Vedaranyam or Thirumaraikkadu is situated in the southern-most corner of India. The Vedavaneshwarar temple here is an ancient temple of great significance.
This holy place, which was once a forest, is called Thirumaraikkadu as this was the place where the Vedas worshipped Lord Shiva. This is the 125th holy place on the southern banks of the Cauvery 'thirusthalas'. It is one of the 64 Sakthi Peetams of Ambal. The 'Deva Sabhai' in the temple is one of the 16 sabhai's of Lord Nataraja. This is also one of the 'Sapthavidanga' Sthalas and the Maragatha Lingam here is a naturally formed Lingam (swayambu).
This was the place where Bhrama, Vishnu, Indra, Agasthyar, Nachiketu, Suvedha Kethu, Viswamitra, Gauthama, Manu, Maandhatha, Dasaratha, Vasishta, Naradha and the Vedaas worshipped Lord Shiva.
Behind the Vedavaneshwarar Lingam, one can see the divine forms of Parvati and Parameshwaran, which is unique to this temple.
When the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati took place in Kailayam, it was attended by the Devas, Asuras and other living beings. The mega congregation caused a serious imbalance in the world. Lord Shiva, realising the danger, asked Sage Agasthya to go to the southern part to check the tilt. But the sage also wanted to witness their wedding.
Lord Shiva promised to come and give darshan in all his wedding splendour. He appeared with His consort Parvathi at Thirumaraikkadu and gave special and exclusive darshan to Agasthya. This is the reason why Shiva and Parvathi appear in their bridal splendour behind the Lingam.
While daily abhishekam is done for the Lingam alone, for Shiva and Parvathi it is once a year along with 'sandana kappu'. It is believed that if one worships at this temple, they will be absolved of their 'graha dhosham'.
Rat that trimmed the wick
Once upon a time, after the regular pooja was performed, the temple was locked for the day. The lamp that was burning became dim as the wick had burnt. Lord Shiva told Parvathi that whoever trims the wick will be the fortunate one to rule the three worlds in his next birth. But Parvathi was doubtful as the temple had already been locked. Meanwhile, a rat came running near the lamp in order to eat the ghee. It shook its nose in the process and the wick got trimmed by this movement and shone brightly.
Thus the rat was born as Mahabali Chakravarthy in its next birth. He became the unparellelled king of the Asuras, ruled the three worlds, made Mahavishnu manifest Himself as Vamana, promised the 'three feet' land, lost his kingdoms and finally gave his head as the third feet to the Lord.
Sree Rama, by killing Ravana, had committed the sin of 'Brahmahathi. Due to this, Rama's character and colour changed. On seeing this condition of Rama, the rishis advised him to go to Thirumaraikkadu to do penance and pray to Lord Shiva. Rama did so and on a 'Panguni Uththiram' day, Lord Shiva appeared before Rama and asked Him to bathe in the Manikarnigai, the bathing ghat.
Vinayaka, who was in the sanctum sanctorum near the west temple tower, kicked the 'Brahmahaththi' and drove it away. Thus, Rama was absolved of the sin and the Vinayaka idol came to be called 'Veerahathi Vinayakar'. He appears in the same posture, with his leg raised, as if to kick the sin.
There are 96 bathing ghats in Thirumaraikkadu. Manikarnigai is the most important ghat and it is believed that if one bathes in this ghat at noon, their wishes would be fulfilled. According to the Puranas, the holy rivers, including the Ganga, in order to attain absolution from the sins left by the people who bathe in them, come to Manikarnigai.
Yazhai Pazhitha Mozhiyal
The Ambal in this temple is called 'Yazhai Pazhitha Mozhiyal', one whose voice is sweeter than the sound emanating from the veena. The idol of Saraswati does not hold a veena but an 'ettu suvadi' (palm leaf book).
According to the Puranas, Vedavaneshwarar was worshipped by the Vedas. The Vedas lost their sanctity as the Brahmins misused them for their livelihood. So, to regain their sanctity, they worshipped the Lord in human form. Lord Shiva gave them back their sanctity and it is believed that later they grew as 'vilvam' trees in this place.
