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Swamimalai
Swamimalai is a panchayat town that is a suburb near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the banks of river Kaveri and is the site of the fourth of the six abodes of the Hindu deity Murugan (Kartikeya). Mythology According to Hindu mythology, Kartikeya is described to explain the meaning of pranava mantra (Om) to father Shiva, the site of which is regarded to be Swamimalai in regional tradition. In the Murugan temple of the town, Kartikeya is depicted as a guru (teacher) and Shiva listening as shishya (disciple) in the gopuram of the temple complex. The form of Kartikeya is known by the epithet ''Swaminathan'' and ''Tagapan Swami'' in this site. Geography Swamimalai is located at . It has an average elevation of 25 metres (82 feet). Topography It lies on the banks of river Kaveri Demographics Population India census, Swamimalai had a population of 6985. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51 ...
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Swamimalai Bronze Icons
Swamimalai Bronze Icons refers to bronze idols and statues manufactured in Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu. It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2008–09. History During the reign of Chola empire, Raja Raja I commissioned a group of sculptors for the construction of the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. The sculptors helped cast statues for Airavatesvara Temple and later settled at Swamimalai. Production The icons range from to in height. The production is closely controlled and limited in number to maintain quality. The statues made mainly include that of Hindu deities. Other icons of animals, figures of males and females are also cast based on requirements. The statues are made using the technique of wax casting and the cast can be of two types - solid and hollow cast. Solid wax casts are traditionally used and the model of the required image is cast as a mould filled with wax, made by mixing pure bee wax with resin from the ''Plat ...
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Six Abodes Of Murugan
The Six Abodes of Murugan () are six temples situated in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, dedicated to the Hinduism, Hindu deity Kartikeya, Murugan. These six sacred abodes of Murugan are mentioned in Tamil Sangam literature, in the texts of ''Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai'', written by Nakkeerar, Nakkīraṉãr, and in ''Tiruppukal, Tiruppukaḻ'', written by Arunagirinathar. The six abodes are Thiruparankundram Murugan temple, Thiruparankundram, Tiruchendur Murugan Temple, Tiruchendur, Palani Murugan Temple, Palani, Swaminathaswamy Temple, Swamimalai, Swamimalai, Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruttani, Tiruttani, and Pazhamudircholai. Legend The legend of Murugan is described in the Skanda Puranam, the Tamil iteration of the Skanda Purana. According to the text, the asura Śūrapadmā, Surapadman drove the Deva (Hinduism), devas out of Svarga, and the latter sought the assistance of the deities Vishnu and Brahma. They assigned Kamadeva to disturb Shiva from his penance and fal ...
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Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum), or Kudanthai, is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the States of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. It is the second largest city in the district after Thanjavur. The city is bounded by two rivers, the Kaveri River to the north and Arasalar River to the south. Kumbakonam is known as a "Temple City" due to the prevalence of a number of Hindu temple, temples here and is noted for its Mahamaham festival, which happens once in 12 years, attracting people from all over the country. Kumbakonam dates back to the Sangam period and was ruled by the Early Cholas, Pallavas, Mutharaiyar dynasty, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagara Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks and the Thanjavur Marathas. It rose to be a prominent town between the seventh and ninth centuries AD, ...
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Muruga
Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the son of the deities Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha. Kartikeya has been an important deity in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Mentions of Skanda in the Sanskrit literature data back to fifth century BCE and the mythology relating to Kartikeya became widespread in North India around the second century BCE. Archaeological evidence from the first century CE and earlier shows an association of his iconography with Agni, the Hindu god of fire, indicating that Kartikeya was a significant deity in early Hinduism. He is hailed as the "favoured god of the Tamils", and the tutelary deity of the Kurinji region in Sangam literature, whose cult gained popularity later. As per theologists, the Tamil deity of Murugan coalesced ...
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Bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloids (such as arsenic or silicon). These additions produce a range of alloys some of which are harder than copper alone or have other useful properties, such as strength, ductility, or machinability. The archaeological period during which bronze was the hardest metal in widespread use is known as the Bronze Age. The beginning of the Bronze Age in western Eurasia is conventionally dated to the mid-4th millennium BCE (~3500 BCE), and to the early 2nd millennium BCE in China; elsewhere it gradually spread across regions. The Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age, which started about 1300 BCE and reaching most of Eurasia by about 500 BCE, although bronze continued to be much more widely used than it is in modern times. Because historica ...
