We have Sun Dial designed by the kings for the Public in India.
A Temple in Tamil Nadu has a Pillar that shows the time of the day.
Margabandhu (Co-Traveler), a Form of Lord Shiva, Temple in Vrinchipuram near Vellore,Tamil Nadu has two Pillars in the Temple Prakara.
Mrgabandhu Temple Pillar.
They have numerals marked.
Insert a Stcik in the hole provided.
The shadow of the stick falls on the numeral.
It is the time of the day.
i am informed that it is in disrepair now.
Information is welcome..
Margabandheeswarar Temple
Main deity: Margabandheeswarar, east facing Goddess: Maragathambihai, east facing Sthala Vruksham: Palm Theertham: Simha Theertham, Sooli Theertham and Brahma Theertham Sung by: Appayya Dikshithar, Thirumoolar, Pattinathar, Appar, Sambhandhar, Arunagiri nadhar and many others
The Temple is 1300 years old.
Adi Shankaracharya had done the Beejakshara Pradhishtai to the Simha theertham of the temple.
Location.
In the Chennai-Bangalore highway, after Vellore bypass, proceed for another 10 Km till a place called Sedhuvalai and turn right for Virinchipuram. The temple is about a km from the Sedhuvalai junction.
About Three hours drive from Chennai.
Benefits of worship.
Taking a dip at the Simha theertham here will remove the evil effects of bad omens
The childless couples take dip in all the three theerthams of the temple, stay overnight with the wet cloth to receive the Lord in their dream and get the boon of a child.
Since Lord Shiva of this temple protected the pepper merchant Dhanabalan, the business people can have this Lord Shiva as the protector for their business.
Since Lord Shiva had conducted the Upanayanam and Dikshai to Lord Brahma here, this is a holy place to have Upanayanams, to get Dikshai and to start education
The last sunday of the Karthigai month is considered very auspicious since on that day, Lord Shiva appeared as an elderly person and conducted Upanayanam for Lord Brahma as Shivasarma.
By worshipping here, people get their marriage obstacles removed and get their marriages conducted here.
Dowry, the amount paid to the Bridegroom by the Bride’s parents does not have the sanction of the Vedas or Smriti.
How ever this practice was an is being followed in certain communities in India.
The term Kanyadan , name for marriage, from the brides side , means gifting the Virgin Girl.
Virinchipuram Maragathambihai samedha Margabandheeswarar temple near Vellore, Tamil Nadu
The term Panikgrahana from the Bridegroom’s side means ‘Holding the hand’
This practice of dowry has played havoc in many a girl’s life.
This obnoxious practice seems to have been in existence .at least, before 1300 AD.
And people were concerned.
Kanyddaan, Gifting the Daughter.
To such an extent an edict, sanctioned by the King and signed by the Brahmins find a place in a Temple’s inscription in Tamil.
”
A Tamil Inscription from Margabandeswarar Temple in Virinchipuram offers some respite for DOWRY, THE SOCIAL CURSE that has vexed Brahman community during the reign Devaraya II (reigned 1432–46), Vijayanagara emperor.
Agreement against Dowry by Brahmanas of the kingdom of Padaividu
This inscription refers to the Brahmana Dharma (Sacred Law of Brahmans) and specific reference to the Brahmanas of the kingdom of Padaividu (town of Padavedu – previously known as Padaividu – now in the Polur Taluk, Thiruvannamalai district) including Karnataka, Tamil, Telugu and Lata (the old name of Gujarat) Brahmanas. An agreement, signed by the representatives of Brahmanas of the kingdom of Padaividu , vouch to conduct marriages in their families as mere ‘Kanyadhana.’ – the part of the marriage ceremony where the bride’s father only gives away the bride to the bridegroom”
..