Viswamitra, who wanted to be called a Brahma rishi by Vasishta, did penance at Thirumaraikkadu. The 'vanni' tree under which he did penance is the sacred tree of this temple. There is an idol of Viswamitra under this tree. There is well called 'Viswamitra theertham' and a temple for him near it.
Tamil unlocks temple door
The temple, which was locked by the Vedas after they completed their prayers, could not be opened by anyone. the devotees had to use a different entrance to worship the Lord. During the 7th century, Saiva saints Appar and Tirugnanasambandar, who were visiting various Shiva sthalas, came to Thirumaraikkadu. When they came to know about the locked door, they sang 'Thirumarai', which was equivalent to the Vedas, and the door opened.
Special features of the temple:
The Navagrahas, who usually look in different directions, can be seen looking in the same direction i.e., towards the west.
It is said worshipping the six feet Durga in this temple will relieve one of their fear of evil.
Saiva saints Sundaramurthy Nayanar and Seraman Perumal Nayanar have worshipped the Lord here and sung songs that are part of the collection 'Thevaram', while Arunagiri Nathar rendered 'Thiruppugazh' on Lord Muruga here.
Paranjothi, who wrote 'Thiruvilayadal Puranam', was born here and has also written 'Vedaranya Puranam'.
'Ellorum inbutrirukka ninaipadhuve yallamal verondrariyen paraparame' - thus sang Thayumanavar Swamigal, who was also a native of Vedaranyam.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Bermuda Triangle
One of the legends of the sea that has persisted even to today is the story of the Bermuda Triangle. Here ships and airplanes seem to disappear more often than in other parts of the ocean. Usually the craft are never seen again, which is not too surprising in an area noted for hurricanes and high waves. The Bermuda Triangle covers an area from the southern Virginia coast to Bermuda to the Bahama Islands.
Is the Bermuda Triangle really the "graveyard of the Atlantic"? We guess that most of the disappearances of boats and planes could be explained if only someone other than those who sank had been there to watch what really happened.
Imagine, for now, that you are the captain of a sailing ship that has wandered into the Bermuda Triangle. After all, ships from Maine explored the Seven Seas bringing fish and lumber from northern New England all over the world.
Note: At this time i have unable to send image for some problem. I will send image and more information later
Is the Bermuda Triangle really the "graveyard of the Atlantic"? We guess that most of the disappearances of boats and planes could be explained if only someone other than those who sank had been there to watch what really happened.
Imagine, for now, that you are the captain of a sailing ship that has wandered into the Bermuda Triangle. After all, ships from Maine explored the Seven Seas bringing fish and lumber from northern New England all over the world.
Note: At this time i have unable to send image for some problem. I will send image and more information later
Nagai-Tof War
The Nagai-Tof War was a conflict between the newly formed Alliance of Free Planets, the Galactic Empire, and the invaders of the Nagai and later the Tof species from the Unknown Regions. The actions of the Nagai very nearly stopped the formation of a new Galactic government in the Alliance of Free Planets and marked the first widespread appearance of the new Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya.
The conflict started with small infiltration units of Nagai ordered to disrupt the workings of the Alliance to pave the way for the Nagai Main Fleet. Commander Ozrei N'takkilomandrife, the most talented of these Nagai agents, almost succeeded in restarting the Wookiee slave trade. The arrival of the Nagai Fleet, allied with the Galactic Empire, resulted in all out war; however, the arrival of the Nagai's mortal enemies, the Tof resulted in the Nagai and Empire allying with the Alliance to stop this new threat.
The war also marked the first time Luke Skywalker was defeated in a duel after the death of his father, Darth Vader. The Dark Lady Lumiya defeated the Jedi with a lightwhip on Kinooine. The war concluded with the capture of the Tof leader Sereno and the brutal maiming of Lumiya. The end of the war was the last time Lumiya was seen publicly for over 35 years.
