78. Thanjavur
Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian art and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among the Great Living Chola temples, the Brihadeeswara Temple, is located in the center of the city. Thanjavur is also the home of the Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. The city is an important agricultural center located at the heart of the region, known as the "Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu". South Zone Culture Centre in Thanjavur is one of many regional cultural centres established by Indian Government to preserve and promote traditional cultural heritage of India. It had a population of a 290,732 in 2011.
Thanjavur is well-connected by roads and railways with other parts of India and with cities and towns in Tamil Nadu. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport located at a distance of 56 kilometres.[2] The nearest seaport is Nagapattinam which is 84 kilometres (52 mi) from Thanjavur
Etymology
The name Thanjavur is believed to have been derived from "Tanjan", an asura in Hindu mythology, who is believed to have been killed at this spot by the Hindu god Vishnu.[2][3] Also the name is believed to have been derived from Than-sei-oor, it means the place is surrounded by rivers and green paddy fields.[citation needed] The name also may have come from the word seeking asylum (Thanjam) as the Chola king Karikalan had to shift the capital as sea inundated their capital city PoompuharHistory
There are no references to Thanjavur in any of the Sangam period records though some scholars believe that the city has been existing since then. Kovil Venni, situated at a distance of 15 miles to the east of Thanjavur, was the site of the Battle of Venni between Karikala and a confederacy of the Cheras and the Pandyas.[4] The Cholas seemed to have faced an invasion of the Kalabhras in the 3rd century AD after which the kingdom faded into obscurity. The region around the present-day Thanjavur was conquered by the Mutharayars in the 6th century AD and ruled up to 849 AD.The Chola Empire 850-1279 AD
The Cholas came once more into prominence through the rise of the Medieval Chola monarch Vijayalaya in about 850 AD.[5] Vijayalaya conquered Thanjavur from mutharayar king Elango Mutharayar and built a temple to the Hindu goddess Nisumbhasudani at this place.[6] His son Aditya I consolidated their hold over the city.[5] The Rashtrakuta king Krishna II, a contemporary of the Chola king Parantaka I claims to have conquered Thanjavur but there exists no evidence to support his claim.[7] Gradually, Thanjavur became the greatest and most important city in the Chola Empire and remained its capital till the construction of Gangaikonda Cholapuram in about 1025 AD.
During the first decade of the eleventh century AD, the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I constructed the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. The temple is considered to be one of the best specimens of South Indian temple architecture.
When the Chola Empire began to decline in the 13th century AD, the Pandyas from the south invaded and captured Thanjavur twice, the first in 1218-19 and the second in 1230. During the second invasion, the Chola king Rajaraja III was driven out of his kingdom and sought the help of the Hoysala king Narasimha to get it back.[8] Thanjavur was eventually annexed along with the rest of the Chola kingdom by the Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I in 1279 AD and the Chola kings were forced to accept the suzerainty of the Pandyas.[9] The Pandyas ruled Thanjavur from 1279 AD to 1311 AD when their kingdom was raided and annexed by Malik Kafur and the forces of the Delhi Sultanate.
Medieval Period 1311-1679 AD
The Sultanate extend its authority directly over the conquered regions from 1311 to 1335 and then through the semi-independent Ma'bar Sultanate from 1335 to 1378. Starting from the 1350s, the Ma'bar Sultanate was steadily absorbed into the rising Vijayanagar Empire. Thanjavur is believed to have been conquered by Kampanna Udayar during his invasion of Srirangam between 1365 and 1371. Deva Raya's 1443 inscription, Thirumala's 1455 inscription and Achuta Deva's land grants dated 1532 and 1539 attest Vijayanagar's overlordship over Thanjavur.
Sevappa Nayak, the Vijayanagar viceroy of Arcot, established himself as an independent monarch in 1532 (1549, according to some sources) and founded the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom.[10] Achuthappa Nayak, Raghunatha Nayak and Vijaya Raghava Nayak are some of the important rulers of the Nayak dynasty.[11][12] The dynasty came to an end when Thanjavur fell to the Madurai Nayak king Chokkanatha Nayak in 1673.[12] Vijaya Raghunatha Nayak was killed and Chokkanatha's brother Alagiri Nayak was installed as the ruler.[13] Vijaya Raghunatha's son approached the Nawab of Bijapur for help. Thanjavur was successfully conquered in 1674 by Ekoji I, the Maratha feudatory of the Nawab of Bijapur and half-brother of Shivaji. Ekoji founded the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom which ruled Thanjavur till 1855.[12]
The Marathas and the British
The Marathas exercized their sovereignty over Thanjavur throughout the last quarter of the 17th century and the whole of the 18th. The Maratha rulers patronized art and literature and played an active part in support of the British against the French in the Carnatic Wars. In 1787, Amar Singh, the regent of Thanjavur deposed the minor Raja, his nephew Serfoji II and captured the throne. Serfoji II was restored in 1799 with the assistance of the British who induced him to relinquish the administration of the kingdom and left him in charge of Thanjavur fort and surrounding areas alone. The kingdom was eventually absorbed into British India in 1855 by the Doctrine of Lapse when Shivaji, the last Thanjavur Maratha ruler, died without a legitimate male heir.
Five years after its annexation, the British replaced Negapatam (Nagaippatinam) with Tanjore (Thanjavur) as the seat of the district administration. Under the British, Tanjore emerged as an important regional centre. The 1871 India census recorded a population of 52,171, making Tanjore the third largest town in the Madras Presidency
Geography
Thanjavur is located at 10.8°N 79.15°E[14] The tributaries of river Cauvery, namely, the Grand Anaicut Canal (Pudhaaru), Vadavaaru and Vennaaru rivers flow through the town. Thanjavur is situated in the Cauvery delta, at a distance of 314 kilometres (195 mi) south-west of Chennai and 56 kilometres (35 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli. While the plains immediately adjoining the Cauvery River have been under cultivation from time immemorial, most of Thanjavur town and the surrounding areas lie in the "New Delta" - a dry, barren upland tract which has only recently been brought under irrigation.[15][16] To the south of Thanjavur town, is the Vallam tableland, a small plateau insterspersed at regular intervals by ridges of sandstone.[17]
The nearest seaport in Nagapattinam which is 84 kilometres (52 mi) east of Thanjavur. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport located at a distance of 56 kilometres. The town has an elevation of 57 metres above mean sea level. The total area of the city is 36 km
Tourism and culture
Thanjavur is an important pilgrim centre and a major tourist destination.[20] There were 2,002,225 Indian and 81,435 foreign tourist arrivals in 2009.[20]The most visited monument in Thanjavur is the Brihadeeswarar Temple, whose construction, the historian Percy Brown described as "a landmark in the evolution of building art in South India".[21][22] Built in the 11th century AD by the Medieval Chola king Raja Raja Chola I, the temple complex houses a granite shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is surrounded by fortifications.[22] The walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods.[23] The temple was designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is replicated in the Gangaikonda Cholesvarar Temple constructed by Raja Raja's son Rajendra Chola I.[22][24]
The Thanjavur Maratha palace was the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Thanjavur region from 1674 AD to 1855 AD. It was originally constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, after whose fall served as the official residence of the Thanjavur Marathas.[25] When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was annexed to the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort. On the southern side of the third quadrangle is a tower like building, 190 feet tall with eight storeys, called the Goodagopuram.
