Kodandarama or Kothandarama Perumal Temple—Madurantakam

The kothandaramar Temple is located on Madurantakam, Kanchipuram district. In the epigraph of Chola king Parantaka I, the temple was called as Ayodhya Perumal Temple and God as Ayoddipperumal.^[1] At present the temple is called as Eri-Katha Ramar Temple (i.e., ‘The one who protected the tank’)^[2]

Place Name Study

Originally Madurantakam was known as Vaghularanyam which means forest of sweet smelling Vahula blossoms. Madu+rantakam, the village which had the boundaries of giving pleasing happiness to heart because of sweet smelling Vahula blossoms, so the village is called as Madurantakam. Another view related with the name Madurantakam is “It is a spot possessing springs that spout water as sweet as nectar”.^[3]

It is also construed that Madurantaka was the one of the title of Chola king Parantaka I, it was named after him as Madurantakam.^[4] Yet another view is that village was named after Madurantaka Uttama Chola. However the occurrence of seventh regnal year lithic record of Parantaka I^[5] at Kothandaramar Temple at Madurantakam ensures that the village was named after Chola King Parantaka I, whereas Madurantaka Uttama Chola lithic record is not found in the temple.

Legend

In one of the incarnation of Vishnu, he is appeared on earth as a human being in name of Rama. He was the eldest son of king Dasaratha of Ayodhya, he was about to be coronate when his stepmother invoked a boon given by the king and had he exiled. According to our epic Ramayana Rama’s stay in the forest; the abduction of his beautiful young wife Sita by the demon king of Sri Lanka, Ravana; Rama’s victory against the demon in Lanka and the rescue of his wife. Rama then assumed the throne of Ayodhya, which is in North India. There are many deeds he performed on the path from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka and his return from Sri Lanka to Ayodhya.

According to the legend connected with this temple, Lord Rama visited the hermitage of sage Vibhandaka during his exile. The sage requested him to return there on his way back to Ayodhya. When he was returning home on his Pushpaka Vimana, it land at this place, to Rama’s puzzlement. Sita remained him of the sage’s request. Lord Rama’s landing from the carriers, lending a hand to Sita to help her down. This is the rare sight that one can see that Rama holding Sita’s hand in this temple. This vision is called hastavalambana (i.e, hands held together). Thus the temple is called as Ayodya Perumal Temple in ancient period which is evidenced from the inscriptions and presently it is called Kodandarama Perumal temple which is the other name of Ayodhya Perumal.^[6]

Another legend connected with this temple is the Brahmaputras (son of Brahma) asked Lord Vishnu how to achieve salvation. He gave them an image of himself in the form of Karnakaramurthy (All merciful) and advised them to meditate upon it at a place called Vibhandakasram in Vaghularanyam, which is the modern Madurantakam. As obeyed, the Brahmaputras installed the image of Karunakaramurthy in the hermitage of Vibhandaka, who attained salvation after worshipping the image. This took place in Krita yugam. Thus the idol of Karunakaramurthy is seen in the garbhagarha.^[7]

Inscriptions

The Kodandarama Perumal temple consists of five epigraphs, belongs to the Chola period. The earliest inscription assigned to Parantaka I.^[8] The lithic record of Parantakadeva dated in the seventh regnal year, on the south wall of the Kodandarama shrine at Madurantakam registers a gift of land to the temple of Ayodha Perumal.

The inscription dated in his third regnal year of Rajakesarivarman alias Tribhuvana Chakravartin kulottunga Chola Deva on the west wall of the central shrine in the Kodandarama Perumal Temple at Madurantakam refers to the gift of areca nut garden for maintain two lamps.^[9] Another inscription on the north wall of the central shrine in the Kodandarama Perumal Temple pertaining to Parakesarivarman alias Tribhuvana Chakravartin Vikrama Choladeva dated in his ninth regnal year mentions about the gift of money.^[10] Yet another inscription of Vikrama Choladeva dated in his seventh regnal year records that four padagam of temple land has been brought under the cultivation by a certain lady for providing offering to god Tiru-Ayoddipperumal.^[11]

Finally a lithic record on a beam of the mandapa in front of the Amman shrine states that the Amman (Tayar) shrine in the temple is gift of Lionel Place, the Jahir collector of the East India Company.^[12]

The Components and Architectural Features of the Temple

The kodandarama Perumal Temple facing towards east. The temple comprises garbagraha, ardhamandapa, mahamandapa, gayathri mandapa, mukhamandapa, dwajasthampa, balipitha and gopura in an axial line. There is a separate shrine for Goddess Janakavalli and Goddess Andal.

