Kanchi Kailasanathar temple is the oldest structure in Kanchipuram, TamilNadu

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The kanchi Kailasanathar temple is the oldest structure in Kanchipuram. Located in Tamil Nadu, India, it is a Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style. It is dedicated to the god Shiva, and is known for its historical importance. The temple was built from 685-705AD by a Rajasimha ruler of the Pallava Dynasty. The low-slung sandstone compound contains a large number of carvings, including many half-animal deities which were popular during the early Dravidian architectural period The structure contains 58 small shrines which are dedicated to various forms of Shiva. These are built into niches on the inner face of the high compound wall of the circumambulatory passage.

Geography

The temple is located on the banks of the Vedavathi River at the western limits of the Kanchipuram. It faces east. Its location, demarcated according to the religious faiths, is in one of three "Kanchis", the Shiva Kanchi; the other two Kanchis are, Vishnu Kanchi and Jain Kanchi. It is 75 kilometres (47 mi) from the Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.^[6] Kailasanathar is one of several notable temples in Kanchipuram, the others being Ekambaranatha, Kachapeshwarar, Kamakshi Amman, Kumarakottam Temple, and Varadaraja Perumal.

History

The Kailasanathar Temple (meaning:“Lord of the Cosmic Mountain”), is built in the tradition of Smartha worship of Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya , Ganapathi and Kartikeya, in Hinduism, a practice which replaced the Buddhism.
Temple construction is credited to the Pallava dynasty who had established their kingdom with Kanchipuram  as the capital city, considered one of the seven sacred cities under Hinduism. There was an interregnum when the Chalukya rulers defeated the Pallavas and occupied Kanchipuram. However, the Pallavas regained their territory and started expanding their capital city of Kanchipuram and built many temples of great magnificence. The only temple of this period which is extant is the Kailsahanathar Temple.
It is the first structural temple built in South India by Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha), and who is also known as Rajasimha Pallaveswaram. His son Mahendravarman III, completed the front façade and the gopuram (tower). Prior temples were either built of wood or hewn into rock faces in caves or on boulders, as seen in Mahabalipuram. The Kailasanathar temple became the trend setter for other similar temples in South India. According to local belief, the temple was a safe sanctuary for the rulers of the kingdom during wars. A secret tunnel, built by the kings, was used as an escape route and is still visible.
The temple has gone by other names such as Kachipettu Periya Thirukatrali (meaning: Stone Temple of Kachipettu, the old name for the present day Kanchipuram) when Rajaraja Chola I of the Chola Dynasty paid a visit to this temple. Inspired by the architecture of this temple, he built the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. Currently, Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.

Architecture

Inner court or the circumambulatory passage with 58 subshrines.

Typical design of pillar with multi-directional mythical lions.

Temple view

It is of stone built architecture unlike the rock cut architecture built into hallowed caves or carved into rock outcrops as in Mahabalipuram. The tall gopuram (tower) is to the left and the temple complex is to the right. The temple's foundations are made of granite, which could withstand the weight of the temple, while the super structure including the carvings are all made of sandstone. Initially, only the main sanctuary existed with pyramidal vimana and a detached mandapa (main hall).

The temple complex is complete in all respects as it has garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum), antarala (inner enclosure), mandapa, a high compound wall, and an entrance gate, the gopuram. The mandapa, which was initially detached, was made part of the main shrine by interposing an ardhamantapa (smaller hall). The pillars of the mandapa have the repetitive features of mythical lion mounts.

The structure has a simple layout with a tower or shikara at the center of the complex. The shikara of the temple, above the main shrine (sanctum sanctorum), is square in plan and rises up in a curvilinear style or pyramidal shape. The tower has many levels rising proportionately.At the top of this tower, there is a small roof in the shape of a dome. The pillar elements with mythical animal shapes (lions on the base) are extra features in Pallava style. At the entrance, the gopuram walls are plastered. Its entrance wall has eight small shrines and a gopura, precursor to the main gopura. At some later stage, the mandapa and the sanctuary were joined by an intermediate hall called the ardhamantapa, which is reported to have marred the beauty of the temple to some extent. The temple is enclosed within walls in a rectangular layout.