The Saraswathi Mahal Library, established around 1700 AD and located in the premises of the palace, contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper.[26] Over eighty per cent of its manuscripts are in Sanskrit and many of them are on palm leaves. The Tamil works includes treatises on medicine, and commentaries on works from the Sangam period.[25]
The Rajaraja Chola art gallery is inside the palace - it has a large collection of stone and bronze images from the 9th to 12th centuries.[27] Most of the idols are brought from the various temples in the Thanjavur district.[27]
The Sivaganga Park is situated to the east of the 11th century Brihadeeswarar Temple and encompasses the Sivaganga Tank believed to have been built by the king Raja Raja Chola.[28] It was created as a people's park by the Tanjore municipality in 1871-72.[28] It has a collection of plants, animals and birds and serves as a zoo for children within the town
There are five museums in the town namely Archeological Museum, Tamil University Museum located with the Tamil University premises, the Saraswathi Mahal Library Museum located inside the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Nayak Durbar Hall Art Museum and Rajaraja Chola Museum.[25]
Raja Rajan Manimandapam is also one of the tourist attractions in Thanjavur, built during the Thanjavur Tamil Conference in 1991.[25]
The then "Sangeetha Mahal" has been converted to a handicrafts exhibition centre now which has handicrafts from local artisans. Thanjavur is the cradle for many of the arts and crafts in South India. Carnatic music as we know it today was codified in Thanjavur as was Bharathanatyam.
Sathaya Thiruvizha is the annual birthday festival of Raja Raja Chola held during October every year.[29] Thanjavur is the base for the Tyagaraja Aradhana, a Carnatic music festival held annually during January - February at Thiruvaiyaru, located 13 km away from the town.[30]
Thanjavur painting is a major form of classical South Indian painting from Thanjavur. It dates back to about 1600s, the period of Nayakas of Thanjavur, who encouraged art, classical dance, music literature, both in Telugu and Tamil. The art is usually a combination of raised and painted surfaces, with the Hindu god Krishna being the most popular depicted.[citation needed] In modern times, these paintings have become souvenirs of festive occasions in South India, pieces to decorate walls, and collectors' items for art lovers
Brihadeeswarar Temple
The Peruvudaiyar Kovil, also known as Brihadeeswarar Temple and Rajarajeswaram,[1] at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in Tamil architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron Raja Raja Chola I. It remains India's largest temple[2] and is one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture.[3] The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples".This temple is one of India's most prized architectural sites. The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimana or (temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high[4] and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam) (apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is not carved out of a single stone as widely believed[citation needed].
There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high [5].
The entire temple structure is made out of hard granite stones, a material sparsely available in Thanjavur area where the temple is.
Built in 1010 AD by Raja Raja Chola I in Thanjavur, Brihadeeswarar Temple, also popularly known as the ‘Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010
History
The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, (Tamil: இராசராச சோழன், Rājarāja Choļan ?) in 1002 CE, as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects [6]. It was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire in compliance of a command given to him in his dream.[5] The scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout.[7] Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style.[8] The Brihadeeswarar Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor's vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural exemplar showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temples "testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."[9]Construction
This temple might be the first building fully built by granite and finished within 5yrs[1004AD - 1009AD]. The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone deities and representatives of Shiva dance.[3] The innthe huge kalasam or Vimanam (top portion of the shrine) is believed to weigh 81.28 tonnes and was raised to its present height by dragging on an inclined plane of 6.44 km.[10] The big Nandi (bull), weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width - the temple is a Vijayanagara addition.[10] The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall.[citation needed] Even today, the Brihadiswarar Temple remains India's largest temple.[2] The prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m.[10] The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81 dance karanas - postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamils.[10] The shrine of Goddess is added by Pandyas during the 13th century, Subramanya Shrine by Vijayanagara rules and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by Maratha rulers.[Temple complex
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channeled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main Shikhara (although it is hollow on the inside and not meant to be occupied) is ca. 60 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers, and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the shikhara.[2]The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, so smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimana.[11]
Main temple
A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary.[11] The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasizing the principle cult icons.[7] The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga. The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.[12]In the Dravida style, the Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum sanctorum, the garbhagriha.[8] The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it is representative of a microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity.[7] The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.
The circumambulation winds around the massive lingam in the garbhagriha and is repeated in an upper story, presenting the idea that Chola Empire freely offered access to the gods.[2]
The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shiva's sacred bull mount.[7]
Adjoining structures
Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main templeMyths & Features
The 60-metre tall Vimana is the tallest in South India. A European-like figure which is carved on the Vimana is believed to be an ancient warning of the arrival of the Europeans. Later investigations by archaeologists proposed that this claim may be a hoax.Another widely believed that the shadow of the gopuram (pyramidal tower usually over the gateway of a temple) never falls on the ground. However, some scholars have dismissed this as a myth.[13] The temple is said to be made up of about 130,000 tons of granite. The Kumbam itself, a 60 ton granite stone carved in one piece, on top of the main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the top of the gopuram. The prevailing belief is that a mud-slope, which starts at about three miles from the temple site, from Thirukoilore (birthplace of Raja raja's mother) near Sri Virateshvara swamy temple. Elephants might have been used to drag the stone up the slope. This was claimed to be the only part of the gopuram, which does not cast a shadow that fall on the ground, at least not within the temple premises.
Other
Not only the temple and the "moolavar" (prime deity, Shiva), but all other deities, particularly those placed in the niches of the outer wall (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon) are of huge size. The Brihadiswarar temple is one of the rare temples which has statues for "Ashta-dikpaalakas" (Guardians of the directions) — Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera, Īśāna — each of whom was originally represented by a life-sized statue, approximately 6 feet tall, enshrined in a separate temple located in the respective direction. (Only Agni, Varuṇa, Vāyu and Īśāna are preserved in situ.)Millennium celebrations
Built in the year 1010ce by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, Brihadeeswarar Temple popularly known as the ‘Big Temple’ turned 1000 years old in September 2010. To celebrate the 1000th year of the grand structure, the state government and the town held many cultural events. It was to recall the 275th day of his 25th regal year (1010 CE) when Raja Raja Chola (985–1014 CE) handed over a gold-plated kalasam (copper pot or finial) for the final consecration to crown the vimana, the 59.82 metre tall tower above the sanctum.[15][16][17]Bharathanatyam Yajna
To mark the occasion, the state government organised a Bharathanatyam Yajna, classical dance show under noted dancer Padma Subramaniam. It was jointly organised by the Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) and the Brhan Natyanjali Trust, Thanjavur. To mark the 1000th year anniversary of the building, 1000 dancers from New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Singapore, Malaysia and the U.S. danced in concert to the recorded 11 verses of divine music Thiruvichaippa (ninth of Thirumurai) composed by Karuvur Thevar (the guru of Raja Raja Chola) named Tiruvisaippa. The small town turned into a cultural hub for two days beginning September 26, 2010 as street performers and dancers performed throughout the towBrihadeeswarar Temple in historic novels
Balakumaran has written a novel Udaiyar themed on the life of Raja Raja Chola I and the construction of the Brihadeeswarar temple. Kalki has also written a novel "Ponniyin Selvan" based on the life of Raja Raja CholaThanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library
Saraswathi
Mahal Library is located in Thanjavur,
Tamil Nadu,
India.
