Monday 20 April 2020

Ekambareswarar Temple / Ekambaranathar Temple / Thammanur Sivan Kovil, Thammanur, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu.

15th March 2020.
The visit to this Ekambareswarar Temple, Thammanur was not a part of Shiva, Vishnu and Amman Temples Visit on the banks of river Cheyyar / Palar, scheduled on 15th March 2020. After Ilayanar Velur, Sri Balasubramanya Swamy Temple’s Visit, on the way to Chennai we came across this temple. Thammanur is in between Palar and Cheyyar, a tributary to river Palar.
 

Moolavar  : Sri Ekambareswarar
Consort    : Sri Kamakshi

Some of the salient features of this temple are....
The temple is facing west with a temple tank with a small entrance. The entrance arch is on the east side. Balipedam with Mayil vahana mandapa ( Peacock -Mayil is missing ) of Murugan / Kandhappar temple is after the entrance. Navagrahas are in the mukha mandapa of Murugan Sannadhi. The main Shiva temple  is on the north side of Murugan Temple. A Balipedam and Nandhi are in front of the main temple. The entrance to the main shrine is from south side with an open mukha mandapa. A sand stone vinayagar is kept in the mandapa.  Also the peacock vahana and Rishaba Vahana  in bad condition are also kept in  same mandapa. Vara Siddhi Vinayagar sannadhi is facing east on the south west of main temple. Sandikeswara is also in the prakara.

It was told that the Moolavar is made of sand stone and no abhishekam  is done. In koshtam Durgai, Brahma, Dakshinamurthy and Vinayagar. There is no image in the back side Koshtam.  Sri Kamakshi Amman is in a separate  sannadhi  in the mandapa  facing south with a stucco vimana.

ARCHITECTURE
The main temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, arthamandapam, a mahamandapam and a mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a simple padabandha adhisthana with tripatta kumuda. The prastharam is of kapotha style with nasi kood. A brick Ekathala vesara Vimana is on the sanctum sanctorum with Sala and karnakood. Maha nasis are on the sikaram. The stubi is also built with stucco.  A small bas-relief Panel of  Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Sukreevan can be seen on the east wall of Amman sannadhi

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
As per the iconography and construction of the main temple, the temple may be built during 12th to 13th Century  by latter Chozhas. The temple was expanded with mandapas during Vijayanagara / Nayaks period. Couldn’t trace any inscriptions.  

TEMPLE TIMINGS:
Since oru kala pooja is conducted, the opening and closing times are unpredictable.

CONTACT DETAILS:
Gurukkal Rajan may be contacted on his mobile +91 9629540348, for further details.

HOW TO REACH:
Kanchipuram to Ilayanar Velur Govt. Bus route no T-86 and a SRS Private bus passes through this Village.
The place Thammanur is about 5 KM from Walajabad, 21 KM from Kanchipuram, 27 KM from Chengalpattu Junction and 70 KM from Chennai.
Nearest Railway Station is Chengalpattu.

LOCATION: CLICK HERE






 Murugan / Kandhappar Sannadhi

 A Relief block at the entrance
 A pallava period Sandstone Vinayagar




 May be donor sculptures
 Vahanas
 Ramar, Lakshmanar, Hanuman & Sukreevan... ?
Mandapa pillar reliefs of Nayaks 
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

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