Sri Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Thirukovil ~ Dusi Mamandur

The Battle of ‘  Wandiwash ’ (don’t get carried away it is our present day Vandavasi only)  was a decisive battle in India during the Seven Years' War. The Count de Lally's army, burdened by a lack of naval support and funds, attempted to regain the fort at Vandavasi.  He was attacked by Sir Eyre Coote's forces and decisively defeated. The French general Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau and the French were then restricted to Pondichéry, where they surrendered on 16 January 1761.   This was the Third Carnatic War fought between the French and the British.   This is no post on history and wars ~ but on my ancestral village*

The Pallava Empire was the largest and most powerful South Asian state in its time, ranking as one of the glorious empires of world history. The Pallavas gained prominence after the eclipse of the Satavahana dynasty.   The history of Pallavas depicts continued war of ascendance with Chalukya empire.   Of the many Kings, Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) was very prominent and it was during regime, Pallavas fougth Chalukyas – Pulikesi – the Vengi wars.  Mahendravarman was succeeded to the throne by his more famous son Narasimhavarman I. Narasimhavarman 1 fondly known as ‘maamallan’ shared his father’s love of art and completed the work started by Mahendravarman in Mahabalipuram.

Pallava Kings were patrons of Srivaishnavism and built many temples for Sriman Narayana.  There are references to Pallava Kings in divyaprabandham too.  Pallavas for a major part of their tenure ruled from Kanchi.    From ancient times, our lives are intrinsically mingled with temples which are the torch bearers of our glorious heritage – the hindu way of life. Obeisance to God, Acharyas and those involved in temple work is our primordial duty.  Kanchipuram has been the repository of many magnificent temples. There are several big temples and for Vaishnavaites “PerumalKovil” would mean the temple of Lord Devarajar – AthigiriArulalar.

Temples in kanchipuram are torchbearers of the glorious heritage of the Kanchipuram District and are repositories of the magnificient art forms that evolved over several centuries. The city famous for silk sarees is called as "City of 1000 Temples" and a famous Sanskrit poem ascribes it as ‘nagareshukanchi’ – the best of the cities. One of the oldest cities in South India, this has been a learning centre for linguists. It reached its pinnacle of glory during the regime of Pallava dynasty and served as its capital. This area is also known as thondaimandalam in tune with Thondaimans who ruled this land and have had constructed many temples of yore.

There are many important places in and around Kanchipuram and as you travel from Kanchi to Vandavasi / Cheyyar, you would cross the SalaiKinaru (from where thirumanjanatheertham for Devarajar was brought), Iyengarkulam, Palar bridge, Dhoosi, you would come to the hamlet ‘Mamandur’ – known as Dhoosi Mamandur due to its proximity to Dusi. This village has a big reservoir and is about 3 km away from Palar and about 8-9 km away from Kanchipuram. Legend has it that Lord VaradharajaPerumal used to visit this place on every Chitra Pournami day.  Though not much of water could be found in Palar these days, it is a river which rises in Kolar and flows through Andhra and enters Tamilnadu before confluencing into Bay of Bengal at Vayalur. One of its main tributaries is Cheyyar river.

In the Mamandur village stands the majestic grandeur Lord Arulmigu Sundaravalli Thayar samedha Lakshmi Narayana Perumal. This is a temple of more than 300 years old and has rich history with many vidhwans hailing from this place. Many Sampradhaya periyavars have told that many of the Nalayira Divyaprabandha adhikaris hailed from this hamlet of DhusiManandur. The temple is not big and during my visit few years back, it certainly was craving for immediate renovation.

The temple though was maintained very well and the Idols were decorated beautifully, thanks to the efforts of Battar. It is apparent that this village which should have shone in splendour had lost its sheen over the years as many had sought greener pastures and shifted to Chennai and thence to various other cities. Probably not many maintain their links to their ancestral roots.

The temple houses Lord Lakshmi Narayanar who is in sitting posture with Lakshmi devi on his lap. Thayar thirunamam is ‘SundaravalliThayar’ and has an individual sannadhi. There are beautiful idols of Sadagopar (Nammalwar), Kaliyan (ThirumangaiAzhwar), Udayavar (Ramanujar) and Varavaramuni (Swami Manavalamamunigal) and Aanjaneyar.

Inscription states that ‘samprokshanam’ was conducted way back in 1950 and not much renovation  took  place thereafter. The Balalayam (vedic initiation of the renovation work) was conducted on 25^th March 2010 and with the active involvement of some families belonging to the Temple,   Maha Samprokshanam was held  on 5^th Sept. 2010.  Hundreds of people with lineage of this village descended on that day at the Temple and witnessed the Samprokshanam which was conducted in the presence of the Two great Saints – Sreemath Paramahamsa Appan Parakala Ramanuja Embaar Jeeyar Swami and Sree Govinda Yathiraja Jeeyar Swami, both hailing from Sriperumpudur. 