It is one of the oldest libraries in Asia,[citation needed] and has on
display a rare collection of Palm leaf manuscripts and paper written in Tamil, Hindi, English,
Telugu,
Marathi,
and a few other languages indigenous to India. The collection comprises well
over 60,000 volumes, though only a tiny fraction of these are on display. The
library has a complete catalogue of holdings, which is being made available
online. Some rare holdings can be viewed on site by prior arrangement
History
The Saraswathi Mahal library started as a Royal Library for the private pleasure of the Nayak Kings of Thanjavur who ruled 1535 - 1675 AD. The Maratha rulers who captured Thanjavur in 1675 patronised local culture and further developed the Royal Palace Library until 1855. Most notable among the Maratha Kings was Serfoji II (1798–1832), who was an eminent scholar in many branches of learning and the arts. In his early age Serfoji studied under the influence of the Dutch Reverend Schwartz, and learned many languages including English, French, Italian and Latin. He enthusiastically took special interest in the enrichment of the Library, employing many Pandits to collect, buy and copy a vast number of works from all renowned Centres of Sanskrit learning in Northern India and other far-flung areas.Since 1918 the Saraswathi Mahal Library has been a possession of the state of Tamil Nadu. Its official name of the Library was changed to "The Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library" in honour of the great royal Marathan patron.
Efforts
The library is open to the public; it also supports efforts to publish rare manuscripts from the collection, as well as ensuring all volumes are preserved on microfilm. The Library has installed computers in 1998 for the Computerisation of Library activities. As a first phase, the Library catalogues are being stored in the Computer for easy information retrieval. It is also proposed to digitalise the manuscripts of this Library shortly.[2]The Collection
The bulk of the manuscripts (39,300) are in Sanskrit, written in scripts such as Grantha, Devanagari, Nandinagari, Telugu. Tamil manuscripts number over 3500, comprising titles in literature, music and medicine. The Library has a collection of 3076 Marathi manuscripts from the South Indian Maharastrian of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries; this includes the hierarchy of the Saints of Maharashtra belonging to Sri Ramadasi and Dattatreya Mutts. The Marathi manuscripts are mostly on paper but a few were written in Telugu script on palm-leaf. There are 846 Telugu manuscripts in the holdings, mostly on palm leaf. There are 22 Persian and Urdu manuscripts mostly of 19th century also within the collection.Apart from these manuscripts there are 1342 bundles of Maratha Raj records available at the Library. The Raj records were written in the Modi script (fast script for Devanagari) of the Marathi language. These records encompass the information of the political, cultural and social administration of the Maratha kings of Thanjavu
Some of the rare books and manuscripts
- Dr. Samuel Johnson's dictionary published in 1784
- The pictorial Bible printed in Amsterdam in the year 1791
- The Madras Alamnac printed in 1807
- Lavoisier's Traité Élémentaire de Chimie ("Elements of Chemistry")
- The notes of Bishop Heber on Raja Serfoji II
- The correspondence letters of William Torin of London who purchased a lot of books for Raja Serfoji II and the Saraswathi Mahal Library
- The Globe used by the raja.
- Ancient maps of the world
- Town planning documents of Thanjavur including the underground drainage system, the fresh water supply ducting system
- Pictorial charts of the theory of evolution of man as evinced by Charles Le Brun
Library Museum
A Museum is located in the Library building to reveal the importance of the Library to the Public. This Museum is small but organised into sections highlighting ancient Manuscripts, Illustrated Manuscripts, Printed copies of the Original Drawings, Atlases, Thanjavur- style Paper Paintings, Canvass Paintings, Wooden Paintings, Glass paintings, Portraits of the Thanjavur Maratha kings, and the Physiognomy charts of Charles Le-Brun. These materials give an idea of the total variety in the vast collection within the Library.The Saraswati Library is situated within the campus of the Thanjavur Palace. Visitors can have a glimpse of preserved books and can sit and read in the library premises. Better preservation of books and facilities like air-conditioning with dehumidifiers, redesigning of space for comfortable reading, online catalogue facility should be taken up to preserve this internationally renowned treasure trove of books and palm-leaf manuscripts !
Efforts were made to microfilm and catalogue the contents way back in 1965 when Indira Gandhi was Information and Broadcasting Minister, Government of India who sanctioned the fund for the library's development. Since then no efforts were made to scan the documents and computerise the same using present day technology. It is also a designated 'Manuscript Conservation Centre' (MCC) under the National Mission for Manuscripts established in 2003
Transport
Thanjavur, in modern times, is well-connected with Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Vellore, Erode, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Kumbakonam, Pattukkottai, Dindigul Pudukkottai, Tirunelveli, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Nagercoil, Tirupathi, Thiruvananthapuram, Ooty and through regular bus services. Previously, Thanjavur had a single bus terminus located at the heart of the city. The National Highways 67,[40] 45C,[40] 226[40] and 226 Extn[40] pass through the city. An integrated bus terminus, called New Busstand has been constructed near the Raja Serfoji College in order to handle the passenger traffic. Thanjavur also has a well-maintained sub-urban public transport system. Government and private buses operate frequently between the two bus termini and other towns and villages like Vallam, Budalur, Pillaiyarpatti, Vallam Pudursethi, Sengipatti,Vadakkur North and Kuruvadipatti.Thanjavur is connected by rail with most important cities and towns in India. This district has 122.07 Kilometers of Broad gauge railway lines with 20 Railway stations connecting Thanjavur to Major centres in the state. There are daily trains from/to Chennai,[41][42][43] Bangalore,[44] Mysore,[41] Ernakulam,[45] Thrissur,[45] Palakkad,[45] Coimbatore,[41][45] Erode,[45] Tirupur,[45] Tiruchirapalli,[43] Salem, Karur,[45] Madurai, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram, Tiruchendur,[43] Dharmapuri and weekly trains to Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Goa,[43] Vijayawada, Nagpur, Jabalpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Bhubaneshwar[43][46] and to all main cities.