The conflict started with small infiltration units of Nagai ordered to disrupt the workings of the Alliance to pave the way for the Nagai Main Fleet. Commander Ozrei N'takkilomandrife, the most talented of these Nagai agents, almost succeeded in restarting the Wookiee slave trade. The arrival of the Nagai Fleet, allied with the Galactic Empire, resulted in all out war; however, the arrival of the Nagai's mortal enemies, the Tof resulted in the Nagai and Empire allying with the Alliance to stop this new threat.
The war also marked the first time Luke Skywalker was defeated in a duel after the death of his father, Darth Vader. The Dark Lady Lumiya defeated the Jedi with a lightwhip on Kinooine. The war concluded with the capture of the Tof leader Sereno and the brutal maiming of Lumiya. The end of the war was the last time Lumiya was seen publicly for over 35 years.
18th century of Thanjavoor under martha rule
During the 18th century under martha rule Thanjavoor in Tamil Nadu evolved a new style of painting that fused element from the idioms of the earlier nayaka and vijayanagara dynasties with deccan aesthetics and marginal european influence. This style now known as the Tanjore Style,involve painting on a board, the chubby figures of krishna and other hindu deities, with a slight indications of shading by means of graded tones near the outlines and highlighting the details of clothing and ornaments by raised work in stucco covered with gold leaf, semi precious stones and pearls. The artists became the most popular form of art among the aristrocrats through the ninteenth and twenteeth centuries.
The creation of the painting
The creation of this painting involves a lots of dedication and several stages of meticulous work of art. The first step involves creating a base. The base is made up of a cloth pasted over a wooden or a plywood base. Then a paste of chalk powder or a zinc oxide mixed with some water soluble adhesive is applied on the board.To create a smoother board a mild adhesive can be used. After this begins the image making process. A preliminary sketch of god is made on the board. After the drawing is made decoration of the jewellery and the apparel is done with semi precious stones. Semi relief work is done with a paste of chalk powder and arabic gum . Laces or threads are used to decorate the jewellery. On top of this, the gold foil is pasted. Finally dyes are used to add vibrant colors to the figures in the paintings. A beautiful frame is then seleced to accentuate the beauty of the painting.
The creation of the painting
The creation of this painting involves a lots of dedication and several stages of meticulous work of art. The first step involves creating a base. The base is made up of a cloth pasted over a wooden or a plywood base. Then a paste of chalk powder or a zinc oxide mixed with some water soluble adhesive is applied on the board.To create a smoother board a mild adhesive can be used. After this begins the image making process. A preliminary sketch of god is made on the board. After the drawing is made decoration of the jewellery and the apparel is done with semi precious stones. Semi relief work is done with a paste of chalk powder and arabic gum . Laces or threads are used to decorate the jewellery. On top of this, the gold foil is pasted. Finally dyes are used to add vibrant colors to the figures in the paintings. A beautiful frame is then seleced to accentuate the beauty of the painting.
History of Chola Kings
Thanjavur (also known as Tanjore) is the royal city of the Cholas and Nayaks. Thanjavur derives its name from Tanjan-an asura (giant), who according to local legend devastated the neighbourhood and was killed by Sri Anandavalli Amman and Vishnu. Sri Neelamegapperumal Tanjan's last request that the city might be named after him was granted. Chola, Chera and Pandya kings were ruling Tamizhagam even before Mahabharat period. Chola kingdom was leading and patronizing literature, art, science and religion than the other two kingdoms. The capital city of Chola was always changing. Thiruvarur was the capital during Manuneethi Cholan. Uraiyur, Pazhaiyarai, Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram used to be the capitals of Chola Kingdom. It has been believed from the Epics that many Chola kings were ruling from Thanjavur even before Karikala Cholan.
