THYAGARAJASWAMY TEMPLE - TIRUVOTRIYUR

 

SRI VAALEESHWARAR  TEMPLE – VAALEEKANDAPURAM – PERAMBALUR - TAMILNADU

HISTORY

There are in total 134 inscriptions in this temple. Twenty inscriptions in the temple indicate that Valeekandapuram was a major commercial centre, during the medieval cholas. It had its own NAGARAM or commercial assembly of local merchants known as the Manigrammattar who were also war lords under the reign of the Chola King Aditya I.(871-907 CE) & King Parantaka I ( 907-955 CE). The temple also contains inscriptions of the great Raja Raja Chola I(947-1014 CE). During the reign of Rajaraja III (1216-1260) the Cholas took the help of two Hoysala generals to curtail the rebellion of a local chieftain.

One of the inscriptions talk about the town being called Kandirapuram after a local chieftain Kandirako in 910 CE & subsequently became Valeekandapuram.

Inside the compound, a small step welled pond and the Darbar hall on the northern side was built during the reign of King Krishna Konar in 1761, who would have ruled post the Madurai Nayak period (1689-1736) from Madurai.

During the 18^th century the Arcot Nawabs  in order to fight with Valeekandapuram erected a fort at Ranjagudi, and during this period a lot of sculptures of the Temple were destroyed.

The temple would have been in existence even before the 8^th century and predates the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Tanjore 1010 CE. If the history of Vaalee praying to Lord Shiva is to be believed ( I believe Ramayana is history and not an epic or Legend) then the Lingam would be nothing short of 7000 years.

The temple had passed through many a dynasties including, the Pallavas, Cholas, Marathas, Vijayanagara, Nayakas to the modern era. However this would have been one of the earliest edifice of the Chola’s, built by Aditya I and Parantaka Chola I, with extensions from the later dynasties.

 

 

LEGEND

Vaalee was the biological son of Vriksharaja and a linage of Indra the God of the Gods, also Being from the Vanara clan monkeys (it could also be Vana Nara, or Jungle man),who ruled from Kishkinda.

So powerful was Vaalee , (equal to the strength of 70000 elephants)that he effortlessly, threw  the  carcass of Doondubi the Rakshasa (in the form of a buffalo, whom he had killed during a fierce battle) many yojana’s in an inebriated state of drunkenness.

 Unfortunately for Vaalee, the carcass  fell in the Ashram of Rishi Matanga in the Rishyamukha hills, thereby incurring the wrath of the Rishi, that if Vaalee set his foot on the hill, he would die.

The arrogant Ravana, after hearing the strength of Vaalee from Narada, challenged Vaalee for a dual. Since Vaalee was in meditation, sugreeva fought with Ravana and was defeated by him. Vaalee coming out of his meditation fought a fierce battle with Ravana. He defeated Ravana and tied him with his tail and carried him under his armpit for years. Raavana had to practically beg for friendship with Vaalee to be released.

Vaalee had a boon from Bramha, which would transfer half of the strength of an opponent to Vaalee in a face to face straight dual fight & hence Shri Rama kills Valee hiding behind 7 Saal Trees with an arrow.

Vaalee dying tells Shri Rama that, had he sought Vaalee’s help he would have got back Rama’s wife even if Raavana had abducted her, by defeating him.

Acording to the epic Ramayana, the place where King Vaalee meditated upon Maheshwar is known as “Valeeshwaram” and the place where Shri Ram met Vaalee before going to Lanka is known as “Valeekandapuram” Vaalee+kanda+Puram or the place where Shri Rama met Vaalee.

TEMPLE

The place, at which The Vanara King Vaalee prayed to Eshwara, stands the Majestic and a huge temple dedicated to Maheshwara known as Shri Vaaleeshwarar with his consort Parvati known as Valambika.

 

The Rajagopuram is a seven tiered monument, which contains SAHASRA gopurams or 1000 gopurams. (See Photos) The entrance through this gopuram leads down four steps with elephants on both sides, into a large compound, where you can find the Balipeedam, Dhwaja Sthambam ( missing Dhwaja) and the 1^st of three  Nandi’s (large) ( Yavana Nandi or adult Bull) in a Mandapam. On the northern side of the compound is the pond with steps known as Saravana  Teertham.

Adjacent to it is the new Darbar Mandapam built by the Krishna Konar in 1761. Crossing this you come to the first of seven mandapams, forming the temple. The first Mandapam consists of the Sanctum Sanctorum of Parvati known as Balambika or Brihannayaki  on an elevated mandapam on the right hand side facing South. Surprisingly behind her sanctum is one portion of the temple, which is bereft of stone and seem to have been completed with bricks, which have survived time. To the other side of the mandapam are kept the broken sculptures of the 18^th century.This mandapam also contains idols of Mahavishnu, Hanuman,Shri Krishna and Bala Vinayagar in a very crude form.

Entering through this mandapam with two huge dwarapalakas you come to six more mandapams including the Mukhamandapam, Ardhamandapam which leads to the sanctum of Mahadev as Vaaleeshwar or Brahmapureeshwarar. The lord sits majestically in the form of a Lingam of about 3 to 4 feet facing east.  In these mandapams in a straight line are two more Nandi’s known as Vaaliba Nandi or youth Nandin & the Bala Nandi or the Child Nandin each in diminishing sizes.

On circumambulation one come in face with the larger than life size statue of Dandayudhapani ( 9 ft approx.) with face in a smile tilted slightly to his left. Exactly opposite is the Sahasra lingam, before the devakoshtha on the walls of the sanctum which contains of Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma & Vishnudurga apart from Chandikeshwara. Towards the back is the sanctum of Vinayaga and Subramania with his consorts. There is also what seems to be the broken idol of Aruna giri nathar. Towards the northern side, is the sanctum of Jyeshtha devi facing Bhairava standing with naga tied around his waist on the opposite end with the Navagraha pedestal in between.