Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple / ஸ்ரீ ரங்கநாதசுவாமி கோயில் A Rock cut cave Temple at Namakkal, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu.

27^th July 2017.

After the darshan of Sri Narasimha Swamy temple, we tried to visit this Ranganathaswamy temple. We were told that the temple was closed after the afternoon pooja and would be open after 17.00 hrs. So we planned to visit this cave temple before leaving Namakkal.

  

Moolavar : Sri Ranganathaswamy.

Thayar    : Sri Mahalakshmi

Some of the important details of this temple are…

The temple faces east with a height of 100 steps from the ground level. Dwajasthambam, balipeedam, and Garudalwar are at the front. Thayar Sannidhi was built at a later stage on the right side of the cave.

ARCHITECTURE

The sanctum has three cells rectangular in shape,  in which Vishnu is reclining on a serpent bed in Anantasayi form. The cells have 2 pillars and 2 pilasters.  A large number of celestial and attendants stand, dance, and sit around. Unusually this serpent is not Adisesha but Karkodakan. On the top of the panel, we can see Surya, Markandya, Narada, Tumburu, and Brahma sitting in the lotus which comes out of Vishnu’s navel, while celestial comes out of the clouds. Madhu and Kaitabha two demons who came out of Vishnu and danced at his feet

On the left of this cave temple, the vamana relief has been repeated. Facing him is the Sankaranarayanar Harihara. The casual standing figure of Narasimha on the adjoining wall has nothing to do with the theme of this panel.

On the right side is the Thiruvikrama panel in which Vamana (dwarf) avatar of Vishnu describes the event of King Mahabali gifting 3 footland to Vamana without listening to his guru Shukracharya. His right leg is up showing the sky as the second step and Bali’s head as the third step.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

Though this cave temple resembles the architectural style of the Pallava dynasty, but belongs to the 8th Century Adiyaman rulers of the Kongu region. The inscriptions found on the walls describe the Ranganatha temple as “Atiyanaatha Vishnu graham”, a shrine built by the Atiya King Gunasila.

Another inscription refers to the Adityendra Vishnu graham and to the Atiya Kula.

An inscription found on the main sanctum which contains the image of Vishnu as Anantasayi, refers to the shrine as Sayya Griham ( Sayana Giraham).

These inscriptions at Sri Ranganatha Perumal Cave temple, are recorded in Salem – Namakkal Mavatta Klavettukkal. (சேலம் நாமக்கல் மாவட்டக் கல்வெட்டுக்கள் )

கோவில் சுவரில் காணப்படும் 5 துண்டுக்கல்வெட்டுக்கள். ஒரு கல்வெட்டில் 13 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு திருபுவன சக்ரவர்த்திகள் என்று ஆரம்பிக்கின்றது. கோயிலுக்கும், கோயில் பணியாளர்களுக்கும் மலைமீதுள்ள வேதபெருமாள் கோயிலின் திருமடைப்புறமாக உள்ள நிலம் இறையிலியாக கொடை அளிக்கப்பட்டதைப் பதிவு சென்கின்றது. அதில் திருப்புல்லானிநாதர், மாதவன் திருவாலிநம்பி மற்றும் உத்தம நம்பி ஆகிய கொடையாளிகளின் பெயர்களைப்பதிவு செய்கின்றது.

A Thirubhuvana Chakravarthikal’s 13^th Century  5 pieces of fragment Inscriptions, record the gift of land and the servants of this temple. A Land was gifted to Vedaperumal on the hill of Thiruvaraikal, as irayili. The Land was on the side of Thirumadaipalli. The inscriptions mention the Donor names Thiruppullani Nathar, Madhavan Thiruvali Nambi, and Uthama Nambi  

கோயிலின் நடுசுவரில் உள்ள மூன்றாம் இராஜராஜனின் 30 ஆம் ஆட்சியாண்டு ( 1246 CE ) கல்வெட்டு வேதநாயகப் பெருமாளுக்குப் பவித்திர மாணிக்கபுரத்தில் நிலம் புல்லை வேட்டுவரில் நாற்காவேரி நாடாழ்வான் தேசி ஆளப்பிறந்தான் மும்முடி சோழசக்ரவர்த்தியான அங்கராயன். கல்வெட்டு முழுமை பெறவில்லை.

The Rajaraja-III’s 30^th reign year ( 1246 CE ) inscription on the center wall of the shrine is incomplete. This inscription records the Gift of Land by Pullai Veettuvar Narkaveri Natazhvan Desi AlapiRanthan Mummudi Chozha Chakravarthy alias Angarayan. The land was situated at Pavithra Manickapuram. 

But most of the people including Bhattar tell us that the caves were excavated during the Pallava Period, which is wrong. This cave belongs to the 8th Century Adiyaman rulers of the Kongu region. The front mandapas were extended during the Vijayanagara Period at a later stage.

Ref:

Salem – Namakkal Mavatta Klavettukkal. ( சேலம் நாமக்கல் மாவட்டக் கல்வெட்டுக்கள் ).

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

The temple will be kept open between 07.30 Hrs to 13.00 Hrs and 16.30 Hrs to 20.30 Hrs

CONTACT DETAILS:

Official web Site

http://www.namakkalanjaneyartemple.tnhrce.in/ & http://namakkalnarasimhaswamyanjaneyartemple.org/history.html

Contact landline and mobile numbers are +914286 233999 and +91 0443826099

HOW TO REACH:

Bus facilities are available from major cities of Tamil Nadu.

The temple is about a km distance from the Bus stand and a lot of shared autos are available from the arch.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE:    CLICK HERE

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---