|
|
Temple Layout:
Rajarajeswaram, as the temple was named by its founder, fills
a large portion of the small fort (Sivaganga Fort), encircled
by moat on the east and west, the Grand Anaicut Channel (Putharu)
on the south, and by the Sivaganga Garden on the north. The temple
is entered by an imposing gateway on the east, on either side
of which stand two small shrine dedicated to Ganapathi and Mrurgan,
and further through another Gopuram 90 feet high. This way leads
into an outer court. A second and magnificent Gopuram further
leads into the main court in which the temple is built. The inner
court is about 500 feet long and 250 feet broad, is well paved
with brick and stone. The court is surrounded on all sides by
a cloister. The western and northern wings have Sivalingams consecrated
therein, and there are paintings over these walls depicting sixty-four
Nayanmars, sacred sport of Siva. The outer measurement of the
temple are 793 feet by 397 feet.
Main
Shrine:
The main shrine of Sri Brihadisvara, the Great God - a Sanskrit
rendering of the original Tamil name Peruvudaiyar- stands at the
western end of the main court. It comprises of five divisions
-
1. Garbhagriha or the Sanctum Sactorum and the corridor around
it
2. Ardhana-Mandapam
3. Maha-Mandapam with the open aisles
4. Stapana-Mandapam with the shrine of Sri Thyagarajar
5. Narthana-Mandapam for the temple paraphernalia and where
the servant wait; and
6. Vadya-Mandapam and portico for the musicians
Main shrine has three portals named Keralantakan, Rasarasan
and Thiru-Anukkan. These portals are guarded be Dwarapalikas
or the guardians of the gate. They are of huge proportions
and of exquisite workmanship. There are several sets of these
in the temple, seven of them 18 feet by 8 feet. they are all
monolith, and some instances are of very high artistic merit,
especially at the entrance at the entrance of Sri Subramanya
temple.
The Sivalinga of Sri Brihadisvara is probably the grandest
in existence. This image was originally called Adavallan (the
one who is good in Dance). Another name was Dakshina-Meru
Vitanken. Both the name occur in Thiruvisaipa as the names
of the deity at Chidambaram. This possibly indicates that
the Saiva creed derived its support at the time mainly from
Chidambaram. Rajaraja Cholan calls the image Rajarajeswaramudaiyar,
- The Lord of Rajarajeswaram. The tower over the shrine is
named Dakshina-Meru after the abode of Lord Shiva at Kailasam,
the Uttara-Meru.
|
|
Sri Thyagaraja, also called Vitankar, worshiped within a portion of
Stapana-Manadapam, is the patron deity of Cholas. The legend goes
that their mythical progenitor Chola Muchukuntan helped Indra against
the asuras, for which help, he was presented with seven images of
Thyagaraja, which he installed in the seven holy places of Thiruvarur,
Thiru-nagai-karonam, Thiru-kkareyil, Thirukolili, Thirumaraikadu,
Thirunallaru and Thiruvamur which are known as Sapta-Vitanka-Kshetras.
Rajaraja Cholan was a devout worshiper of Sri Thyagaraja at Thiruvarur
where he built this great temple; and, consecrated Sri Thyagaraja
at Thanjavur also, as a mark of his own piety and in commemoration
of the exploits of his celebrated ancestor.
The great Vimana is of the Dravidian style of architecture. It rises
to a height of abut 216 feet, a tower of fourteen storeys, finely
decorated with pilasters, niches and images of gods of the Hindu pantheon.
The basement of the structure which supports the tower is 96 feet
square. The sikhara or cupolic dome is octagonal in shape and crowns
the Vimana. The gilded Kalasa or finial, over it is 12.5 feet high.
It is believed the sikhara and the stupi does not throw on the ground.
The dome rests on a single block of granite, 25.5 feet square. Two
Nandis, each measuring 6.5 feet by 5.5 feet beautify each corner of
the stone which is estimated to weigh about 80 tons, and is believed
to have been conveyed to the top of the tower by means of a inclined
plane commencing from Sarapallam (scaffold-hollow), four miles north-east
of the city.