The square garbagraha is adorned with Kodandarama Perumal bearing bow, accompanied with his consort Sita and lakshmana in standing posture. [G.P.No.1] The bronze images of Lord Rama, Karunakara, Sridevi and Bhudevi is also seen in the garbhagaraha. The garbagraha is followed by empty ardhamandapa [G.P.No.2]. The entrance of the ardhamandapa is flanked with two dwarapalakas on either side. The ardhamandapa is followed by mahamandapa [G.P.No.3] lead to the pillared verandah or inner prakara [G.P.No.4]. The mahamandapa is followed by pillared mandapa called as Gayathri mandapa [G.P.No.5]. The Gayathri mandapa is followed by open pillared mukhamandapa enshrined with Garudalwar [G.P.No.6 & 6a] in standing posture with anjali hasta facing towards god in the garbagraha. Open pillared mandapa is followed by dwajasthampa [G.P.No.7] and balipitha [G.P.No.8] and leads to the prakara [G.P.No.9]. South east corner of the prakara is adorned with temple office [G.P.No.10], shrine for Chakrathaalwar [G.P.No.11], shrine for Vedantha Desikar [G.P.No.12], shrine for Alwars [G.P.No.13]. Southern side of the prakara leads to the nathavanam (garden) adorned with Vasantha mandapa [G.P.No.14]. The south western corner is adorned with separate shrine for Goddess Janakavalli Thayar [G.P.No.15] with garbagraha, ardhamandapa and pillared Mukhamandapa. The north western corner of the prakara is adorned with shrine for Andal [G.P.No.18] with garbagraha and ardhamandapa. Sthalaviriksha tree (Vaghula tree) [G.P.No.16] and small four pillared mandapa [G.P.No.17] where Ramanujar was given Pancha Samskaram (initiation) by his teacher Periyanambigal is seen closer to the Andal shrine. The north eastern side of the prakara is adorned with shrine for Periya Nambi [G.P.No.19], Lakshmi Narashimar [G.P.No.20] and mandapa [G.P.No.21] which leads to the main entrance [G.P.No.22] with five tiers gopura. The temple is surrounded by highly raised madhil adorned with Garudalwar on the four corners. The temple tank [G.P.No.23] is situated outside gopura (Plate 1). Vahana mandapa [G.P.No.25] is seen eastern side of the temple entrance. There is shrine for Anjaneya [G.P.No.24] in the south eastern corner of the temple tank.

Janakavalli Thayar Shrine

The note worthy feature of the place is the Madurantakam Tank which is constructed across the river Kiliyar which rises in the hill at Wandewash. Formerly there were two tanks and they were converted into one large tank by Lionel Place, collector of the Chinglepet district in 1796. During the period 1795-1999, a British officer named Colonel Lionel Place, was the collector of Chenglepet district, who had witnessed the devastation caused by two breaches to a huge water tank that still existed in Madurantakam. With an area of 13 square miles and depth of 21 feet, the length of the tank bound is 12,960 feet. As it is rain fed, the danger of a beach become all too real during the monsoon season. Coveting to take preventative action in 1798, collector Place decided to be prepared campaign in Madurantakam to handle an emergency. During his campaign, he happened to see a large collection of granite and other stones in the precincts of the Rama Temple, he immediately instructed his subordinates to use them to strengthen the tank walls. Hearing this the temple priest explained him that the stones were actually meant for building a separate shrine for Goddess Janakavalli Amman, but work had not start since there was a lack of funds. On hearing this Collecter then asked in jest, “Why does your Lord, who is not able to save the tank each year, need a separate shrine for his consort?” The priest replied that the Lord “always answered a prayer from the heart”. Soon after, the Collector left was saying that he definitely would not be wanting in prayers to the Lord. Such was his desire to save the tank.

The rain came and filled the tank to the brim, and a breach seemed imminent. That night the worried Collector camped near the tank, hoping that the walls would hold. Suddenly he saw an astonishing sight that two warriors bearing bow and quiver of arrow, guarding the tank. The British Collector Colonel Place, went down on his knees and prayed, he become conscious that the figures were none other than Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana. When those who were accompanying him saw him on his knees, they rushed to his side assuming he was ill. After a while the vision disappears and the rain stopped. He described the amazing sight he had seen, to the village people. And then Colonel Place took it upon himself to build a shrine for Goddess Janakavalli Amman.

