Vaishnava Saint sculptures found in Pongalur ~Kongunadu

Kongu Nadu is a region comprising the western part of the Tamil Nadu.   Earlier,  it was the seat of the Chera kings, bounded on the east by Tondai Nadu, on the south-east by Chola Nadu and on the south by Pandya Nadu regions.   Archaeological data from the site of Kodumanal suggests historical period of 4^th century BC.  Kodumanal and Perur, villages on the banks of the Noyyal River in the Coimbatore district, were situated on the ancient trade route between across the Palghat gap on the Western Ghats.  Roman coins found on these sites indicate that trade flourished between Romans and the kings of these regions.

Kongunadu comprises of many districts principally – Coimbatore, Nilgiri, Tirupur, Erode…..  a place known for flourishing economy.  Agriculture and Textiles are the main contributors to the Kongu's economy. It is one of the major producers of Apparels, Knit wear, Hosieries, Milk, Poultry, Paper, Auto parts, Sugarcane, Rice, Turmeric, and more. There are many famous temples including Sri Anjaneyar and Sri Namagiri Thayar sametha Lakshmi Narasimhar temple at Namakkal.  But there are no divyadesams in this region. 

Here is an interesting report read in The Hindu of date :  A team of archaeologists has discovered two Vaishnava saint sculptures (also called Vamana Avathar sculptures), both around 500 years old with identical carvings on the stones, at Pongalur (the one in Avinashi taluk) and Nariyampallipudur situated seven km. apart in the district.

“During those era, Vaishanava mutts or monastic establishments used to give away land to the people in Kongu region as ‘grants’ for farming activities and collect tax from the agricultural revenue. The amounts thus collected are used for renovation of temples, lightning of lamps during temple festivals in the region.

When giving away lands, these monastic establishments used to place sculptures of gods/saints to denote that the expanse was given as ‘grant’ and also for the people to worship the same for soil fertility,” S. Ravikumar, one of the members of Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre which discovered the sculptures, told The Hindu .

In both the sculptures, Vamana holds holy pot with water on right hand (kamandalam) and the left hand has the umbrella. Both the sculptures have the emblems of sun and moon. “History books point out that the sun and moon are symbolically carved out in that era to tell the villagers that the land given as grants should be used only for the purpose meant till sun and moon exists,” pointed out C. M. Ramesh Kumar, another member of the team.

When spoke to some villagers in both the places, they were not aware of the historical importance of the stones. “We thought that it as a stone kept to mark the boundary,” said M. Kanagraj, a farmer from Nariyampallipudur on whose farm border lays one of the sculptures.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

9^th Oct 2015.

Photo and news source : The Hindu : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/vaishnava-saint-sculptures-discovered/article7740908.ece

Thirumayilai Sri Peyalwar purappadu with Sri Parthasarathi : 2015

Today, 8^th  Oct 2015 is a Special day… today is Ekadasi…  On all Ekadasis, there will be periya maada veethi purappadu of Sri Parthasarathi Swami at Thiruvallikkeni Divyadesam. Today is special for Perumal had purappadu with Azhwar.    Over a decade and more  now, annually Sri Peyalwar from Sri Adhi Kesava Perumal Devasthanam has been visiting Thiruvallikkeni for mangalasasanam of the Divyadesa perumal.  Sri Adhi Kesava Perumal Devasthanam better known as ‘Kesava Perumal Kovil’ is near Mylai Kapaleeswarar Temple and the Chithirai kulam belongs to this Temple. 

Among the 12 Azhwaars of Srivaishanva Tradition, Poigai Azhwar, Boothath Azhwar and Peyazhwar – were the ones to have descended on this Earth earlier.  They were contemporaries and are praised as “Muthal Azhwars (the first among the Azhwars).  Sri Peyalwar was born in a tank in Mylapore (thence known as Mylai Thiruvallikkeni).  His birthplace is in the present day Arundel Street in Mylapore closer to Mylai Madhaava Perumal Kovil.   Here is a photo of Azhwar I open palanquin ~ from my archives.

Peyalwar who graces the Thirumayilai Sri Adhi  Kesava Perumal temple –  visits Thiruvallikkeni in a grand procession.  Sri  Peyalwar is taken in a palanquin and nearer Triplicane [at the TP koil Street – Besant Road Junction] – the pallakku is opened enabling devotees have his darshan fully.  From there, Peyalwar is taken on a grand procession in Chinna mada veethi with ‘Moondram Thiruvanthathi’ goshti – from the Vahana mandapam, Azhwar enters Thirukovil in kaipalagai.

Sri Peyawlar has sung about Thiruvallikkeni temple in his ‘Moondram Thiruvanthati’ – he describes that at Thiruvallikkeni waves are white as milk and there are red pavazham and white pearls at the time of twilight and at that sandhya time he has the darshan of the Lord at Thiruvalllikeni:

நாமம் பலசொல்லி  நாராயணாவென்று,

நாமங்கையால் தொழுதும் நன்னெஞ்சே! - வா, மருவி

மண்ணுலகமுண்டுமிழ்ந்த வண்டறையும் தண்டுழாய்,

கண்ணனையே காண்க நங்கண்.

