SHIVA - THE COSMIC DANCER

  Pallava Cave Temple - Kurangu Anil Muttam – Kanchipuram.   HISTORY It would not be over exaggerating to say that the Pallava’s created the earliest stone edifices in Tamilnadu. The Pallava Dynasty, Starting from Mahendravarman Pallavan I (600-630 CE) ruled mainly the northern part of modern Tamilnadu that included the Tondaimandalam region consisting of the North & South Arcot along with Nellore and Chittoor districts and included Chennai, between the 6 th to the 9 th Century current era. An estimation of about 172 Temples of the pallava period seems to have existed out of which about 65 are in the form of Rock cut Cave temples. The earliest of the Rock – Cut –Cave Temples depicting a host of art and sculpture on stone are from Mandagapattu, Pallavaram, Mamandur, Vallam, Mahendravadi, Dalavanur, Tiruchirappalli, Siyamangalam, Vilappakkam, Aragandanallur, Tirukkalukunram, Singaperumal- koil , Singavaram, Melacheri, Kuranganilmuttam, Saluvankuppam, Kilmavalingai and the c

  Vyagharapureeshwarar Temple – Thirupulivanam - Kanchipuram ABSTRACT   About 6 Kms before Uthiramerur, on the route from Kanchipuram is the village Called ThiruPuliVanam, which majestically boasts of a temple, the Garbhagriha of which enshrines a Shiva Linga, which has been worshipped by the Great Saint Vyagharapada.   The term Thirupulivanam is derived from the Tamil words Thiru = Shri, Puli – Tiger and Vanam = Forest.   Rishi Vyagharapada (Limbs of a tiger) is also known as Pulikal Muni in Tamil.The place was also known as Vyagharapuravanam of the “forest of Tiger”. Vyaghara in Sanskrit is also Tiger.   One of the inscriptions in the temple names the place as Jayamkonda Chozhamandalathu Kazhiyur kottathu thaniyur Sri Rajendra Chozha Chaturvedi Mangalam. 3 TIERED RAJAGOPURAM     KEYWORDS     Pallava’s, Chola’s, Vyagharapada, Thirupulivanam, Nandin, Ananda Tandava, Thillai forest, Chidambaram, Nayanar’s,

  Kailasanathar Temple - Kanchipuram     The Kailasanathar temple is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram. It is 75 KMs from chennai. The architecture of this temple has been a model not only to many of the south indian temples,but also to temples in cambodia including the Angkorwat. It was perhaps the first temple to be built in stone. Earlier to this, temples were built with wooden structure( which would not last 2000 years) or engravings on rocks, as in cave temples.     It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and was built from 685 - 705 AD by Rajasimha (Narasimhavarman II) ruler of the Pallava dynasty. The temple is built with sandstone on a granite base.     The outer side of the entire inner compound contains 58 smaller shrines with cubicles adjascent to them. There are also 8 cubicles on the Façade. The walls are engraved with sculpture's dedicated to various forms of Shiva ( Sukhasanmurthi, Umamaheshwara and somaskanda) along with a Shiva Linga. This fenced   wall of mini

 Dharmeshwarar Temple – Manimangalam - Chennai Manimangalam a small town 10 KM’s away from Tambaram towards Padapppai, has great historical relevance. The town was known as Chaturvedimangalam after kings had donated the lands to Brahmins studying the four vedas to do pooja’s and yagna regularly. The town is very significant for the battle fought between the Pallava king Narasimha Varman I and the Chalukya King Pulikesi II in the 7th Century AD. Narasimha Varman defeated and annihilated the Army of the Chalukyas. In the battle Mahendra Varman (father of Narasimha) was badly wounded, but Narasimha with his lieutenant Paranjyothi Vanquished Pulikesi’s army thereby preventing the advent of Chalukyas into Tamilnadu. The relevance of this Manimangalam battle is written by Kalki in his novel "Sivagamiyin Sabadam". Sri Dharmeshwarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Goddess is Vedambika. The temple was constructed by the Kulothunga  Chola and has a Gajaprishtha Vimana. The te

  KARCHAPESHWAR TEMPLE - KANCHIPURAM The Karchapeshwar temple is dedicated to lord Shiva, being prayed by lord Vishnu in the form of Karchapa ( Tortoise). Legend has it that during the churning of the ocean of milk for the nectar of immortality, the mount Meru was slipping and sinking into the ocean. Lord Vishnu in the form of a tortoise (Kurma Avatar) held the mountain on his back. In order to enhance his failing strength, he prayed to Lord Shiva & this temple depicts this entire sequence of the bhakti rasa. The temple was built in the 7th century by the pallavas and later extended by the Chola's and Vijayanagara Kings. The main deity (lord Shiva in the form of a Linga) of this temple is called as Karchapeswarar. The goddess is called as Soundarambikai. The temple has a five tiered Raja gopuram (temple tower) and about 5 acres area. The temple also houses other idols such as Saraswati, Ganesha, Chadurmukeswarar, Sastha and Bhairav. There are four shrines of Lord Shiva around