visit on 1^st October 2017, we had seen such hero stones in two places. During my earlier visit on 13^th August 2017, had seen the Pallava and Chozha Period Hero stones at Yezhupuli and Aathuvalavu at the base of the hill. This time we had seen a hero Sati stone at Aruna, a Hill Village near Karumanthurai,

KATTU PANDRI KUTHIPPATTAN SATI STONE – AT ARUNA, A TRIBAL VILLAGE IN KALRAYAN HILLS.

This 13^th century hero sati stone was erected for a person who fought with the wild pigs / boar and died in the process. His wife also died along with him in the funeral fire. The hero is shown holding a bow in his left hand and a knife tied on his hip. Three pigs are shown dead, with an arrow on one of the pig. The hero’s hair style with turban, the ear ring, ornaments around his neck and the half dress are clearly shown. The lady is with out top with hero’s similar hair style. Based on the hair style, the depth of the relief, this Sati stone may belongs to 13^th century.

இந்த சதிகல் தன்னுடைய விவசாய பயிர்களை அழிக்க வந்த காட்டு பன்றிகளுடன் சண்டையிட்டு அதில் மரணமடைந்த ஒரு வீரனுக்காக எடுக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு நடுகல். இந்த நடுகல்லில் வீரன் கையில் வில்லை ஏந்தியும், மூன்று பன்றிகள் அம்பு குத்துப்பட்டு இறந்து கிடப்பதையும் தெளிவாகக் காட்டப்பட்டு இருக்கின்றது. அவ்வீரனின் தலைமுடி அலங்காரம், அவனின் உடை, இடுப்பில் கட்டப்பட்டு இருக்கும் கத்தி, காதணிகள், கழுத்தில் அணிந்து இருக்கும் மாலை முதலியவை நன்றாக செதுக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது. மேலும் அரையாடையுடன் ஒரு பெண் உருவம் நின்ற நிலையில் வீரனுக்கு அருகே காட்டப்பட்டு உள்ளது. அது அவன் மணைவியும் அந்த வீரனுடன் உடன்கட்டை ஏறியதையும் குறிக்கின்றது. அதனால் இந்த நடுகல்லை பன்றிகுத்திப்பட்டான் சதிகல் என்று கூறுகின்றனர். இந்த நடுகல் அமைப்பை வைத்து ஆய்வாளர்கள் இதன் காலம் 13ம் நூற்றாண்டை சார்ந்ததாக இருக்கலாம் என்று கூறுகின்றனர்.

PALLAVA HERO STONE AT YEZHUPULI & CHOZHA PERIOD HERO STONES AT AATHU VALAVU

These Pallava and Chozha period Hero stones are found at Aathuvalavu and Yelupuli villages of the base of the Kalrayan Hills. Due to failure of light, could not take clear Photo during this visit. The photos taken during my previous visit are up loaded and the details are also posted in my blog.

Pallava Period Hero stone with Neolithic tools at Yezhupuli

Chozha Period Hero stone - Aathuvalavu

Chozha Period Hero stone Aathu Valavu

Chozha Period Hero stone Aathuvalavu

KOMARI STONES

We had seen two Komari stones with some symbols. It was believed that the cattle infected with decease are made to circumambulate this stone after a pooja to this stone, will get relieved from the decease.

Komari kal at Sembur

Komari kal at Kunnur

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Monday 2 October 2017

Sri Vedaranyeswarar Temple, Vedaranyam, Sri Parijathavaneswarar Temple, Thirukalar, Sri Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi - Paintings and Drawings on the Walls,

25^th September 2017.

During our Heritage Visit to Chozha period Temples, we had seen some very old paintings done on the walls and ceilings. Some of the paintings belongs to Vijayanagara and some are latter periods. Most of the temple mandapams and corridors were constructed during Nayak period.

VEDARANYAM – SRI VEDARANYESWARAR TEMPLE

These paintings are drawn on the walls of the prakaram. It was told that the granite walls are plastered with lime mortar and painted before the surface gets dried. These painting are very much similar to Thanjavur Periya kovil praharam walls. The materials may be of natural dye. The story of the Nayanmars are painted on the north side of the praharam wall. Also some of the paintings are done on the sanctum walls. ( The sanctum wall painting are covered with glass for protections, which was not done during my earlier visit. ) These paintings may belongs to Nayak’s period.

THIRUKALAR – SRI PARIJATHAVANESWARAR TEMPLE

The various forms of Lord Shiva were painted on the lintel beams of the front mandapam.

MANNARGUDI – SRI RAJAGOPALASWAMY TEMPLE,

Paintings with frames of Ramayana epic and 10 avatars of Vishnu are hanged on the 6^th and 7^th prakaram walls. These painting may be of 20^th century. Also Vishnu’s 24 forms are painted on the entrance ceiling of a mandapam. The ceiling paintings are much more difficult to draw compared to wall paintings. The material used for these paintings may be of chemical.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Sunday 1 October 2017

Sri RajagopalaSwamy Temple, Mannargudi, a Heritage walk on Ponniyin Selvan Meet 2017, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu.

25^th September 2017.

This Perumal temple was covered in the morning session before starting to the Ponniyin Selvan Meet at Thanjavur on 24^th September 2017, from Mannargudi, There is a proverb that the Mannargudi mathil azhagu.. ie the temple wall is beautiful. This temple is not comes under divya desam, but comes under abhimana sthalam. This visit was curated by Miss Abirami.

Moolavar : Sri Rajagopalaswamy,

Thayar : Sri Sengamala Thayar

Some of the important features of this temple are...

The temple is facing east with a 11 tier rajagopuram of 152 feet high. Stucco images are from 9^th tier. There are 16 gopuras and Vimanas in this temple. The west side entrance Rajagopuram has the stucco images from level 1, since the old Mannarkudi was on the west side. There are 16 pillar mandapam and a garuda thoon in front of the Rajagopuram.

Moolavar is in the 7^th prakaram, where as Thayar is in the 5^th prakaram. Moolavar is called as Vasudeva Perumal and Urchavar is called as Sri Rajagopalaswamy. The temple is called in the name of urchavar. The urchavar was unearthed from the temple pond and his leg will have a kink and this was due to hitting of the spade while digging the temple pond. Urchavar is along with Sridevi and Bhoodevi, Santhana Krishnan. People used to hold Santhana Krishnan and pray for their well being and child birth.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, artha mandapam and a mukha mandapam. There are 4 pillar, Vasantha mandapam and 1000 pillar mandapam. In the prakarams sannadhi for Yoga narasimhar, Thulasi madam, Kosalai, Manavala mamunigal, Hanuman, Venugopalaswamy, Anantha Padmanabhan and Lakshmi Narasimhar. Paintings of Dashavatara and Mahabharata are fitted in the 6^th and 7^th prakaram wall.

Thayar is in a separate temple like sannadhi with Dwajasthambam and balipeedam. Thayar is Sengamala Thayar and urchavar is Lakshmi Thayar. Thayar is called as “Padi Thanda Pathini”. Ie Thayar will not move out of the temple along with Perumal in any function.

Dhasavathara reliefs on a pillar

The contributors of this temple Sri Achuthappa Nayakkar, Vijayaraghava Nayakkar & Mrs Shenbaga Lakshmi

HISTORY & INSCRIPTIONS

The temple exists before Chozha period. From the inscriptions the place Mannarkudi was called as Rajathi Raja Chaturvedi mangalam and the temple was called as Kulothunga Chozha Vinnagaram.