Sub Shrines:
Shrine of Sri Subramanya in the northwest corner, Shrine of Goddess
Sri Brihannayagi, Sri Chandeeswara Shrine, Shrine of Ganapathy, Shrine
of Nataraja in the north eastern corner, the colossal monolith figure
on Nandhi, the sacred bull, in the central courtyard and the Shrine
of Karuvurar
The Shrine of Sri Subramanya:
 |
The shrine consist
of a tower 55 feet high, raced on a base 45 feet sq., covered
with delicately carved figured, pillars & pilasters and
carried on along a corridor 50 feet long, communicating with
another mandapam 50 feet sq. to the east. Flights of steps
lead upto either side of the shrine but the principal entrance
is to the east. The walls of the pillared Manadapam are decorated
with the portraits of the Mahratta rulers. This shrine has
been pronounced to be "As exquisite a peace of decorative
architecture as is to be found in the south of India"
and "A perfect gem of carved stone work, the tooling
of the stone in the most exquisitely delicate and elaborate
patterns, remaining as clear and sharp as the day it left
the sculptor's hands". This shrine is not referred to
in the inscriptions, and cannot be contemporous to the main
temple. Its correct place in the evolution of Dravidian temple
architecture would be modern, giving it a date not earlier
than 600 A.D. and is popularly believed to be of the Nayak
period. Saint Arunagiriyar has three invocatory versus in
price of the Sri Subramanya in his Thirupugzhal. |
The Shrine of Goddess Brihanayaki:
This shrine is a later addition, constructed in the second year of
a konerinmaikondan-probably a later Pandya of the 13th century. It
is said the original shrine of the goddess, was located in the adjoining
Sivaganga gardens and was later removed to main courtyard of the temple
by the one of the Nayaks.
Dhwaja-Stambha:
In front of the main temple, stands a tall flag-staff (Dhwaja-Stambha),
the covering of which is cast in copper. The lower portion is encased
in a square piece and each of the four sides depict characteristic
Saiva figures.
The Shrine of Ganapathy:
The shrine is in the south western corner of the court and is of the
time of Sarfoji II. Seven images of Ganapathis are said to have been
set up by Rajaraja Cholan, 2 in the dancing posture, 3 seated comfortably,
and the remaining 2 standing.
The Shrine of Chandeeswara:
The shrine on the north central court is the only one put up contemporaneously
with the main temple. Chandeeswara is one of the 63 Saiva saints and
is considered to have been made the chief of Saiva devotees by Lord
Shiva. He is assigned a shrine and a honoured place in every Shiva
temple. He was looked upon as the manager of the temple. Any worshipper
visiting a Shiva temple has to appear at the Chandeeswara shrine before
leaving the temple premises and clap his hands evidently to satisfy
the God that he is not taking away any temple property with him.
Sri Dakshinamurthy Shrine:
Sri Dakshinamurthy sanctum, with image as originally enshrined in
one of the niches of the Vimanam, abutting the south wall of the main
temple and approached by a steep flight of 21 stone steps is distinctly
a later addition.
The Great Nandhi:
| The
Nandi within an elaborately worked Nayak Mandapam is massive
and striking. The Nandhi is 12 feet high, 19.5 feet long and
18.25 feet wide. The Nandhi is a monolith weighing about 25
tons and the stone is said to have come from a bed of Gneiss
at the foot of Pachaimalai near Perambalur. Another version
is that the stone was brought over from the bed of the River
Narmada in the north. There is a tradition that the Nandhi
is growing in size with the progress of time. It was feared
it might become too large for the Mandapam erected over it
and a nail was driven into the back of it, and since, its
size has remained stationery. Two portrait statuesques on
the front pillars of the Nandhi Mandapam are pointed out as
those of Sevappanayakan (the first Nayak ruler) and of his
son Achyutappa Nayak. |
|
Saint Karuvurar's Shrine:
Behind the main temple and under the shade of a neem and a mandarai
is a modern looking shrine, dedicated to a great Siddha, Karuvur Devar,
popularly known as Karuvurar. The Karur stalapurana narrates how the
saint helped Rajaraja Cholan in the installation of the great Brigadeeswara
Sivalingam in the sanctum sanctorum at the time of the consecration
of the temple. A place appears to have been assigned to him for this
reason, in the temple court. The saints Thiruisaippa lyrics, sung
in praise of this temple and is presiding Lord is a classic on the
subject and gives valuable information regarding the temple and its
shrines. Thursdays are held sacred for his worship and shrine attracts
large crowd of devotees.
The Frescos:
The Chola frescos painting discovered in 1931 by Mr.S.K.Govindasamy
of Annamalai University within the circumambulatory corridor Aradhana
Mandapam are of great interest. They are the first Chola specimen's
discovered. The passage of the corridor is dark and the enthusiast
finds the walls on either side covered with two layers of paintings
from floor to ceiling. Those of the upper layer are of the Nayak period,
as certain labels in Telugu characters mentioned the names of Sevappa
and Achyutappa and others. The Chola frescos lie underneath. An ardent
spirit of saivism is expressed in the Chola frescos. They probably
synchronised with the completion of the temple by Rajaraja Cholan.
Saivsm was at its height at that time and the Cholas were preeminently
of that faith.
|
|
