Sunday, May 17, 2020

Adhi Rangam Thirukovil near Thirukkovalur


There are so many news – most probably, we would not have read with any interest Markandeya dam project, near Yargol village in Bangarpet taluk, approved in 2007 at an estimated cost of Rs 240 crore.  It was to be a project funded majorly by the State Govt and some part by the Central government.

Civilisations prospered on the river banks – and there are beautiful temples located on the banks of punya nathigal.  at Booloka Vaikuntham, Lord Ranganatha is in reclining posture (sayana thirukolam).  Like holy Thirumala, one gets few seconds to have darshan and many a times one feels one has not had darshan of Ranganatha from this thiruvadi to thirumudi.  Many divyadesa Emperumans including Thiruppullani, Thiru Inthalur, Thiruchithirakoodam (Chidambaram), Thirupathi (Kizh-thirupathi), Thiruvallur, Appakkoduthan (Koviladi), Thiruvananthapuram, Thiru vattaru, Kabisthalam –and some more including Srirangapatna, Perumal is in Kantha thirukolam – this post on a temple where the moolavar of Ranganathar is really huge.

The South Pennar River (also known as Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada and Thenpennai or Ponnaiyar or Pennaiyar in Tamil) is a trans-boundary river India. Outskirts of Bangalore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore are the important cities on the banks of South Pennar river. In  Hosur and Chengam are the major industrial settlements. The river originates in the Nandi Hills in the Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka and flows through Tamil Nadu before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Small dams of Kelavarapalli and Krishnagiri Dams are built across this river near Hosur and Krishnagiri.  The largest dam on this river is the famous  Sathanur Dam.  Thenpennai  river is dry for the most part of the year.

Last year,  Supreme Court  junked Tamil Nadu’s plea to grant a stay on Karnataka’s efforts to build a dam across a tributary of the Thenpennai river ie Markandeya river. Tamil Nadu government’s reluctance to expressly request the central government to constitute an interstate river water dispute tribunal might have cost it the case. Markandeya river is a tributary of Thenpennai which joins the main river after travelling for around 30 kilometres inside Tamil Nadu, near Krishnagiri reservoir. This is no post on riparian states and water disputes . . .. …

Many a times people rush to temples, jostle inside to have darshan of the Moolavar and leave in a jiffy – trying to reach another temple.  Those of us who have time, walk around the temple, wondering the tall Gopurams, the long mathil suvargal, artistic pillars and more. In some temples one would have observed the huge granaries – Temples on the delta were storage houses for the produce, mostly paddy.

Thirukkovalur is a famous divyadesam where muthal azhwargal met on a rainy day.  Sri Ulagalantha Perumal Temple or Trivikrama Temple stands very tall with a massive gopuram  in the South Indian style of architecture.  The temple dates back   Medieval Cholas, with later contributions from Vijayanagar kings and Madurai Nayaks. Less than 20 kms nearer is this temple of Lord Ranganatha – in a village called Adhi Rangam.


நம் ஸ்ரீரங்கநாதர் பள்ளிகொண்ட பெருமாள். பல திருத்தலங்களிலே மூலவர் சயன திருக்கோலத்தில் நமக்கு காட்சி அளிக்கிறார்.   சயன திருக்கோலம் என்றாலே திருவரங்கம் தான்.  தொண்டரப்பொடிகள் தமது திருமாலையில் சிறப்பிப்பது போலே :

வெள்ளநீர் பரந்து பாயும் விரிபொழில்  அரங்கந் தன்னுள்
கள்வனார்  கிடந்தவாறும் கமல  நன்முகமும்  கண்டும்
உள்ளமே வலியைப் போலும்   ஒருவனென்று  உணரமாட்டாய்
கள்ளமே காதல் செய்து   உன் கள்ளத்தே கழிக்கின்றாயே.

திருக்காவேரி ஒரு அற்புத புண்ணிய நதி.  அத்தகைய காவேரி பரந்து பெருகிப்பாயும், விசாலாமான சோலைகளையுடையதுமான  கோவில் எனும் புகழ்ப்பெற்ற  திருவரங்கம் தனிலே -  அடியவர்களைக் கொள்ளை கொள்ளுமவனான  பள்ளி கொண்ட அழகிய மணவாளப்பெருமாளின்   தாமரை மலர் போல் அழகிய திருமுகத்தை ஸேவிக்கப்பெற்றவர்கள் - அப்பெருமான் எவ்வளவு ஒப்யுயர்வற்றவன்   என்பதை உணர்ந்து, அவனடி சேர்வதல்லாது வேறு எத்தகைய காரியங்களிலும் ஈடுபாடு கொள்ள மாட்டார்கள். அத்தகைய ஸ்ரீரங்கநாதர் திருக்கோவலூர்க்கு அருகில் உள்ள ஆதிரங்கம் எனும் தலத்தில் பெரிய பெருமாளாய் சேவை சாதிக்கிறார்.

Located about 60kms South West of Villupuram on the banks of generally  dry South Pennai river is Adhi Thiruvarangam, an ancient temple for Lord Ranganatha. The moolavar Lord Ranganathar is seen in a gigantic east facing reclining posture, measuring over 15 feet.  Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is believed to have been built by the Medieval Cholas, with later contributions from Vijayanagar kings. The temple covers an area of 5 acres (20,000 m2) and has a historical grain storage container.

Ranganatha Perumal is believed to have appeared to king Mahabali and the Azhwars. Six daily rituals and a dozen yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April), is the most prominent. The temple is open from 6 am to 7:30 pm without break. The temple has a flat rajagopuram, the gateway tower and is surrounded by tall granite walls.

Moolavar  Ranganatha Perumal, is suthai thirumeni (of herbs) reclining on Adhi sesha having Sridevi piratti  near his head and Bhoomadevi near his feet.  Uthsava murthi of Sridevi Bhudevi sametha Ranganathan is beautiful.  A silver mace lies near the arm as Garuda is in praying posture near the foot.    The central shrine is approached from the gopuram axially through a four pillared mani mandapam and pillared halls of mukha mandapam and artha mandapam. Ragnanayaki thayar has thani sannathi.


On the outer precincts is a huge granary made of brick mortar and imposing now in disuse. There are shrines of Kodandarama, Hanuman and Krishna around the sanctum. The shrine of Ranganayagi has sculpted pillars made in Vijayanagara style.

On Deepavali 2019 day, we had the fortune of worshipping at this beautiful temple and had good darshan of Lord Ranganathar.

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
17.5.2020.
















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