(Arulmigu Lakshmi Narayanar - Moolavar)

(Uthsavar)

(ArulmiguSundaravallithayar)

(Sri Andal)

(Swami Nammalwar, Kaliyan, Udayavar, Mamunigal)

(Narthana Krishna and Sri Anjaneyar) 

ஸ்ரீமதேராமானுஜாயநம :

ஸ்ரீமன்நாராயணனை வணங்கும் ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவத்தில் எம்பெருமான் திருக்கோவில்களில் அர்ச்சை  நிலையில் வாத்சல்ய சௌசீல்யனாய் அருள்பாலிக்கிறார்.

தொண்டைமண்டலத்தில் காஞ்சியில் பல திவ்யதேசங்கள் உள்ளன. நகரேஷுகாஞ்சி என கோவில்களுக்கு பிரசித்தியான காஞ்சிநகரில் இருந்து சுமார் ஒன்பதுகி.மீ.  தொலைவில் அமைந்துள்ள சிற்றூர்நமது “மாமண்டூர்”. மாவண்டூர் மருவி அருகில் உள்ள தூசியுடன் இணைந்து தூசிமாமண்டூர் ஆனது.  இங்கே உள்ள சிறியகுன்றின் மீது பல்லவமன்னன் மகேந்திர பல்லவனின் கல்வெட்டு உள்ளது. திவ்யதேசங்கள் பலஇருந்தாலும் ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் தாங்கள் பிறந்த மண்ணும் ஊரும் பெருமைக்கு உரியன அல்லவா! அரசாணிப்பாறை என்ற ஆறு அருகிலுள்ள பெரியஏரியிலிருந்து பாய்ந்து ஊருக்கு வளம் சேர்க்கிறது.

தூசி, மாமண்டூர் – இவ்விரண்டும் முறையேசடகோபுரம், மனவாளபுரம் எனபழங்காலத்தில் வழங்கப்பட்டதாக ஸ்ரீகோவிந்தயதிராஜஜீயர் சுவாமி தமது மங்களாசாசனத்தில் குறிப்பிட்டுஉள்ளார். மறைஓதும் அந்தணர்கள் பலர் வாழ்ந்த இப்புண்ணிய பூமியில்  ஸ்ரீலக்ஷ்மிநாராயண பெருமாள் கோயில் அமைந்துள்ளது. வைகானச ஆகமத்தின்படி உள்ள         இக்கோவிலில் மூலவர் ஸ்ரீலக்ஷ்மிநாராயணர் தமதுமடியில் லக்ஷ்மிதேவியை இறுத்தி இடக்கையால் அணைத்து எழுந்து அருளியுள்ளார். உத்சவர் சதுர்புஜங்களுடன் சங்குசக்ரம் ஏந்தி சேவைசாதிக்கிறார். தாயார் ஸ்ரீசுந்தரவல்லி மிகஅழகாக எழுந்து அருளிஉள்ளார். தவிரஆண்டாள், நம்மாழ்வார்,  கலியன், உடையவர், மணவாளமாமுனிகள் விக்ரஹங்களும் உள்ளன.

இவ்வாறு சீர்மைவாய்ந்த மாமண்டூரில் விக்ருதிவருஷம் ஆவணிமாசம் 20௦ஆம் தேதி (ஞாயிறு : 05/09/2010 அன்று) காலை 0630 மணி அளவில் ஸ்ரீசுந்தரவல்லி சமேத ஸ்ரீலக்ஷ்மிநாராயணப்பெருமாள் கோவில் சம்ப்ரோக்ஷணம் விமரிசையாய் நடைபெற்றது. ஸ்ரீமத் பரமஹம்ச அப்பன் பரகாலராமானுஜ எம்பார்ஜீயர் சுவாமி, ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூர் ஸ்ரீகோவிந்த யதிராஜஜீயர் சுவாமி, ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூர் என இரண்டு  யதிசார்வ பௌம மகான்கள் எழுந்து அருளி இருந்து சிறப்பித்தனர்.

Samprokshanam was  indeed a memorable occasion.  I also have the lineage to this village though our ancestors had left the village quite few years back and do not own any land or house here.  Recently had the fortune of visiting our village and had good darshan at Sri Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Temple and here are some photos.

Adiyen Veeravalli Srinivasadhasan.

(Mamandur Srinivasan Sampathkumar)

15^th July 2017.