Thus Lord Rama in Madurantakam came known as “Eri katha Ramar” and the temple as “Eri katha Ramar koil”.^[13] This is inscribed as the inscription on a beam of the mandapa in front of the Amman shrine.^[14]

Ramanuja Pancha Samskaras (Plate 20)

This is the place where the great vaishnavite saint Ramanuja was received initiation by his Guru Periya Nambigal. On the death of Sri Alavandar in Srirangam, saint Periya Nambi went towards Kanchipuram in search of Ramanuja to appoint as the successor. It so happened that two meet at Madurantakam. It was under the Vaghula tree that Periya Nambi initiated Ramanuja the five sacraments called Pancha Samskaras or Samasranyanam called Mantropadesam(divine syllable) namely Taapam (branding the conch and discuss on the shoulder), Pundram (donning the Lord’s feet on twelve parts of the body), Naman (submitting to the guru), Mantram (learning sacred ‘strings’ of words and uttering them) and yagam (doing pujas to the God everyday). At present there is a four pillared mandapa in this temple under Vaghula tree where Ramanuja was given Pancha Samskaram. Thus is temple is also called as “Dvayam Vilindha Tirupathy”^[15]

Pujas Festivals

The major festival of the temple is the Ramanavami festival, which commemorates the birth of Rama. Ani Brahmostavam celebrated during the month of Aani (July-Agust) and panchasamskaram festival to commemorate the sanctification of Ramanuja.^[16]

Sculptures: Kodandarama Perumal, Sita and Lakshmana (plate.3)

The sculptures of Kodandarama Perumal, Sita and lakshmana are enshrined in the garbagraha. They are standing in padmapitha. Kritamakuta decorates their head. Kodandarama and Lakshmana bearing bow in their left hand and arrow in their right hand. Kodandarama is accompanied with his consort Sita by holding her left hand. Sita holds parrot in her left hand and right hand is in lola hasta.

Dwarapalakas (Plate4a)

The entrance of the ardhamandapa is flanked with two dwarapalakas on either side. Dwarapalaka on the southern side stands in dwibhanga posture. The Kritamakuta adorn his head. Off his four hands, the upper right Chakra and left holds Sanka and the lower left palm is placed on the danda and the lower right is in susi hasta. His legs were firmly footed on patra pitha He wears kuntalas in his ears, haras in his neck a thick Yajnopavitha passes through his knee. The wide opened eyes and the protruding teeth present a ferocious look.

The northern Dwarapala also stands in dwibhanga posture. His head is adorned with Kritamakuta. Off his four hands, the upper right Chakra and left holds Sanka and the lower right is palm placed on the danda and the lower left is in susi hasta. His legs were firmly footed on patra pitha He wears kuntalas in his ears, haras in his neck a thick Yajnopavitha passes through his knee. The wide opened eyes and the protruding teeth present a ferocious look.

Bronzes: Karunakara Perumal, Sridevi, Bhudevi (Plate 18a)

The bronze images of Karunakara Perumal, along with his consorts Sridevi and Bhudeviare enshrined as uttchava deities. The bronze image of Perumal is standing in a samabhanga posture on Padmapitha. He is wearing kritamakuta. His Lower right hand is in abayahaasta and left in varadhahasta. The upper hand holds sanka and the upper left hand holds chakra.

Sridevi and Bhudevi were enshrined in standing posture on Padmapitha. They wears kritamakuta. Their one hand is in lola hasta and other bears flower. They were decorated with ornaments.

Kodandarama Perumal, Sita, Lakshmana (Plate 18b)

The bronze inages of Kodandarama Perumal, Sita and lakshmana are enshrined in the garbagraha. They are standing in padmapitha. Kritamakuta decorates their head. Kodandarama and Lakshmana bearing bow in their left hand and arrow in their right hand. Kodandarama is accompanied with his consort Sita by holding her left hand. Sita holds parrot in her left hand and right hand is in lola hasta.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A.R.E.,391 of 1922.

[2]:

Sree Eri-Katha Ramar Sthalavaralaru, Madurantakam,1967, p.1.

[3]:

Anantharaman, Ambujam, Temples of South India, Chennai, 2009,pp. 184-185.

[4]:

A.R.E., 735 of 1905.

[5]:

A.R.E.,391 of 1922.

[6]:

Anantharaman, Ambujam, op.cit., pp. 184-185; Murali, G.Sa., Tamilaga Tirumal Sthalangal (Tamil), Chennai,1998, p.368.

[7]:

Anantharaman, Ambujam, op.cit., pp. 184-185.

[8]:

A.R.E.,126 of 1986.

[9]:

A.R.E., 262 of 1901.

[10]:

A.R.E., 263 of 1901.

[11]:

A.R.E., 391 of 1922.

[12]:

A.R.E., 392 of 1922.

[13]:

Goplakrishnan, M., op.cit., pp.13-14.

[14]:

A.R.E.,392 of 1922.

[15]:

Anantharaman, Ambujam, op.cit, pp. 184-185.

[16]:

Madhavan, Chitra, Vishnu Temples of South India, Vol.II , New Delhi, 2008, pp.85-89.