In the early 1990s, Thanjavur was connected with Chennai via the Vayudoot flight service, which was stopped due to poor patronage. A full fledged Air Force Station is operational at Thanjavur which stations several Fighter (aircraft) including Sukhoi jets.[47] Thanjavur Air Force Station started functioning as a major air base by 2012,[48] The base will be developed to handle Fighter, Transport aircraft and also Refuelling aircraft.[48] The nearest Airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport
79. Thiruchendur
Thiruchendur is a panchayat town at the southern tip of India, in Thoothukudi district in the state of Tamil Nadu
Geography
Thiruchendur Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Muruga and one of the Arupadaiveedu of Lord Muruga. It is located in the district of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, on the Indian Ocean. Arid theri forests are located in various suburban villages surrounding the town. These red soil forests are densely planted with palm trees, cashew plantations, and other crops typical of the region. The seashore temple of Subrahmanyam at Tiruchendur is one of the delightful spots sanctified and venerated by every Hindu. As one of the first spiritual centres for the salvation of man, His shrine has been an attraction for Hindus for ages. This sacred house of God is in the extreme southwest of the Indian peninsula. The rising sun bows in adoration of it each morning as he rises from the rippling expanse of the ocean, and spreads light and life over every living object.Bordered by the sea on the East and the North, the temple walls on these sides are washed by the foaming waves of the Gulf of Mannar. The date of the temple is hidden in the Puranic past. The nucleus of the structure however has been here for more than 2,000 years as the Tamil Classics inform us.
Lord Muruga's association with Tiruchendur is highly significant. It is described in extenso in His epic, the Skanda Puranam. The young Muruga as the Devasenāpati vanquishes evil in the form of Surapatuma. The Tamils have ever since been celebrating the event as an annual festival during Skanda Sashti.
Tiruchentil means as it does, the House of Victory. It borders the sea and has all the natural charm of a hero's fortress. It is verily a haven of Peace and Bliss. The Tamils in this part of the peninsula have such an attraction for the place and its presiding Lord Arumuga Nayinar.
An attempt is here made to give His bhaktas all over a close account of His shrine at Tiruchendur; and with this additional desire of impressing that the Temple is one worthy of a pilgrimage in this life. The divine inspiration and His grace that the bhakta is sure to secure will more than recompense his labours. Some 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Thiruchendur is the town of Arumuganeri.
Religious-historic belief
An epic composed in the seventeenth century and known as Kapadapuram relates that Muruga killed Surapadman, a demon, in this place. Soorasamharam, a reenactment of the deed, is performed here, and Skanda Sashti is also celebrated in commemoration of the same event. Muruga created the Naazhi Kinaru using his spear.Recovering the idol of Lord Arumuga stolen by Dutch pirates
Dutch pirates landed in Veerapandian Pattinam, near Thiruchendur, and captured the Portuguese church and the Thiruchendur temple in 1649. When the Dutch were ordered to leave the temple by Madurai Nayak King, they broke the granite statues and took away the Panchaloka idol of Arumuga Peruman to their ship. Suddenly, there was a heavy storm and rain. Afraid of this sudden development, the pirates tied the idol to a rope and dropped it into the sea. The storm immediately stopped.
Devotees in the town worried about the loss of the idol. Senthilandavan appeared in a dream to Vadamaliyappa Pillai, an ardent devotee of Lord Muruga, and revealed the place in the sea where the idol had been abandoned. Vadamlaiyappa Pillai informed Athitha Nadan, who was a major sponsor of various services in the Thiruchendur temple. On Friday, 29 Thai, in the Kollam year 829 (1653 A.D.), Vadamlaiyappa Pillai and Athitha Nadan, aided by some Parthavar fishermen, travelled in a boat to the spot. A lemon was floating in the sea, and a Garuda was flying overhead. They dived in and retrieved the idol.
Other temples
- Sri Ponvandu Aiyanar temple, at the hamlet called Nainarpattu, near Udankudi
- A three-day Vaikasi is held the first week of the festival
- Sri Karkuvel Aiyanar temple, at the hamlet called Theri Kudiirruppu near Kayamozhi
- A temple to Arunchunai Kattha Aiyanar Swami is located at a nearby natural spring called "Sunai".
- Aazhigudi Maradachan, ("heart attack") temple, and also a single stone, 20 ft, the Aiyanar
- Nallur Thirunageshwaramudayar with the Aramvalartha Nayagi Sivan temple. An old temple, the Santhana Mariyamman temple, is also nearby. This Ambal is a fertility shrine.
- A thousand-year-old Sri Somanatha temple is situated at Authoor, 18 km from Thiruchendur.
- Kulasekaranpatinam, a village 13 km away, is known for its Dasara festival. The village has the only temple where Muthu Aara Amman / Muthu Maalai Amman (Aaram & Maalai means garland in Tamil language) is shown with his consort.
- Located about 10 km from Thiruchendur, the village of Melaputhukudi is considered a holy place because of its ancestral Aiyanar temple, which includes a thalamboo grove, which is popular as a picnic spot
Festivals and rituals
Brahmothsavam in the month of Magha (February – March), Vasanthothsavam for 10 days in Chaitra (April – May), Visaka Visakam for 12 days in Vaisakha (May – June) and Skandha Sashti in Asvini (October – November) are celebrated in the temple. There are two Maha Utsavams called Aavanipperunthirunaal and Maasipperunthirunaal conducted and celebrated during Simharavi, in the Tamil month of Aavani (August–September) and Kumbharavi, in the Tamil month of Maasi (January–February). These 12-day festivals occur twice every year.Naazhi Kinaru (a sacred well) is located 100 m south of the temple. Devotees are allowed to bathe by scooping out the water with a vessel, and the water in the well never dries up. Despite the temple's being on the seashore, the water is not salty.
Kallar vettu (கள்ளர் வெட்டு) is an annual festival held at the Karkuvel Iyyanar temple.
Dahsara festival is a 10-day celebration held annually at Kulasekara Pattinam.
Masi Thiruvizha
Transportation
The town is well connected by rail and road. The nearby Tuticorin Airport[2] 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Tuticorin, 55 km (34 mi) from Tirunelveli, and 171 km (106 mi) from Madurai. Currently Kingfisher Red Airline operates one inbound and outbound flight to Chennai. There are bus connections to Aruppukootai, Ettiyapuram, Tuticorin,kovilpatti,madurai and Tirunelveli. The town is connected to Tirunelveli by a broad-gauge train track, with a train station at Thiruchendur.An express train runs daily between Chennai egmore station to Tiruchendur and it is called as chendur express running via villuppuram, cuddallore,chidambaram, kumbakonam, tanjavore,tiruchy,madurai and tirunelveli.Passenger train services are also available between Tirunelveli and Tiruchendur 3 times daily. A seaport is located at Tuticorin, 40 km away.80. Thirumanthamkunnu Temple
The temple is also an important pilgrim center, especially for the eleven-day long annual festival celebrated in March and April months of the Gregorian calendar. The "principle deity" of temple is the Hindu god Shiva. Other deities include goddess Bhagavathi, locally called as Thirumandhamkunnilamma and the elephant god Ganesha, for whom the famous Marriage Offering (Mangalya puja) is performed.[3] Mangalya Puja, Rigveda Laksharchana, Chandattam and Kalampattu are the important religious offerings of the Thirumanthamkunnu Temple.[4]
There are ceremonies and rituals specific to this Hindu temple that are not carried out at others.[5] The Thirumanthamkunnu Temple courtyards are on a hilltop that provides a view of the countryside spread out below
Legend surrounding Thirumanthamkunnu Temple
King Mandhata of Surya dynasty ruled his kingdom for a long period. He then gave away the kingdom to his successors and chose to meditate on Hindu god Shiva and attain the Shiva’s feets at the end. Shiva was pleased with his penance appeared before the king Mandhata and offered him any boon at Mount Kailash. The king prayed to the lord for an idol to worship till his death. Shiva gave him the most holy Shiva Lingam which was too dear to him and which used to be worshipped by Parvati and then the god disappeared.Carrying the Shiva Lingam on head, King Mandhata started his downward journey from Mount Kailash and reached the hill now known as "Thirumandhamkunnu" in Kerala. A spring with crystal-clear water flowed along the northern slope of the hill. Many beautiful birds chirped in the jungle. Wild animals like lion, tiger, and elephant roamed about in the wilderness in full harmony forgetting their traditional enmity. Different kinds of trees and plants grew in the region and gave out sweet smell in to the atmosphere. The surrounding attracted the king. Feelings of idol on his head heavy he placed it on the ground at immediately the Shiva Lingam got stuck in to the earth.