Historians believe that Thanjavur was captured by Vijayalaya Cholan (AD 846-880) from Perumpidugu Muttaraiyan. From then till Rajaraja Cholan, Thanjavur was flourishing. Chola kings were ruling till 13th Century AD with Thanjavur as their capital. Rajendra Cholan, Rajarajan's son moved the Chola capital to Gangaikonda Cholapuram. After that Chola Kingdom started declining and the Pandya Kings captured Thanjavur.
An erstwhile viceroy of the Vijayanagar empire assumed independence and founded the dynasty of the Thanjavur Nayaks. Thanjavur remained the capital of the Nayaks for the next one hundred and twenty five years till Vijayaraghava - the last prince of the line - perished in a tragic. His General Alagiri ruled for another fourteen years. The claim to the Nayak throne through Sengamaladas, the infant son of Vijayaraghava brought on the scene the Bijapur King and his general.
General Venkaji alias Ekoji, was the half brother of Sivaji the Great. He defeated Alagiri and seized the throne in 1676 because of the dissensions in Nayaks. Mahrattas kings ruled Thanjavur as the capital for one hundred and seventy-nine years. The English first interfered in 1749 AD with a view to the restoration of the deposed King, Saiyaji.
In 1758 AD French attacked Thanjavur, but were retaken by British in 1773 AD. Thanjavur became a protected state under the East India Company. In 1799 AD Thanjavur became a British principality and its ruler Sarafoji II was given the fort of Thanjavur and an area outside it. Sivaji, his successor died in 1855 AD without an heir and after him Thanjavur passed directly under British. Its acquisition never costs the life of a single soldier, in the same manner as the Mahrattas had taken the country previously from the Nayaks.
Of the various rulers of Thanjavur, the Cholas seem to have left the Great temple of Sri Bragatheeswara a striking relic of their genius. The temple stands tall within the small fort, commonly called the Sivaganga Fort, ascribed to the Sevvappa Nayak and the big fort which encircles the city and the palace was built by Vijayaraghava the last. These two forts could be the renovations of the earlier chola fortifications.
Historians believe that Thanjavur was captured by Vijayalaya Cholan (AD 846-880) from Perumpidugu Muttaraiyan. From then till Rajaraja Cholan, Thanjavur was flourishing. Chola kings were ruling till 13th Century AD with Thanjavur as their capital. Rajendra Cholan, Rajarajan's son moved the Chola capital to Gangaikonda Cholapuram. After that Chola Kingdom started declining and the Pandya Kings captured Thanjavur.
An erstwhile viceroy of the Vijayanagar empire assumed independence and founded the dynasty of the Thanjavur Nayaks. Thanjavur remained the capital of the Nayaks for the next one hundred and twenty five years till Vijayaraghava - the last prince of the line - perished in a tragic. His General Alagiri ruled for another fourteen years. The claim to the Nayak throne through Sengamaladas, the infant son of Vijayaraghava brought on the scene the Bijapur King and his general.
General Venkaji alias Ekoji, was the half brother of Sivaji the Great. He defeated Alagiri and seized the throne in 1676 because of the dissensions in Nayaks. Mahrattas kings ruled Thanjavur as the capital for one hundred and seventy-nine years. The English first interfered in 1749 AD with a view to the restoration of the deposed King, Saiyaji.
In 1758 AD French attacked Thanjavur, but were retaken by British in 1773 AD. Thanjavur became a protected state under the East India Company. In 1799 AD Thanjavur became a British principality and its ruler Sarafoji II was given the fort of Thanjavur and an area outside it. Sivaji, his successor died in 1855 AD without an heir and after him Thanjavur passed directly under British. Its acquisition never costs the life of a single soldier, in the same manner as the Mahrattas had taken the country previously from the Nayaks.
Of the various rulers of Thanjavur, the Cholas seem to have left the Great temple of Sri Bragatheeswara a striking relic of their genius. The temple stands tall within the small fort, commonly called the Sivaganga Fort, ascribed to the Sevvappa Nayak and the big fort which encircles the city and the palace was built by Vijayaraghava the last. These two forts could be the renovations of the earlier chola fortifications.
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