Inscription inside the front gopura of the Virinchipuram Temple
(No.56 Inside the front gopura of the Virinchipuram temple, second inscription to the right: III – Inscriptions at and near Virinchipuram. Tamil and Grantha Inscriptions. South Indian Inscriptions)
Tamil Text
சுபமஸ்து. ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ . ஸ்ரீமன் மகா ராஜாதிராஜ பரமேசுவரரான ஸ்ரீ வீரபிர
தாப தேவராய மகாராஜர் ப்ரித்விராஜ்யம் பண்ணி அருளானின்ற சகாப்தம்
1347ழின் மேல் செல்லானின்ற விஸ்வாசு வருஷம் பங்குனி மாதம் 3க்கு
சஷ்டியும் புதன்கிழமையும்பெற்ற ஆநுசத்து நாள், படைவீட்டு இராஜ்யத்து
அஸேஷவித்யமஹாஜநங்களும் அகர்கபுஷ்கரணி கோபிநாத ஸன்னதியிலே
தர்ம ஸ்தாபந மையபத்ரம் பண்ணி குடுத்தபடிஇற்றைய நாள்முதலாக இந்த படைவீட்டு ராஜ் யத்து பிராமணரில்
கன்ன(டி)கர் தமிழர் தெலுங்கர் இலாளர் முதலான ஆஸேஷ கோத்திரத்து
அஸேஷசூத்தரத்தில் அஸேஷகையிலவர்களும் விவாஹம் பண்ணுமிடத்து,
கன்னியாதானமாக விவாஹம் பண்ணக் கடவராகவும் கன்னியாதானம்
பண்ணாமல் பொன் வாங்கி பெண் கொடுத்தால், பொன் கொடுத்து விவாஹம்
பண்ணினால், ராஜ தண்டத்துக்கும் உட்பட்டு பிராமண்யத்துக்கும்
புறம்பாகக் கடவரென்று பண்ணின தர்ம ஸ்தாபன மைய பத்ரம்; இப்படிக்கு
அஸேஷ வித்ய மகாஜனங்கள் எழுத்து
TranslationLet there be Prosperity! Hail! On the day of (the nakshatra) Anusham (Anuradha Star constellation) which corresponds to Wednesday, the sixth lunar day, the 3rd (solar day) of the month of Panguni (Tamil Calendar month) of the Visvavasu (Tamil Calendar year) year, which was current after the Saka (Shalivahana calendar) year 1347 (had passed), while the illustrious maharajadhiraja-parameswara, the illustrious Virapratpa-Devaraya-maharaja was pleased to rule the earth,-the great men of all branches of sacred studies of the kingdom (rajyam) of Padaividu drew up, in the presence of (the god) Gopinatha (of) Arkapushkkarini, a document (which contains) an agreement fixing the sacred law. According to (this document), if the Brahmanas of this kingdom (rajyam) of Padaividu, viz., Kannadigas, Tamilas, Telungas, Ilalas, etc.,of all gotras, sutras, and sakhas conclude a marriage, they shall, from this day forward, do it by kanyadana. Those who do no adopt kanyadana, i.e., both those who give away after having received gold, and those who conclude a marriage after having given gold, shall be liable to punishment by the king and shall be excluded from the community of Brahmanas. These are the contents of the document which was drawn up.
The following are the signatures of the great men of all branches of sacred studies:-
Virinchipuram Maragathambihai samedha Margabandheeswarar temple is located near Vellore town in the Chennai-Bangalore Highway.
The east facing temple is around 1300 years old and is very rich in extraordinary sculptures and artistic pillars.
The legend is found in Arunachala Puranam, Siva Rahasiyam, Kanchi puranam and many other holy books . Aadhi Shankaracharyar did the Beejakshara Pradhishtai to the Simha theertham of the temple.
The temple was venerated by Thirumoolar, Pattinathar, Thirugnana Sambhandhar, Appar, Arunagirinadhar,
Appayya Dikshithar and few others.
The holy tree is palm and the holy water tanks include Simha Theertham, Sooli Theertham and Brahma Theertham.
Many Hindu Temples have Stone Pillars that produce sound, the Seven Notes, Sa, Ri,Ga, Ma, Pha,Dha, and Ni.
For example we have this pillar in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple,Suseendram Sthanumalaya temple.
What makes the Vanmutti Sinivasa Temple near Mayiladuthurai is that the Idol of Hanuman produces these sounds.
Hanuman Kozhikothi
To my knowledge this is the only Temple Idol that produces these sounds.