Shrines

A sculpture in one of the niches of the 58 subshrines.

Sculpture

Sculpture

The main shrine has a 16 sided Shivalinga in black granite stone deified in the sanctum sanctorum. Within the walls of the main shrine there is padabhanda adhisthana (main pedestal) with very elegantly carved images of gods with a sculpted Nandi, a little distance away giving guard to the deity. On each face of the outer walls of the main shrine there are many carvings of gods and goddesses. In the south facing wall the sculpture depicts Shiva as Umamaheshavara with Varaha (incarnation of Vishnu as a boar) raising the linga, flanked by Brahma and Vishnu and flying amaras at the lower level. The west facing hall has sculptures of Shiva in the form of Sandhya Tandavamurti and Urdhava Tandvamurti and the ensemble is completed with images of ganas in dancing poses and also with images of Brahma, Vishnu, Nandi and Parvathi. The carving of Shiva on the north facing wall is a composition of Tripurantaka flanked by three ganas, goddess Durga with three ganas, and Bhairavi, Kaushiki and Jyestha. The exterior faces of the vimana (tower) have images of Bhikshatana, Somaskanda and Shiva in Samhara-Tandava (destructive dancing) pose. In the inner walls of the prakara (circumabulatory passage) there is galaxy of images of Durga, Skanda, Bhavati, Tripurantaka, Garudarudha-Vishnu, Asura Samhara (slaying of demons), Narasimha Vishnu (Vishnu in the incarnation of lion faced man), Trivikrama, Shiva Tandava (Shiva in a dancing pose), Shiva severing the fifth head of Brahma, desecration of Yagna of Dakhsa, Brahma and his wife, Gangadhara, Urdhava tandava, Vishnu flanked by Bhudevi and Sridevi, Lingodhbava (emergence of linga), Bhikshatana, Ravana, and Vali offering prayers to Atmalinga Chandikeshvara. Vimana's south facing wall has very elegant image of Shiva in a sitting posture of peace and quietude known as Dakhshinamurti, and its west wall has Shiva in the form of Lingodhbava.
The tower has multiple shrines embodied on all its external faces which have the appearance of miniature shrines. These shrines have three features, the sala (rectangular), kuta (square) and panjara (apsidal) styles. Eight small shrines also decorate the entrance wall. The 58 small shrines are built into the niches of the compound wall that encloses the main shrine; they depict Somaskanada reliefs of Shiva and his consort Parvathi in many dance forms.

Other features

The outstanding feature of sculptures is the profusion of depiction of the erect lions projecting out in several directions.There are two sculptures of Shiva here which are seen holding the Veena] (musical string instrument) in the hand. There is a lot of difference between the Veena found in the said sculptures and the present day Veena. There are also beautiful sculptures of Mathahvialasa Prakshanam. The temple also has the earliest stone inscription records of the twenty eight Saivagamas (Shaiva saints) in which the Pallava King Rajasimhavarman states his faith in Shaivism. The murals on the inner walls are well preserved.

Circumambulatory passage

A circumambulatory passage, with a symbolic meaning is situated along the compound wall. In order to make the circumambulation, there is a narrow entry passage which devotees must crawl through. Seven steps must be climbed in order to reach the passage. Passing through the narrow passage is indicative of passage through life. After the circumambulation, the exit is through a pit or another narrow passage symbolic of death. It is believed that making the circumambulation round the various deities would usher the same blessings as visiting paradise.

Festival

Maha Shivaratri is the biggest festival held in the temple when thousand of devotees throng the temple in the evening hours to offer prayers to the main deity.

Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple
Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple
Location	Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates	12.833°N 79.717°E
Built	685-705AD
Architect	unknown, but commissioned by Narasimhavarman II
Architectural style(s)	Dravidian architecture (Pallava)
Type	Cultural
State Party	India
Location in Tamil Nadu, India

Kailasanathar Temple Raja Simha, the father of Mahendravarman built this ancient temple in 81th Century A.D and later completed it. It is built in the typical Pallava style, with a pyramidal tower, a pillared hall and vestibule, enclosed by a wall. The temple is famous for exquisite carvings and attracts devotees and tourists alike. There are 58 small shrines situated around the main shrine, as a compound wall. Fresco style paintings adorn the inner walls of the temple.

rajagopuram srirangam

Srirangam
Neighbourhood
Srirangam
Coordinates: 10.87°N 78.68°ECoordinates: 10.87°N 78.68°E
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Tiruchirapalli
Elevation	70 m (230 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	181,556
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	620006
Telephone code	91-431
Vehicle registration	TN-48

Srirangam (formerly Vellithirumutha gramam) and Thiruvarangam in Tamil is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli, in South India.
Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River (also known as Cauvery river) on one side, and the Kaveri distributary Kollidam (Coleroon) on the other side. Srirangam is home to a significant population of Srivaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu, one of the triumvirate of Hindu Gods the other two being Lord Siva, the Destroyer and Lord Brahma, the Creator).

Contents

• 1 Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
• 2 History
• 3 Transport
  • 3.1 Air
  • 3.2 Rail
  • 3.3 Bus
• 4Climate

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

The main gopuram of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

White Gopuram at Srirangam Temple

Srirangam is famous for its Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus (especially Srivaishnavites) and the largest temple complex in India.
According to the temple's website, Srirangam can be considered the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world, as it covers an area of about 631,000 square metres (6,790,000 sq ft) with a perimeter of 4 km (10,710 ft).^[1] Angkor Wat is bigger but non-functioning.
Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu. It is also considered the first, foremost and the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). This temple is also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam. In the Vaishnava parlance the term "KOIL" signifies this temple only. The temple is enormous in size. The temple complex is 156 acres (0.63 km²) in extent. It has seven prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart walls which run round the sanctum. There are 21 magnificent towers in all prakaras providing a unique sight to any visitor. The temple town lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon.
The Srirangam temple complex is composed of 7 concentric walled sections and 21 towers gopuram.^[2] The gopuram of the temple is called the Rajagopuram and is 236 feet (72 m) tall, the tallest in Asia.
The temple has seven prakaras (elevated enclosures) with gopurams articulating the axial path, the highest at the outermost prakara and the lowest at the innermost. In historic times, just after the construction of this temple, the city of Srirangam lived completely within the walls of this temple and hence is quoted as an example of Hindu religious utopia - during its peak of existence.
The Srirangam temple is one of the three temples of the god Ranganata that are situated in the natural islands formed in the Kaveri river. They are:

• Adi Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapattana
• Madhya Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Shivanasamudra
• Antya Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam

There is a gopuram fully made of gold, which is protected by electrical fence.
Clothes such as Silk Sarees, Dhoti, Towels, etc.., used for religious purposes are auctioned here.
Inside the temple compound, there is a separate temple for the goddess Andal. Additionally, There is a museum, a library and a bookshop as well.

History

According to Vedas, the vimana (adornment on top of the main tower) of Srirangam temple is believed to have come out of the ocean of milk (Tamil: "paarkadal" - பாற்கடல்) with the powers of Brahma deva (One of the three main Gods of Hinduism). The incarnation of Lord Vishnu called Ramavathara has performed poojas to Vishnu's idol (deity in a reclining posture). As a symbol of love he gifted the idol to Vibishana (brother of Ravana of the Hindu epic Ramayana) to take back with him to Sri Lanka. There was a condition that he could not set the idol on earth and if he did it would set itself permanently. Vibishana took this idol and was traveling towards Sri Lanka, and came upon the banks of the river Cauvery, during when utsavam (festival) for the god had to be performed and he placed the idol on banks of river Kaveri. When the utsavam got over, the lord refused to move as he loved the place (Srirangam). When vibhishana requested him to come along with him, the lord refused but promised to bless Vibhishana by always facing South (the direction of Sri Lanka, home to Vibhishana) Hence it is that the deity (in a reclining posture) faces South. Then Chola kings Dharmavarcholan and Killivalavan developed the shrine into the big temple seen now. They built the basic foundations and main buildings.
Srirangam was one of the Hindu shrine complexes that was sacked (plundered) during Ala-ud-din Khilji's deccan invasion, led by his general Malik Kafur. Services at the shrine had temporarily halted following this sack, and were resumed later.