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Sacred Mountains
Sacred mountains are central to certain religions, and are usually the subjects of many legends. For many, the most symbolic aspect of a mountain is the peak because it is believed that it is closest to heaven or other religious realms. Many religions have traditions centered on sacred mountains, which either are or were considered holy (such as Mount Olympus in Greek mythology) or are related to famous events (like Mount Sinai in Judaism and descendant religions or Mount Kailash, Mount Meru in Hinduism). In some cases, the sacred mountain is purely mythical, like the Hara Berezaiti in Zoroastrianism. Mount Kailash is believed to be the abode of the deities Shiva and Parvati, and is considered sacred in four religions: Hinduism, Bon, Buddhism, and Jainism. Volcanoes, such as Mount Etna in Italy, were also considered sacred, Mount Etna being believed to have been the home of Vulcan (mythology), Vulcan, the Roman mythology, Roman god of fire and the forge. Themes of sacrality Edwi ...
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Raja Raja Chola
Rajaraja I (Middle Tamil: ''Rājarāja Cōḻaṉ''; Classical Sanskrit: ''Rājarāja Śōḷa''; 3 November 947 – January/February 1014), also known as Rajaraja the Great, was a Chola Empire, Chola emperor who reigned from 985 to 1014. He was known for his conquests of South India, southern India and Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka, as well as increasing Chola influence across the Indian Ocean. Rajaraja's birth name is variously given as Arul Mozhi Varman and Arul Moli Varman. Rajaraja's empire encompassed vast territories, including regions of the Pandya dynasty, Pandya country, the Chera dynasty, Chera country, and northern Sri Lanka. He also extended his influence over strategic islands such as Lakshadweep, Thailand, Thiladhunmadulu atoll, and parts of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. His conquests weren't limited to the south; he also launched successful campaigns against the Western Ganga dynasty, Western Gangas and the Western Chalukya Empire, Western Chalukyas, ex ...
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Cholas
The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE during the reign of Ashoka of the Maurya Empire. The Chola empire was at its peak and achieved imperialism under the Medieval Cholas in the mid-9th century CE. As one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam, along with the Chera and Pandya, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territories until the 13th century CE. The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River. They ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the latter half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. They unified peninsular India south of the Tungabhadra River and held the territory as one state for three centuries between 907 and 1215 CE. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, ''A History of South In ...
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Census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of statistics. This term is used mostly in connection with Population and housing censuses by country, national population and housing censuses; other common censuses include Census of agriculture, censuses of agriculture, traditional culture, business, supplies, and traffic censuses. The United Nations (UN) defines the essential features of population and housing censuses as "individual enumeration, universality within a defined territory, simultaneity and defined periodicity", and recommends that population censuses be taken at least every ten years. UN recommendations also cover census topics to be collected, official definitions, classifications, and other useful information to coordinate international practices. The United Nations, UN's Food ...
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Geographical Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is intended as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a good reputation due to its geographical origin. Article 22.1 of the TRIPS Agreement defines geographical indications as ''"...indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a Member World_Trade_Organization.html" ;"title="f the World Trade Organization">f the World Trade Organization or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin."'' ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' ('Appellation of origin') is a sub-type of geographical indication where quality, method, and reputation o ...
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Brihadeeswarar Temple
Brihadishvara Temple, called Rajarajesvaram () by its builder, and known locally as ''Thanjai Periya Kovil'' () and ''Peruvudaiyar Kovil'', is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.Thanjavur
, Encyclopaedia Britannica
It is one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of Tamil architecture, a subset of Dravidian architecture. It is also called ''Dakshina Meru'' ( ...
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Statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size. A sculpture that represents persons or animals in full figure, but that is small enough to lift and carry is a ''statuette'' or figurine, whilst those that are more than twice life-size are regarded as '':colossal statues, colossal statues''. Statues have been produced in many cultures from prehistory to the present; the oldest-known statue dating to about 30,000 years ago. Statues represent many different people and animals, real and mythical. Many statues are placed in public places as public art. The world's tallest statue, ''Statue of Unity'', is tall and is located near the Narmada dam in Gujarat, India. Colors Ancient statues often show the bare surface of the material of which they are made. For example, many people as ...
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