”
There is a separate shrine for Lord Anjaneya [Hanuman] in the temple. Normally a devotee will find the shrine closed on three sides and the facing side only open. But in this kshetra one can see the back portion of the Lord also. Lord Hanuman’s tail is seen raised till His head and there is a small bell in end of the tail.
The Lord is seen standing is a ‘ullasa bhava’ with His left leg slightly folded in a easy way and His right leg is seen secured to the ground. Thandai adorns the lotus feet of the Lord. Wearing a katcham, over which a uthriyam is tightly fastened over which there is a weast ornament. The two palms are held together in a ‘pranam’ posture. His adorns ‘kankanam’ in wrists, ‘keyuram’ in the upper arm, and bhujavalaya on shoulders. Lord is seen wearing ‘yagyopaveetham’ and His neck is adorned with five different types of mala. He is seen wearing ‘kundala’ in His ears which is crowned with ‘karna puspha’ and His kesa is neatly tied with a ornamental ‘kesa bandha’. Lords ‘pingaksha’ is bright large and glowing bestowing benovalance to the devotee.
Sapthaswara Sri Anjaneya
The Lord Sri Anjaneya of this kshetra is known as ‘Sapthaswara Sri Anjaneya’. While it is known in archeology that many temples in Bharath have pillers which can produce musical tones. In all these cases there will be different pillers to produce each note. But as a peculiar case this Lord Anjaneya produces all the seven notes of ‘sa ri ga ma pa tha ni ‘when tapped at different places of the deity. This is a unique feature of this deity and probably only one in Bharat.”
Lord Srinivasa.
But there is another deity of Sri Vishnu in Athi wood in a place called Kozikuthi near Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu. This deity is known by the name Sri Srinivasa Perumal. In Tamil He is known as Sri Vanamutti Perumal. This presiding deity gives dharshan to the devotees all through the year. He is the only deity in the world who is carved out of a single Athi tree and is twenty feet tall.
Taking bath in the temple Teertha cures skin diseases
How to Reach Kozhikuthi.
Airport.Tiruchi,Tamil Nadu.
Railway Station.Mayiladuturai J Rail Way Station , Nidur Rail Way Station are the very nearby railway stations to Kozhikuthi. How ever Thanjavar Rail Way Station is major railway station 74 KM near to Kozhikuthi
Bus Station.Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam.Buses are available.
Srirangam,Tamil Nadu, is considered as the Bhooloka Vaikuntam, the Abode of Lord Vishnu and is the First Divya Desam of Sri Vaishnavas.
A Photo essay of Srirangam down the memory lane since 1868.
Year: 1868 : LYON EDMUND DAVID : On the left, on entering the Gateway…a stone staircase leads to the top, from which a general view of the whole interior of the pagoda is obtained. The houses seen below are those of the Brahmins, of whom 8,000 are said to live inside the walls. The tall Gateways or Gopuras in the centre, mark entrances into the inner Courts on the south side, while the corresponding Gateways on the north side are seen in the distance on the left; the large Gopura on the right marks the entrance to the Horse Court. This pagoda contains upwards of twenty of these Pyramidal Gateways – See more at: http://srirangamtoday.com/srirangamtemple_oldrarephotos.html#sthash.emW3LPIm.dpuf
Year: 1868 : Photograph from an album of 41 albumen prints by Edmund David Lyon, showing the Hall of a Thousand Columns at the Ranganatha temple in Srirangam. Lyon’s ‘Notes to Accompany a Series of Photographs Prepared to Illustrate the Ancient Architecture of Southern India’, edited by James Fergusson, gives the following description: ‘Exactly opposite the Portico with the richly carved horsemen pillars… is a portico or Hall, said to contain 1,000 pillars. Such halls are far from being uncommon in Southern temples, some containing really 1,000 pillars, each of a single slab of granite. Owing, however, to the omission of several in the centre, this one possesses only 980, which support a roof nearly six feet in thickness. It is in this hall that pilgrims meet, during the great festival in January, when the god is exhibited to thousands of ecstatic devotees – See more at: http://srirangamtoday.com/srirangamtemple_oldrarephotos.html#sthash.emW3LPIm.dpuf
You must be logged in to post a comment.