Shiva had gifted the Shiva Lingam to the king when his consort Parvati was away for her bath. When Parvati turned up for worship the Shiva Lingam was not there. She got upset on enquiry she know that it was presented to the King Mandhata, by her husband. Being too much attached to it she wanted the Shiva Lingam back. Shiva tolled her that he had no objection in her trying to get it back. Parvati now offered Bhadrakali and a host of demons to rush up and get back the Shiva Lingam from the king. With the army of demons, Bhadrakali reached the northern slope of Thirumandha hill. The brightness emitted by the Shiva Lingam installed by king Mandhata was so great that it dazzled the eyes of Bhadrakali and demons and they were unable to move up the hills. So they started throwing up the weapons from the foot of the hill. The ascetic attending on Mandhata were unarmed but tried to defend themselves with whatever things they had. These being insufficient to protect them they plucked Attanga nuts from their creeper plants, which were available in plenty and threw them at the enemy. Because of the power of Shiva and the divine power of Mandhata the nuts got changed in to arrows instantly. Bhadrakali and her demons could not resist them the fight lasted for fifteen days.
The age-old custom of "Attangayeru" on first of Thulam (the Malayalam month) on the new moon day of the same month in the forenoon before pantheerady pooja refers to the legendary fight between mandhatha and kali
Expecting defeat Mahamaya took her viswaroopa. She had an elephant in an ear and a lion in the other as earring. Seeing this form the ascetics fell down senseless. When mahamaya in this form reached the hilltop mandhatha was also helpless. He embraced the sivalinga kali tried to capture it by force. In this struggle that followed the linga got split into two. In the “Jyothis” that arose from it “THRIMOORTHIS” (Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) and Parvathy appeared on the spot.
Parvathy told Mandhatha this idol was very dear to me. Still I do not want to take it away from you against the wishes of my husband. Separation from it is also difficult for me. So I will enter that linga and remain here forever. My daughter kali is not different from me. Actually she came here first. Let her also be installed near me facing north and have all poojas and festival performed. So same parvathy disappeared into the idol. This spot is the “SREEMOOLASTHANAM”. The sivalinga here is still in split condition .Its position is below the “peedam” and “Prabhamandalam” and can be seen only during the abhisheka before the ushapooja and “Malarnivedia” to the deity.
As ordered by Parvathy, Bhagavathy with Sapthamathrukkal, Veerabhadran and Ganapaty were installed facing north. This is called “Mathrusala”. Pooram, Pattu and all such festivals intended for this goddess.
When Sree Parvathy appears infant Ganapathy was also with her. This infant ganapathy also been installed at sreemoolasthanam.
Sree Parvathy appeared facing west. The installations of Sivalinga at Sreemoolasthanam were facing east. It was thus for necessary to have two darshan openings one to the east and the other to west. The family descendants of “Valluva Konathiri” do not generally open the one on the west except for darshan. On either side of the doorway here are two openings through which other worshippers can have darshan of the deity. But in recent past[when?] the restrictions has been modified. After each pooja, the door is kept open for some time for darshan of the deity by devotees.
Mandhatha spent many years at thirumandhamkunnu in meditation and thapusu. At last he knew it was time for him to leave this world. He was thinking of entrusting the temple to someone for perfect upkeep and maintenance when two Brahmins came there. Mandhatha told them his desire gave them a Grandha containing instructions on the performance of poojas and entrusted the shrine to them. He then retired to the jungle nearby now known as “KUKSHIPPARAKKAD” and freed himself from this world of mortals by his yogic powers. Bhakthas who go round this jungle paying homage pick out a leaf from the growing plants and keep it in hair with at most reverence. This area is still a protected jungle. In the Devaprashna conducted in 1959 it was observed that an idol of mandhatha should be installed here and poojas, performed. The temple priests before pooja every Malayalam month. The annual pooja on Chithra in midhunam on Mandhatha is on special significance.
Two Brahmins entrusted with the upkeep of temple, one cleared the jungle around the idol and hence came to be known as “KATTILLAMUTTAM” .The other prepared pavilion for prathishta and came to be known as “PANTHALAKODE”. The thanthri of thirumandhamkunnu temple is still a descendent from either of these families. The nair karyasthan who was with them was given the title “chathathumarar” and made the blower of holy conch in the temple. The Namboodiri’s informed the news to Vadakkara swaroopam raja that was subordinate chieftain of valluvanadu raja holding the title mannarmala raja. He immediately rushed to the spot (Seeing the over-lord of the hill the goddess got up and paid homage to him. This humility of Devi-the sustainer of three worlds—made the raja blink in shame and) he prayed to the goddess to see him as a son. He then presented an elephant to the goddess and worshipped her from its rear, standing in its shadow. His descendants also followed the same practice. Even now direct darshan of thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy is not permissible to mannarmala raja.
The first Vallavaraja who took over the control of the temple entrusted its upkeep and maintenance to the local feudal lords “ETTUVEETIL ACHANS” and made them trusty. Erukalikara nair was made kavudaya nair. Sreemoolasthanam does not have a roof, which is an evidence of it having been a kavu.
The painting on the walls of the mathrusala throws light to this legend. These paintings which are in lying with the wall painting at suchindram, Pundarikkapuram,vaikom and Guruvayoor were executed in 1944
Transportation
to reach Tirumanthamkunnu Temple in Angadipuram .....
The Shoranur-Nilambur Railway Line passes through Angadipuram, which is a town merely 3 km from Perinthalmanna. The NH 213 passes through the town centre, crossing the Perumbilavu-Nilambur State Highway.
Train
Angadipuram, which is roughly 3 km (2 mi) from
Perinthalmanna is an important railway station on the Shoranur-Nilambur
railway line. There are 7 pairs of trains running daily in the
Shoranur-Nilambur section via Angadipuram including Rajya Rani Express to Thiruvananthapuram.Computerised Reservation
facility is available at Angadipuram Railway Station from 08:00 to 14:00
hours.Reservation for any train can be reserved from here.
Buses
The town is on the NH 213 and well-connected. Plenty of
private and K.S.R.T.C. buses are
available to Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Guruvayur,
Nilambur, Malappuram, Valanchery, Kottakkal and Manjeri. K.S.R.T.C. operates
long route buses to Sultan Battery, Kalpetta
and south Kerala. Interstate buses to Coimbatore,
Madurai,
Pondicherry,
Gudalur,
chennai
Hassan
and are available.
