Jakath Rakshaka Perumal temple
| Jagad Rakshaka Perumal Temple | |
|---|---|
Thirukkodaloor | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Thanjavur |
| Deity | |
| Features |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Vadakurangaduthurai, Kumbakonam |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location inTamil Nadu | |
| Geographic coordinates | 10°55′31″N79°12′12″E/ 10.92528°N 79.20333°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
TheJagad Rakshaka Perumal TempleorThirukoodalur(locally calledAduthurai Perumal Temple) in Vadakurangaduthurai, a village in the outskirts ofKumbakonamin the South Indian state ofTamil Nadu,is dedicated to the Hindu godVishnu.Constructed in theDravidian style of architecture,the temple is glorified in theNalayira Divya Prabandham,the early medievalTamilcanon of theAlvarsaints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108Divya Desamsdedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Jakath Rakshaka and his consortLakshmias Pushpavalli.
The temple is believed to have been built by theMedieval Cholasof the late 8th century CE, with later contributions fromVijayanagara kingsandMadurai Nayaks.A brick wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water.
Jakath Rakshaka is believed to have appeared to sage Nandaka and KingAmbarisha.Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Brahmostvam, celebrated during theTamilmonth ofVaikasi(May–June), is the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of theGovernment of Tamil Nadu.
Etymology
[edit]As per Hindu mythology, theasuraHiranyakshaabductedBhumi,the goddess of the earth, and travelled to the netherworld, calledPatala.Vishnu assumed the incarnation ofVaraha,anavatarin the form of a boar to travel to Patala. He split the earth into two parts, and according to the region'ssthala purana,brought the two back atSrimushnam.ThirumangaiAlvarquotes the incident and calls the village as Pugunthaan Oor, meaning the place where Vishnu went inside the earth. Since Vishnu protected the world here, he is called Jagad Rakshaka Perumal (in Tamil as Vaiyam Katha Perumal). The gap seen in the sanctum close to the image of Jagad Rakshaka is believed to be the centre point of earth and alldevascame together to worship him. Since it brought all of them together, an act referred inTamilaskoodal,the village is called Thirukoodalur.[1]
Legend
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As per Hindu legend, KingAmbarishawho immersed himself in the worship of Vishnu, failed to strengthen his army and lost his kingdom. While doing worship, he also did not observe the sageDurvasawho went along his way. The sage got irritated and cursed the king. The king went to Vishnu for rescue, who sent his discus to chase the sage. The sage surrendered to Vishnu and begged pardon. The king Ambarishan is believed to have built the temple and hence the presiding deity is also called Ambarisha Varadhar at this place.[2]
As per another legend, all rivers come to riverKaverifor cleansing themselves. Kaveri wanted to cleanse herself and approached Hindu godBrahma.She is believed to have worshipped Vishnu at this place and got relieved. A parrot which was devoted to Vishnu was shot down in the nearby forest. Vishnu rescued the parrot and appeased him of his previous birth. Thus it is believed that Vishnu descends here for all forms of life. Vishnu is also believed to have appeared for sage Nandaka.[1][3]Since all sages came here and prayed to Vishnu, the place is called Koodalaur (Koodalmeans group).[2]The temple is called Vaiyam Katha Perumal as the presiding deity is believed to have saved the world.[3]
Architecture
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The temple is located four miles away fromAyyampetand is located on Kumbakonam - Tiruvayyaru Road.[4]The temple is believed to have been built by theMedieval Cholasof the late 8th century CE, with later contributions fromVijayanagara kingsandMadurai Nayaks.A brick wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and bodies of water. The central shrine has the image of Jakath Rakshaka Perumal in standing posture. The shrine of the Pushpavalli faces South. The temple has a 3-tieredrajagopuram(gateway tower). There are separate shrines forRamanuja,Alvars,AndalandGaruda.Thevimana,the tower above the sanctum, is called Suddha Satwa Vimana.[1]A chariot called Ambarisha Ratha, renovated byRani Mangammal,was in use until the 1940s, after which it was not used. There is a statue of the queen in the temple.[2]
Religious significance
[edit]Jagad Rakshaka is considered the saviour deity and he is believed to descend for all forms of life in the planet. The temple is revered inNalayira Divya Prabandham,the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, byThirumangai Alvarin one hymn. The temple is classified as aDivya Desam,[5]one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. The temple is associated withKetu,one of theNavagrahas,the nine planet deities of Hinduism. While Vishnu sent hisdiscusto chase the sageDurvasa,the other symbol of him, the conch, got prominence. The conch is believed to have appeared in the jack fruit tree behind the sanctum. Devotees worship theconchin the tree in the temple and during festive occasions, perform special rituals.[1]
Festival and religious practices
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The temple priests perform thepooja(rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to theVaishnavaitecommunity, from theBrahminvarna.The temple rituals are performed six times a day:Ushathkalamat 7 a.m.,Kalasanthiat 8:00 a.m.,Uchikalamat 12:00 p.m.,Sayarakshaiat 5:00 p.m.,Irandamkalamat 6:00 p.m. andArdha Jamamat 7:30 p.m. Each ritual has three steps:alangaram(decoration),neivethanam(food offering) anddeepa aradanai(waving of lamps) for both Jakath Rakshaka and Pushpavalli. During the last step of worship,nagaswaram(pipe instrument) andtavil(percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in theVedas(sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of thetemple mast.There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The Brahmotsavam festival celebrated in theTamil monthofVaikasi(May–June) andVaikuntha Ekadashicelebrated during the Tamil month ofMargali(December–January) are the major festivals celebrated in the temple. Srisukta Homam, a religious practice, is performed in the temple with 108 lotus leaves on full moon days.[1]
References
[edit]- ^abcde"Sri Jakath Rakshaka Perumal temple".Dinamalar.Retrieved9 September2013.
- ^abcR. 1997,p. 481-2
- ^abAyyar 1982,p. 533
- ^Gopalan, Lakshmipuram V. (1972).Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams (108 Tiruppathis Sung by Azhwars): Along with a Selected List of Some Abhimana Sthalams in India.Sri Visishtadvaitha Pracharini Sabha.
- ^"An NGO does its bit for god - and humanity".New Delhi, India: Hindustan Times. 29 April 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 14 April 2018.Retrieved13 April2018.
External links
[edit]- Ayyar, P. V. Jagadisa (1982).South Indian Shrines: Illustrated.New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.ISBN9788120601512.
- R., Dr. Vijayalakshmy (2001).An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam(1st ed.). Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies.
Gallery
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Rajagopura -
Vimana of the presiding deity -
Right prakara -
Left prakara -
Shrine of the goddess -
Shrine of Andal -
Outer wall of the temple