Transport

Air

Srirangam as seen from the air

The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport.
Trichy Airport has connections to Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Thiruvanathapuram, Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi.

Rail

Srirangam has a railway station that can be reached from Chennai through any of the major trains travelling in the Chennai-Kanyakumari railway track and the approximate journey time from Chennai is about 5 hours and 10 minutes (320 km).
The Tiruchirappalli fort and Trichy junction which are the distance of 2 km and 8 km serves as connection point to many destinations in southern India, such as Thanjavur, Chidambaram, Madurai, Tirupathi, Tuticorin, Tenkasi, Quilon, Rameswaram, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore, Kochi, Kanyakumari and Mangalore. It also connects to some northern Indian cities like Delhi.

Bus

Bridge Connecting Trichy and Srirangam across Kaveri River

Trichy Central bus stand has direct services to most parts of Tamil Nadu. From the bus stand, tourists can avail local buses, taxi, auto rickshaw to reach Srirangam.
City Bus service to all places of tourist interest from Central Bus Stand and from Chinthamani -Main Guard Gate Bus Stand (Both in Trichy). Tourist Taxis andAuto Rickshaws are also available at reasonable rates.
Route No. 1 of the City bus service runs between Srirangam and Central Bus stand. This route starts from Trichy Central Bus Stand and goes via Trichy Junction Railway Station, Palakkarai Rettai pillaiyar Kovil street, Main Guard Gate, Chatram Bus Stand, Cauvery River Bridge, Mambazha salai, Thiruvanaikkovil and ends at Srirangam Bus Stand near the Srirangam Therkku vaasal (South entrance to the temple).
There is a bus for every 5 minutes and there are late night trips also, once in every one hour or so.

Climate

The climate of Trichy (and Srirangam) is Tropical. Average Temperature Range (°C): Summer- Max. 37.1 °C Min. 26.4 °C; Winter- Max. 31.3 °C Min. 20.6 °C; Rainfall: 835 mm                     

If Srirangam occupies the pride of place in the Srivaishnavite anthology and geospace scheme of things, then the pride of Srirangam, leaving aside for a moment the immaculate Lord Himself and His Divine Consort, is the towering Rajagopuram that is the cynosure of all eyes for the past 27 years. Adding lustre to the grandeur of the hallowed island, the Rajagopuram is veritably a symbol of Srirangam's

resurgence in the recent past. The tower is at once the realisation of the dream of the 44th pontiff of Sri Ahobila Mutt Srimad Azhagiya Singar Jeeyar Swamil as much as the indomitable will of a human being who undertook a superlative endeavour racing against time and of course consummating it to the awe of all.

. At least 200 workers toiled day and night for nearly eight years to construct the temple tower. The forthright Jeeyar never swayed to any force other than the Lord Himself and stood his ground against all odds to complete the task. Rising to the skies at 236 feet height with its 13 tiers, the Srirangam Rajagopuram is the tallest temple tower in the universe. The gopuram's base measures 166 feet by 97 feet while the crown's dimension is 98 feet by 32 feet making it a modern construction marvel and embellishing something more than just cement and mortar to the devout and the technocrat alike. The remarkable feature of the Rajagopuram is the participative effort exhibited in the construction of the structure, with contributions pouring in from several quarters diverse as they are. Contributions from Sri Ahobila Mutt, Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashram, Sri Kanchi Mutt, governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the State Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, donations from personalities such as music composer Ilayaraja and several other individuals featured the construction of the temple tower. The marvelous rajagopuram was consecrated on March 25, 1985 in the presence of spiritual and political luminaries amid a sea of humanity thronging the island town to be a part of the historic occasion.