Airport
Calicut International Airport, Karippur is
the nearest airport, located in the periphery of the district headquarters at Malappuram.81. Thrissur
Thrissur
pronunciation (help·info)
(Malayalam: തൃശൂര്, Sanskrit: श्रीशिवपुरम्), originally Thrisivaperoor
and previously known by its anglicized form as Trichur, is the fifth largest city, the third largest
urban agglomeration in Kerala (Pop. 1,854,783) and the 20th largest
in India.[2][3]
It is also the headquarters of the Thrissur District.[4]
Thrissur city is built around a 65-acre (26 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thrissur was once the
capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located 300 kilometres
(186 mi) towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.Thrissur is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala because of its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings throughout history.[5] It houses the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Academy.[6] The city hosts the Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala.[7][8] The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May.[5] Thrissur has a large number of well-known temples including the Vadakkumnathan temple, Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu temple, as well as two famous churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral and the Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica.[9]
Thrissur has historically been a center of Hindu scholarship. The city houses one of the most important temples of Hindu Shaivism, that is the Vadakunnathan temple. The district is also home one of the most holiest Hindu Vaishnava temples, the Guruvayur temple. Christianity, Islam and Judaism entered in to the Indian subcontinent through the Thrissur district. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings claim Thomas the Apostle to have set foot in Muziris near here 2,000 years ago. (AD 51-52)[10][11] The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in AD 629.[12][13][13][14][15][16] It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.
The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs,[17] and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala.[18] It flexes its economic muscle in India as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks, South Indian Bank Ltd, Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd and a clutch of Chit funds.[19] The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala for silks and gold jewelry. Thrissur attracts the largest number of domestic tourists in Kerala.[20]
Apart from being the cultural nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the Kerala Kalamandalam, Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Etymology
The name Thrissur is a shortened form of Thrishivaperur or Thirushivaperur. Thiru-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: തിരു-ശിവ-പേരൂര്) literally translates to 'The Land, Place, City or Village with the name of the "Lord Siva"' means शम्भु Shambhu (Shiv Shambhu Bhola) + ल or ले (of) + ग्राम Grama (Community/Village) Shambhala village or Shambal gram. (The Lord Kalki will come from Shambal gram of South India). The name owes itself to the most prominent feature of the city, that is the Vadakkumnathan Kshetram or temple, which has Shiva as its presiding deity.[24] Alternately, Thri-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: ത്രി-ശിവ-പേരൂര്) means the place with three famous Shiva temples which are said to be — the Vadakkunnathan Temple, Kottapuram Shiva temple and the Poonkunnam Siva Temple.[25] or 1. First Jewish Synagogue in INDIA 2. First Christian Church in INDIA 3. First Muslim Mosque in INDIA. Thrissur was also known as "Vrishabhadripuram" and then "Kailasam" (Kailasam of the South) in ancient days.History
Pre-history
Starting from the Stone Age, Thrissur must have been the site of human settlement. This is evidenced by the presence of a megalithic monuments at Ramavarmapuram, Kuttoor, Cherur and Villadam.[26] The Ramavarmapuram monument is in granite and is of Menhir type. The monument in Ramavarmapuram is 15 feet height and 12 feet 4 inches broad. From 1944, it is under the protection of Department of Archaeology. The monument is locally known as 'Padakkallu' or 'Pulachikkallu'. These menhirs are memorials put up at burial sites for the departed souls. They belong to the Megalithic Age of Kerala, which is roughly estimated between 1000 BCE and 500 CE.[27] All such monuments have not been dated exactly. Some experts are of the view that these are the remnants of the Neolithic Age in the development of human technology. The Ramavarmapuram Menhir is also believed to be a monument belonging to the Sangam period in the South Indian history.nd Kakkad. According to historians, the Dolmens are burial sites. Though most of the monuments were well protected, the dolmen at Porkulam was in a neglected condition. The monument excavated under eminent Archaeologist BK Thapar, between 1949 and 1950, was under the Department of Archaeology.[26] Another megalithic monument is situated at Ariyannur in Thrissur. This place has unravelled monuments such as the 'Kudakkallu' or 'Thoppikkallu' (Mushroom stones or Umbrella stones) and 'Munimada' (Saint's abode).[29] The laterite hillocks of Ariyannur rise to about 50 metres. Another reference in Ariyannur dates back to early 15th century in the poem 'Chandrotsavam'.
Pre-Colonial history
The region can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. The early political history of Thrissur is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. After the Cheras, the place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin (Perumpadapu Swaroopam). Later, a powerful dynasty known as Zamorins of Calicut captured most of the Thrissur in 14th and 15th century.Colonial period
Next was the turn of Portuguese who ruled Thrissur in 16th century. In the beginning of 17th century the Portuguese power was reduced and Dutch became the main power. With the help of Dutch, Cochin Royal Family recaptured Thrissur from Samoothiri in 1710The modern City of Thrissur rose in to importance after Sakthan Thampuran ascended the throne of Kingdom of Cochin (1769-1805). He changed the capital of Cochin Royal Family to Thrissur from Mattancherry and abolished the power of Namboothiri community, which controlled most of the temples of Thrissur district. The maharaja destroyed the forest around the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, and started the most spectacular cultural festival called Thrissur Pooram. Sakthan Thampuran laid the modern foundation stone of Thrissur and made the city in to a major financial and commercial hub of South India, by inviting Syrian Christian families and Brahmins from adjoining areas.[30]
However, during 1750-60 Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, attacked Thrissur and became tributary of the Kingdom of Mysore. Tipu Sultan, his son led another invasion in 1786 to Thrissur, where he destroyed the churches of Syrian Malabar Nasrani community and Hindu temples. Tipu Sultan’s Army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur church.[31] He plundered Thrissur’s economy and even converted Christians and Hindu’s into Muslims. The economy of Thrissur totally collapsed because of this invasion.[32] Later he made a retreat from Thrissur, which served as the headquarters of Kerala region, after the Srirangapattanam war. In the meantime, Rama Varma X, the successor of Sakthan Thampuran signed a treaty with East Indian Company, and made Cochin a subsidiary of the British.
