The visit to Sri Ponnambalanathar Temple at Silattur
near Aranthangi was a part of the Shiva and Vishnu Temples of Pudukkottai and Sivagangai Districts Visit on 23rd
& 24th September 2023. The Sri
Ponnamabalanathar Temple is a Gajaprishta / Gajabrushta Vimana Temple, which is rarely available in the southern part of Tamil Nadu and is one of the
three such temples in Pudukkottai District.
Moolavar :
Sri Ponnambala Nathar
Consort :
Sri Soundarya Nayaki
Some of the salient features of this Temple are...
The temple faces east with an entrance arch.
The 5-tier Rajagopuram is under construction. Balipeedam, Rishabam, and Kodimaram
are in front of Mukha mandapam. The Donors' sculptures in Anjali hastam are at
the entrance of the ardha mandapam like dwarapalakas. Vinayagar and Murugan are at
the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum. In Kostam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy (sannidhi is in front of vimanam, maybe due to space constraints),
Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durgai.
In praharam Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena
Subramaniar, Chandikeswarar, Ambal, Bairavar, Navagrahas, Chandran, and Suriyan.
Ambal is in a separate sannidhi facing South. Ambal is in a standing posture with
abhaya varada hastam.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala,
ardha mandapam, and open mukha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistanam with vrutha kumudam. The adhistanam consists of upanam, padmam, kambu, Jagathy, padmam, kambu padmam vrutha kumudam, padmam, kandam, kambu, padmam, pattikai, padmam, and kambu. Kumbhalathas are in the antarala
portion. The bhitti starts with (kapota with small nasikudus) vedikai. The pilasters are with a square base
& Naga bandham, Vishnu kantha body, malai thongal, kalasam, kudam, lotus
petals mandi, palakai, veera kandam, and poo mottu pothyal. The prastaram consists
of lotus petals, valapi, kapotam, with plain nasi kudus and Chandra mandapam.
Yazhi vari is above the kapotam. The adhistanam is of Gajaprishta/ Gajabrushta style, and the
same is followed up to greevam. A vesara-style sigaram is above the greevam.
Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, and Brahma are in the tala kostas.
HISTORY
AND INSCRIPTIONS
The
sanctum sanctorum and ardha mandapam may have been constructed during the 13th-century Pandya period, and it resembles Chozha period temple architecture. The maha mandapam was extended by the Aranthangi Thondaiman Kings during the 15th
to 17th century, who ruled
this area independently and under Thanjavur Marathas, and the records are available from 1426 CE. From the copper plates, they call themselves "Aranthangi Kings". The 3 inscriptions
belonging to Jadavarman Veerapandiyan (1), Aranthangi Thondaimans (2), and the latter
period Ekapperumal Thondaiman (1) are recorded from this temple.
As per the Aranthangi
Thondaiman’s inscriptions, this place was called Sundarapandya valanattu mizhalai
kootrathu Silattur and Mizhalai Kootrathu Melkootru MeepampaaRRuNattu Thiru Koorungalur. During the Pandya period, this place was called Koorungalur- கூறுங்களூர், then as Chennilathur -சென்னிலத்தூர், and lastly as Silattur - சிலட்டூர். Shiva was called as, திருமிழலை நாட்டீசுரமுடைய நாயனார்- Thirumizhalai Naateechuramudaiya Nayanar, "Azhagiya Ponnambalanathar" and now called as Ponnambalanathar.
The first inscription - Jadavarman Veera Pandyan’s 16th reign year ( 1269 CE ) inscription records the
endowment of burning a Sandhya lamp at this Thirukkoorungalur Naateechuramudaiya Nayanar by Agamperur Kootrathu Pulakudi Veliyatrudaiyan alias Sundara Tholudaiyan Pattalakan. For the same, a ma land was gifted after the sale.
The Second Inscription - The 1492 CE Ekapperumal Thondaiman’s inscription was recorded by the Archaeology
Department in 1942 (published in the annual report). This 1492 CE inscription records the King's name as eka Perumal. This inscription records
Shiva’s name as Silattur Udaiya Azhagiya Ponnambalanathar. This inscription records the gift of land consisting of Najai & Punjai with trees, kulam, etc, as Thirunamathukani at "Nam Seermai - (நம் சீமை) alias Mizhalai Kootrathu Mel Kootrathu MeepampaaRRu Nattu .... Nalu Kottai paRRu Vaalaiyamanickam Puravil Thevangadi periphery limit (nangellai).
The Third inscription - This inscription is incomplete and belongs to 1684 CE. This inscription records the gift of land to .. Vellatran Sundara Pandya Valanadu Ilango nattu Aranthangi Brahmana Sri Ranga gurukkal's son Chidambaresura Gurukkal... Gurkkalukku Bhoomi dhanam of 440 Kuli field and one ma land....
The Fourth Inscription - The fourth inscription below kapotam - records as Aaraintha nadum arul Sennilathar nadum veeru Payil (The meaning is not known) - ஆரைந்தா நாடும் அருள் சென்னிலத்தார் நாடும் வீறு பயில்.
The Fifth Inscription ... records as Asaiya Thevan. (on the pedestal of the statue). Maybe one of the Thondaiman Kings who did the Thirupani.
One of the mandapa pillar inscription records as “Chidambaram Satha Sevai..” may be the person Chidambaram donated the pillar.
REF:
1. Thanks to கார்த்திக் ராஜேந்திரன், one of my
Facebook friends, for providing me with the details and the old photographs.
2 Inscriptional details from the book வரலாறு 8 ஆய்விதழ் 1998. The article on this temple was written by K Sridharan, an official of the Tamil Nadu archaeology department.
The open mukha mandapam was built with cement concrete in
recent years. The entrance arch was constructed and opened on 06th February 1995.
The bell was installed on 15th September
1970, and the same was gifted by Karunanandam Mahamayi. The temple is under the
control of the HR & CE department.
Pillar inscription
The Thondaiman's images and the left side image pedestal have the inscription "Asaiya Thevar."
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are
conducted on Pradosham, Maha Shivaratri, Vinayagar Chaturthi, Panguni Uthiram,
Thaipoosam, Amavasya days, etc.
TEMPLE
TIMINGS
The temple will be kept open from 10.00 hrs to
12.00 hrs.
CONTACT
DETAILS
Archakar Thiru Sethuraman’s mobile number, +91
9597005848, may be contacted for further details.
HOW TO
REACH
The temple at Silattur is about 100 meters from the Silattur bus stop, and Town buses are available from the Aranthangi Bus stand, every
1 Hour.
The temple is about 9.6 km from Aranthangi Bus
Terminus, 25 km from Avudaiyarkoil, and 42 km from Karaikudi.
The nearest Railway Station is Aranthangi.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
Suriyan and Chandran
OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
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--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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