PARASHURAMESHWAR TEMPLE PART 2 - GUDIMALLAM

PARASHURAMESHWAR TEMPLE – ANDHRA PRADESH – CHITTOOR – GUDIMALAM – Part 2

The Temple contains a very early LINGA with a full-length figure of SHIVA, housed in the GARBHAGRIHA of the temple. This is one of the earliest LINGA associated with SHIVA discovered so far, and it has been dated to the 2nd/1st century BCE. This is "the only sculpture  to survive from ancient South India, before sculpture’s were made under the Pallava Dynasty around the 6^th- 7th century Current Era.

 

Nothing similar to the lingam or any object similar to it, exists within many hundred miles of the temple or anywhere in South India making it unique and  mysterious. If assigned an early date, the figure on the linga is ""one of the earliest surviving and unequivocal images of the god Shiva".

 

The LINGAM was, discovered by  Mr. T.A.Gopinatha Rao an ASI archaeologist , a few years  before he published it in 1916. The LINGAM is carved out of a hard dark brown local stone. It is over 5 ft high and slightly above a foot in diameter on the main shaft. The Lingam in itself is in the shape of the male reproductive organ and the head is clearly differentiated from the shaft by being wider, with a deep slanting groove cut about a foot from the top of the Linga.

Divinely sculpted:A third century BCE idol of Lingodbhava, Mahadeva Shiva, the first of its kind  is found in South India, at Gudimallam temple in Chittoor district  in Andhrapradesh. The Siva Linga is installed in the garbhagriha of the Parasurameswara Temple or the other way,the Garbhagriha was created around the SHIVALINGAM . The figure of Siva is intended to show a hunter. The Deity holds a small vessel (Kamandalu) in his left hand. There is a battle axe (Parasu) resting on his left shoulder.On the right hand, he holds a ram by its hindlegs and ram's head hangs downwards. He stands atop an APASMARA PURUSHA (Spiritual Ignorance) or MUYALAGAN  in tamil.

 

The shaft of the linga is seven-sided monolithic SHIVA LINGAM (Savedika Linga) indicating seven tongues of sacred fire or seven phases of the effulgent SUN (metaphoric representation of the SUN riding a chariot drawn by seven horses). It Could also be a representation of AGNIRUDRA?The Shiva Lingam, measuring about five feet (1.35 meter) in height and one feet in diameter is housed in the prime sanctum. 

In the excavators note -Indian Archaeology 1973-74 "The rectangular pitha, evidently a later one, found to be in two pieces fitted to the linga from either ends, was removed.The stumpy dwarf figure has certain unique features as the elephant legs and shrunken body. The linga shaft is square at the bottom and is fixed into two concentric rings (lower one 72 cm in diameter, and the upper 55 cm) of original platform (pitha), simulating the yoni, of brownish sandstone with finely polished surfaces.

The Shiva Lingam is believed to be the manifestation of the Hindu Trinity; Brahma manifests at the bottom; Vishnu at the mid-part and Shiva on top. The Shiva Lingam depicts the tall and wide bana. The Linga is openly set up within the square base. The square base is surrounded by a low three barred railings on slabs and the top railings found damaged and now replaced with new slabs during renovation. The bana and the peeta alone are considered as the most ancient form and all the remaining structural augmentations are later additions by rulers of various dynasties.

Cut in the shape of the male Phallus, with a groove cut about one foot from top of the bana, it houses the image of SHIVA in the form of a hunter. Built with perfect anatomical features, the abdomen upwards in the form of a Bull’s head, maybe representing NANDIN. The image is radiating an abundance of vitality and energy standing in STHANAKA posture, firmly on the shoulders of “Apasmarapurusha”`  (Spiritual ignorance Yaksha). His face is peaceful and serene and smiling. The two armed idol exhibits both hands keep hanging loosely. His right hand holds the dead ram by the hind legs and his left hand also holds a globular pot (like toddy pot) and it also steadies the long thick battle axe (PARASHU) (the AXE dangling from his left shoulder),at its handle. The image of the hunter represents the VEDIC representation of MAHADEV in the concept of RUDRA.

The Hunters hair is braided with many plaits and are crowned in a bun type on his head known as JATABHARA. Long ring shaped Kundalas with ingots adorn both his elongated ear-lobes. Elaborately decked with jewels in the form of a necklace,  arm bands and huge sized beaded Kangan’s or bracelets on both his wrists, Girdle belt, thin garment worn around the waist decoratively pleated. On missing detail is that of the Yagnopavitham or sacred thread.

https://www.omdhara.org/Blog/SHIVA-%E2%80%93-THE-CONNECTION-OF-SHIVA-WITH-THE-LINGAM---BANA---GUDIMALLAM/80

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cMqbGkQxf511fvxS7