The City of Thrissur is situated in Thrissur District of Central Kerala in India. The City is located at 10.52°N 76.21°E and has an average altitude of 2.83 metres. The City is 75 km north-east of Kochi, 133 km south-west of Coimbatore and 144 km south-east of Kozhikode.[40] The City is located in a hillock called Thekkinkadu Maidan which is the second highest point in City after the Vilangan Hills. From the hillock, the geography of the City move towards middle land where Thrissur Kole Wetlands is situated. The Kole Wetlands act as a natural drainage for the City where the water is carried out to river and from there to the Arabian Sea, thus keeping Thrissur City safe from flood waters which affect most of the other cities in Kerala. [41][42][43][44]Different ponds, rivers and canals also keep the ground water safe from salt waters. The City is located in midland regions of Kerala, with an extended part of Palakkad plains.[45]The City geologically is composed of Archaean gneisses and crystalline schists. Major parts of City is covered by Archaean rocks.[46] Th City lies near the center of the Indian tectonic plate (the Indian Plate) and is subject to comparatively little seismic or volcanic activity
Culture and literature
Festivals
Known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, Thrissur enjoys a thriving cultural tradition dating back to centuries, and being the centre of Kerala's cultural activities. Thrissur Pooram also called as 'the pooram of all poorams' is celebrated in every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar. It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala. The city plays host, for 36 hours from the wee hours of the pooram day, to one of the most largest collection of people and elephants.[91][92][93][94][95]Puli Kali also known as Kaduvakali is another festival, which attracts thousands of people to the city. It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in Kerala.[96][97] The most important festivals celebrated in the City include Christmas, Onam, Easter, Eid and Vishu. The City is widely acclaimed as the land of elephant lovers.[98][99] Aanayoottu (feeding of elephants), is the world largest elephant feeding ceremony held in Vadakkunnathan Temple in the City annually. The ceremony is conducted on the first day of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.[100][101][102]Literature
Literary lineage of Thrissur dates back to early history of Kerala but it came to prominence after Kerala Government set up Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi, Kerala Sahitya Academy, Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy and College of Fine Arts, Thrissur for promoting literature, music and arts in Kerala. After the Indian Independence, Thrissur became the literary capital of Kerala as turned to the playground of novelist, poets and orators. In 1952 when Current Books set its first shop in Thrissur by former education Minister Professor Joseph Mundassery, it become the abode of writer’s like O V Vijayan, Kovilan, VKN, Uroob, Edassery, M T Vasudevan Nair, K G Sankarapillai and Sarah Joseph. The area was later known as Current Moola ("Current Corner"). Thrissur is home to prominent malayalam literary figures like Kovilan, Kunhunni Mash, Sukumar Azhikode, K. Satchidanandan, Mullanezhi, Sarah Joseph (author), Attoor Ravi Varma, Lalitha Lenin, P. Bhaskaran, Joseph Mundassery.Temples
The Vadakkunnathan temple believed to have been
founded by the legendary saint Parasurama, is a classic example of the Kerala style of
architecture and houses several sacred shrines and with beautiful murals
delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata.
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, one of
the largest Sree Krishna
temples in Kerala
and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple which is one
of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala is also
situated in the city is also situated in Thrissur
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple (Malayalam: വടക്കുന്നാഥൻ ക്ഷേത്രം), also known as Tenkailasam and Vrshabhacalam, is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva at City of Thrissur, of Kerala state in India. This temple is a classic example of the architectural style of Kerala and has monumental towers on all four sides and also a kuttambalam. Mural paintings depicting various episodes from Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple. The shrines and the kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood. The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.[4] According to popular local lore, this is the first temple built by Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu. Tekkinkadu Ground, encircling the Vadakkunnathan Temple, is the main venue of the Thrissur Pooram. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter into the templeLegend
The story of the origin of the Vadakkunnathan Temple is briefly narrated in Brahmāṇḑa Purāņa and there are references to it in some other works also. Though there are small differences between these accounts as regards details, all agree on the central fact, namely, that the temple was founded by Parasurama. Parasurama exterminated Kshatriyas twenty one times. In order to expiate the sin he performed a yajna at the end of which he gave away all the land to Brahmins as dakshina. He wanted to retire to some new land to do tápasya and so he requested god Varuna to throw up a new piece of land from the sea.According to another version, some sages approached him at the end of the yajna and requested him to give them some secluded land. Parasurama then made the request to Varuna for their sake. Varuna gave him a winnow (surpa) and asked him to hurl it into the sea, as he did a large territory of land was at once thrown up by the sea; this territory that rose out of the sea was Kerala. It was then known by the name "Surparaka", from the word, "Surpa" meaning winnow.
According to some other accounts Varuna asked Parasurama to hurl his axe into the sea. Parashurama now wanted to consecrate this new land. So he went to Kailasa to his guru Shiva and requested him to take abode in Kerala and thereby bless the region. Shiva accompanied by Parvati, Ganesha, Subrahmanya and his parashadas went along with Parasurama, to satisfy the desire of his beloved disciple. Shiva stopped at a spot, now Thrissur, for his seat and later he and his party disappeared and Parashurama saw a bright and radiant Shiva linga at the foot of a huge banyan tree. This place where Shiva first manifested his presence through the linga came to be called the Sri Mula Sthana.
For sometime the linga of Shiva remained at Sri Mula Sthana at the foot of a huge banyan tree. The ruler of Cochin Kingdom then decided to shift the linga to a more convenient place and enclose it in a good temple. Arrangements were soon made to reinstall the idol in the new place. But there was an initial diificulty. The linga could not be removed without cutting off a large part of the banyan tree. While cutting the branches of the tree there was the danger of a piece of it falling on the idol and damaging it. When the ruler and the others did not know what to do, the Yogatirippadu came forward with a solution. He lay over the idol so as to cover it completely and asked the men to cut the tree. The cutting began and to the wonder of all not a piece of the tree fell anywhere near the idol. The idol was removed with all due rituals and installed in the new place where it has remained till now. Then a beautiful temple was built according to the rules laid down in sastras.