The purpose of our birth is to appreciate and pray Sriman Narayana with folded hands calling Him by His various names.  The mouth should chant His name, hands should remain folded in prayer, eyes should be fixed at His lotus feet – for all our parts to be engaged in prayers to Him will happen with support of heart – so our heart should be pure in bakthi towards Sriman Narayanan who wears the garland made of tulsi and the one who swallowed and remade this earth.   Let us  surrender to His feet and enjoy His great qualities, which will stand us in good stead.

Later in the evening at around 0700pm, there was the grand purappadu of Sri Peyalwar with Lord Sri Parthasarathi.   It was a grand festival well organized by Sri NC Sridhar and other  Trustees of Sri Kesava Perumal Kovil, Mylapore….  In that worthy procession, there were horses, bearers carrying  flags that had Thiruman printed on them, drums, Nathaswaram, thavil and more specifically, Divyaprabandha Veda Parayana goshties, Sri Peyalwar and Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman.  

It was delightful to have darshan of Perumal and here  are some photos taken during the purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni today.

Adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

Durga in Mahishasuramarthini Avtar idol returns to Kashmir from Germany !

Ms Angela Merkel is in India, on a mission to clear the path for German companies keen to do business in India, as Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi looks to the European powerhouse to help revive its economy.  Angela Dorothea Merkel is no ordinary politician – the Chancellor of Germany since 2005 and the first woman to hold this Office has a Ph.D. in quantum chemistry.  She is among the favourites to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her response to the refugee crisis, according to researchers and bookmakers. “Angela Merkel has been quite remarkable in taking leadership in a rather embarrassing discussion in the European context and expressing a clear moral voice” that has helped turn the debate around, Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, said recently. 

There is more news to cheer as - Germany on Monday returned to India a 10^th  century Durga idol which had gone missing from a temple in Kashmir over two decades back and was later found in that country. The idol was handed over by visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi after their talks in New Delhi, three years after it was spotted in a museum in Stuttgart. Shri Modiji  thanked Merkel and the people of Germany for returning the idol, saying “The statue is from Jammu and Kashmir & is a symbol of victory of good over evil.”

The federal state of Baden-Württemberg returned the statue called "Durga Mahishasuramardini" to the Republic of India "for ethical reasons", Arndt Oschmann from the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts said earlier.  According to Press release, the Linden State Museum for Ethnology in Stuttgart bought the statue in the year 2000, using funds from Baden-Württemberg's Museum Foundation. The stone idol cost $250,000 (Rs.1.63 crores). "Back then, the Linden Museum examined where the statue came from, but there were no qualms about its origin. The seller, Subhash Kapoor from New York, was known as a reliable art dealer," ministry spokesman Oschmann explained.

That was not to be - more than a decade later, Kapoor was arrested at Frankfurt International Airport and extradited to India in July 2012 on charges of handling stolen artifacts from temples in southern India. "It turned out that the statue disappeared from a temple in Tengpona in India in the year 1991 and that it was smuggled out of the country eventually," Oschmann told DW.

The statue of the Hindu goddess Durga is estimated to date back to the 9th or 10th century, according to the Linden Museum. Neither the museum nor the federal state of Baden-Württemberg will receive any financial compensation. However, returning the statue as a goodwill gesture strengthens the state's reputation, said Jürgen Walter, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts. "The importance of a good reputation exceeds by far the material value of the statue," he stated.

According to the "Daily Mail", the archaeological agency "Archaeological Survey of India" (ASI) is concerned about 30 other antiques fraudulently smuggled out of India by Subhash Kapoor. These include 17th century manuscripts of the Sanskrit epic "Mahabharata", currently on display in Singapore's Asian Civilizations Museum.

The idol Durga  in Mahishasuramarthini  avatar was stolen from a temple at Pulwama in Kashmir in the 1990s, official sources said. An FIR was registered in connection with the theft. In 2012, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) received a tip-off that the idol was spotted at the Linden Museum, Stuttgart. Thereafter, the government started the process of getting it back. Two ASI officials visited Stuttgart for the purpose last year. Armed with the FIR, which is a crucial evidence that the idol belonged to India, the government took up the issue with the concerned authorities in Germany.

Germany has since returned the idol – the Durga idol was handed over by visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi after their talks here, three years after it was spotted in a museum in Stuttgart.

Happy reading this.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

6^th Oct 2o15

Source : The Indian Express and http://www.dw.com/en/germany-returns-hindu-statue-to-india/a-18731495

Thiruvallikkeni Purattasi Sanikkizhamai ~ Sri Azhagiya Singar Purappadu 2015

Today 3^rd Oct 2015, is 3^rd Saturday in the month of Purattasi.

Here are some photos of the grand purappadu of Sri Thelliya Singar at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam.

Adiyen Srinivasadhasan