Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi

Rajagopalaswamy Temple
Rajagopalaswamy Temple
Location in Tamil Nadu
Name
Tamil tamil
Geography
Coordinates 10°40′1″N 79°26′32″E / 10.66694°N 79.44222°E / 10.66694; 79.44222Coordinates: 10°40′1″N 79°26′32″E / 10.66694°N 79.44222°E / 10.66694; 79.44222
Country India
State Tamil Nadu
District Tiruvarur
Location Mannargudi
Culture
Primary deity Rajagopalaswamy(Krishna)
Architecture
Architectural styles Dravidian architecture

Rajagopalaswamy temple is a Vaishnavite shrine located in the town of Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, India.[1] The presiding deity is Rajagopalaswamy, a form of Lord Krishna. The temple is spread over an area of 23 acres (93,000 m2) and is one of the important Vaishnavite shrines in India. The temple is called Dakshina Dwarka (Southern Dwarka) along with Guruvayoor by Hindus.[2]

The Temple

The image of the presiding deity is 156 Feet tall. There is a big tank at the entrance of the shrine where rain water is collected. The temple complex has 16 gopurams (tower gateways), 7 prakarams (outer courtyard), 24 shrines, seven mandapams (halls) and nine sacred theerthams (temple tanks). The utsava (festival deity) is a bronze figure from the Chola period. It shows keshabanda type of coifure and restrained ornamentation, atypical of the Chola bronzes of the 11th century.[3] The temple tank is called Haridranadhi, 1,158 feet long and 837 feet broad (23 acers), making it one of the largest temple tanks in India[2][4]

History

The temple was first constructed by Kulothunga Chola I(1070-1125 A.D.), with bricks and mortar, indicated by various stone inscription found in the site.[5] The place Mannargudi is termed Sri Rajathi Raja Chathurvedhi Mangalam[6] and the town started to grow around the temple. Successive kings of the Chola empire, Rajaraja Chola III, Rajendra Chola III and kings of Thanjavur Nayaks, Achyuta Deva Raya[7] expanded the temple. The temple contains inscriptions of the Hoysala kings and some Vijayanagara grants, and many records of the later Nayaks and Marathas.[8] The Thanjavur Nayaks made the temple as their dynastic and primary shrine and made significant additions.[9] The current temple structure, hall of 1000 pillars, main gopuram(temple gateway tower) and the big compound wall around the temple was built by the king Vijayaraghava Nayak(1532-1575 A.D.).[5] Raghunathabhyudayam, a doctrine by Nayaks explains the donation of an armour studded with precious stones to the main deity by the king.[7] He erected the big tower in the temple so that he can view the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple from the top of Mannargudi. The Nayaks were specially interested in music and it was promoted in both the temples. Instruments like Mukhavina, Dande, Kombu, Chandravalaya, Bheri and Nadhaswaram were commonly used in the temple service.[10]

Festival

Panguni Thiruvizha is a festival celebrated during the Tamil calendar of Panguni(Mar-Apr) and is attended by thousands of devotees. The festival is celebrated for 18 days and the second day has the enactment of the famous story of Krishna taking away the dress of bathing females, the females requesting the clothes back and Krishna singing the flute.[2] The festival deity is placed in the pinnai tree, the branches of which are hung with garments and ornaments.[2]

For 2013 following is the schedule of the festival (only important days).

In addition to this, in the tamil month Aani(June–July), 'Theppothsavam'(Boating festival) is celebrated. While the 'Goddess' festival namely 'Adippooram', i.e. 'Chariot Festival is celebrated in the tamil month of Aadi(July-Aug).

Gallery

Rajagopalaswamy of Mannargudi

Notes

  1. ↑ Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu 2007 , p. 64.
  2. 1 2 3 4 South Indian Railway Co., Ltd 2004, p. 176
  3. ↑ T. 2002, p. 119
  4. ↑ M., Rajagopalan (1993). 15 Vaishnava Temples of Tamil Nadu. Chennai, India: Govindaswamy Printers. pp. 76–88.
  5. 1 2 S. 2009, pp. 3-7
  6. ↑ Imperial gazetteer of India: Provincial series, Volume 18, p.159
  7. 1 2 V. 1995, pp. 159
  8. ↑ Imperial gazetteer of India: Provincial series, Volume 18, p.137
  9. ↑ Branfoot, Crispin. "Imperial Frontiers: Building Sacred Space in Sixteenth-Century South India" 90 (2). The Art Bulletin: 185. – via JSTOR (subscription required)
  10. ↑ T.K. 2010, p. 50

References

  • V., Vriddhagirisan (1995). Nayaks of Tanjore. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-0996-4. 
  • T.K., Venkatasubramanian (2010). Music as history in Tamilnadu. Delhi: Premium Books. ISBN 978-93-8060-706-1. 
  • Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu. Sura Books. p. 64. ISBN 81-7478-177-3. 
  • S., Manickavasagam (2009). Power of Passion. AEG Publishing Group. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-1-60860-561-3. 
  • T., Padmaja (2002). Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: history, art, and traditions in Tamilnāḍu. New Delhi: Shakti Malik. ISBN 81-7017-398-1. 
  • South Indian Railway Co., Ltd (2002). Illustrated guide to the South Indian Railway (Incorporated in England. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-1889-0. 
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