History
The construction of the temple was done at the time of Perumthachan from Parayi petta panthirukulam. It is said that Perumthachan lived during the seventh century; so the Koothambalam may be 1,300 years old. According to Malayalam historian VVK Valath, the temple was pre-Dravidian temple Kavu. Later the temple was influenced by Buddhism, Jainism and Vaishnavism. In the early days, Paramekkavu Bhagavathi was also inside the Vadakkunnathan temple. But Koodalmanikyam Temple, Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple and Ammathiruvadi Temple, Urakam is older than Vadakkunnathan temple, according to temple documents.[8]Yogiatiripppads
The Nambudiri’s who were looking after the temple affairs were called as Yogiatiripppads. When Kerala Nambudiri’s gained the control, the temple also fell in to their hands. The Yogiatiripppads was elected from the Thrissur desam. Before, Sakthan Thampuran's reign, Yogiatiripppad system was declined. Later the Maharaja of Cochin gained the temple power.Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara is believed to have been born to the Shivaguru and Aryamba couple of Kalady in answer to their prayers before Vadakkunnathan, as amsavatara of the Lord. The couple has observed bhajan for 41 days in the temple. Legend has it that Shiva appeared to both husband and wife in their dreams and offered them a choice. They could have either a mediocre son who would live a long life or an extraordinary son who would die early. Both Shivaguru and Aryamba chose the second option. In honour of Shiva, they named the son Sankara.[9][10] According to legend, Adi Shankara attained videha mukti ("freedom from embodiment") in Vadakkunnathan temple. One tradition, expounded by Keraliya Shankaravijaya, places his place of death as Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur.[11] He also established four Mutts at Thrissur, famously known as Naduvil Madhom, Vadakke Matham, Edayil Matham and Tekke Matham.Invasion of Tipu Sultan
During the invasion of Tipu Sultan, the temple was not attacked by Tipu’s Army. Even though Tipu Sultan destroyed many temples in Thrissur district at that time, he never touched Vadakkunnathan Temple because of its godly power.Structure
The temple is situated in an elevated hillock in the centre of city of Thrissur and is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing an area of nearly 9 acres (36,000 m2). Inside this fortification, there are four gopuras each facing north, south, east and west directions. Between the inner temple and the outer walls, there is a spacious compound, the entrance to which is through gopuras. Of these, the gopuras on the south and north are not open to the public and have to enter either through the east or west gopura. The inner temple is separated from the outer temple by a broad circular granite wall enclosing a broad corridor called Chuttambalam. Entrance into the inner temple is through a passage through the corridor.Deity
The statue of Shiva is in the form of a huge lingam and is not visible. It is covered under a mound of ghee, formed by the daily abhishekam (ablution) with ghee over the years. A devotee looking into the sanctum can now see only a 16-foot-high (4.9 m) mound of ghee embellished with thirteen cascading crescents of gold and three serpent hoods at top. According to traditional belief, this represents the snow-clad Mount Kailash, the abode of Parvathy and Shiva. This is the only temple where Lingam is not visible. It is said that the ghee offered here for centuries does not have any foul odor and it does not melt even during summer.Other deities
In the Nalambalam, there is a shrine dedicated to Lord Vettekkaran (Shiva in a hunter form). In the outer temple there are shrines for Krishna (Gosala Krishna or Krishna as cowherd), Nandikeswara, Parasurama, Simhodara, Ayyappan and Adi Shankara. Located on the verandah of the Nalambalam is a large white bullock Nandikeswara or Nandi bull. In the northern side, there is a circular structure with Shiva facing west. The figure of Parvati faces east and is just behind Shiva in the same shrine. These non-facing installations denote Ardhanarishvara concept. The two-storied rectangular shrine of Rama facing west is located in the south. Between these two srikovils stands a third one, circular and double-storied in shape, which is dedicated to Sankaranarayana and facing west. There are "mukhamandapams" in front of all the three central shrines.[12] The two important murals in the temple, Vasukisayana and Nrithanatha, are worshipped regularly. Ganapathi shrine is positioned facing the temple kitchen and offering of Appam (sweetened rice cake fried in ghee) to Mahaganapathy is one of the most important offerings at the temple. Propitiating Ganapathy here is believed to be a path to prosperity and wealth.Architecture
Murals
The temple is famous for the rarity of the temple murals, of which the Vasukishayana and Nrithanatha murals are of great importance and are worshipped daily.[13] The temple also houses a museum of ancient wall paintings, wood carvings and art pieces of ancient times.[13] A study done by Archaeological Survey of India on two paintings in the temple has revealed that it is 350 years old. These two rare paintings were a reclining Shiva and a Nataraja with 20 arms.Koothambalam
The temple theatre, known as Koothambalam, has no parallel to cite anywhere else in the world. The four magnificent gateways called gopurams and the lofty masonry wall around the temple quadrangle are also imposing pieces of craftsmanship and skill. The Koothambalam is used for staging Koothu, Nangyar Koothu and Koodiyattam, an ancient ritualistic art forms of Central Kerala. According to folklores, before the new Koothambalam was built, there used to be an old and dilapidated structure. The Diwan T. Sankunni Menon ordered to demolish the structure and construct a new Koothambalam. He gave this task to Velanezhy Nambudiri, a famous "Thachushasthranjan". He prepared a mental sketch and built a beautiful Koothambalam there. Velanezhy Illom is in chelakkara, Venganellur gramam.Festivals
Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is the main festival which is celebrated in the temple.[14] Cultural and musical programmes are held in the temple premises. Around one lakh temple lamps are lighted in the festival. The idol of Vadakkumnatha is not taken out for procession.Aanayoottu
The Aanayoottu of feeding of elephants, is the secon biggest festival held in the temple. The devotees refer to elephants as Lord Ganesh's incarnation. The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July. It has been the regular annual practice at the temple for the last 20 years to conduct a large-scale Ashta Dravya Maha Ganapathy Havana and Aanayoottu on the first day of the Karkidakom month of the Malayalam calendar. It involves a number of unadorned elephants being positioned amid a multitude of people for being worshipped and fed. A large number of people throng the temple to feed the elephants. Gajapooja also is conducted once every four years.Thrissur Pooram
One of the most colourful temple festivals of Kerala, Thrissur Pooram is conducted in the temple premises but the temple is not a participant in this festival. There is no special pooja or special offering during the pooram day. The main attraction of the Pooram is the Elanjitharamelam, a two hour Chendavadyam (with five instruments) is held near Koothambalam in the temple, by the top most artists from the state.Names
Shiva here is more popularly known as Vadakkunnathan (Sanskrit Vrishabhachala -Tamil Vidaikunrunathan Vidai - Vrishabha, kunru - chala ). Apart from Lord Shiva, Sree Parvathy, Sree Ganapathi, Lord Sankaranarayana and Sree Rama are enshrined within the nalambalam of the temple. Lord Vettekkaran (Siva in a hunter form) was worshipped inside the nalambalam until 2005, but with a devaprasnam, it was taken back and gave a place at the south-west side of the temple facing east.Temple timings
The temple opens daily at 03:00 AM and closes at 10:30 AM. The temple reopens at 05:00 PM and closes at 8.30 PM after 'Trippuka', the last rite for the day.Transport to Thrissur
Road
Thrissur City is connected to the North-South Corridor National Highway System via the four-laned National Highway 47.[87] The highway traverses through the entire length and breadth of the City from different points and provides access to the nearby cities such of Kochi, Palakkad and Coimbatore. NH 47 provides two main exit points at Mannuthy and Thalore to the Thrissur City. The City is largely dependent on private buses, Taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos) for public transport. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services. Thrissur has three bus stations, the Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur in Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar); the Vadakke Stand (Northern Bus Stand) and the Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station near the Thrissur Railway Station. State Highway (SH 69) Thrissur-Kuttippuram Road, SH 22 Kodungallur - Shornur Road, SH 75 Thrissur - Kanjani - Vadanappally Road are the three state highways which connect city with its suburbs and municipalities.Railway
The Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways operates the main rail transport system in Thrissur. There are four railway stations in Thrissur City. Thrissur Railway Station, one of the busiest stations in Kerala provides trains to three directions and lies on the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It has a satellite station, Poonkunnam Railway Station[88] and two minor stations, Ollur Railway Station and Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station. Thrissur Railway Station also connects to the temple town of Guruvayur by Thrissur-Guruvayur Section. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Thrissur to Kochi and Palakkad using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services (MEMU), with the first services are expected to begin in late 2010 or early 2011 for which works are underway.[89]Air
Thrissur City is served by Cochin International Airport (Nedumbassery), which is about 55 kilometers away. Direct domestic flights are available to major Indian cities like Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. International flights to Middle East cities like Bahrain, Muscat, Sharjah, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha and to Southeast Asian cities Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are available here. It has a dedicated Heli-taxi service and Chartered flights. Calicut International Airport at Karipur, is 80 kilometers from the city and Coimbatore Airport, which is 114 kilometers from the city also can be used by travelers
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection
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