Kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam
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The Kampaheswarar Temple or kampa-hara-ishvarar ( kampa-hareswarar ) is a
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
temple dedicated to the god
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
. It is situated in
Thirubuvanam Thirubuvanam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is mainly known for the Kampaheswarar Temple. Demographics India census, Thirubuvanam had a population of 14,139. Males constitute 50% of the p ...
, a village in
Thanjavur district Thanjavur District is one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur (Tanjore) . The district is located in the delta of the Cauv ...
in the
South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
n State of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, on the
Mayiladuthurai Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) is a :ta:சிறப்பு நிலை நகராட்சிகள், Special Grade Municipality and district headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town ...
-
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 hea ...
road. Shiva is worshiped as "Kampahareswarar" as he removed the quaking (Skt. ''Kampa'') of a king who was being haunted by a
Brahmarakshasa A brahmarakshasa (, ) is one of a class of Rakshasa, rakshasas, a race of usually malevolent beings in Hinduism. A member of the Brahmin Varna (Hinduism), caste who engages in unrighteous deeds is cursed to become a brahmarakshasa after his death ...
. It was built by
Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from to 1218. He ascended the throne after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war agains ...
and is considered the last of the four masterpieces built during the
Medieval Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
era. The temple has a shrine for
Sharabha Sharabha (, ) or Sarabha is an eight-legged part-lion and part-bird deity in Hindu religion, who is described as more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump in Sanskrit literature. In later li ...
, a depiction of
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
, a part-lion and part-bird beast in
Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...
, who, according to
Sanskrit literature Sanskrit literature is a broad term for all literature composed in Sanskrit. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as some ...
, is eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump. The temple is considered in the line of
Brihadisvara 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 Cau ...
at
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art ...
, Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple, with the trio forming the
Great Living Chola Temples The Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple at Thanjavur was added in the list in 1987, while the other two temples were ad ...
.


Legend

As per Hindu legend, Shiva is believed to have relieved ''Kampa'' (quaking) of a king haunted by evil spirits on account of the king killing a
Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
by mistake. This led to the name of Kampahareshvara. Ayyar 1993, pp. 316–320 As per another legend, Shiva is believed to have assumed the form to quench the fury of
Narasimha Narasimha (, , or , ), is the fourth avatara of the Hindu god Vishnu in the Satya Yuga. He incarnated as a part-lion, part-man and killed Hiranyakashipu, ended religious persecution and calamity on earth, and restored dharma. Narasimha has th ...
, an
avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
of Vishnu.


Vaippu Sthalam

It is one of the shrines of the
Vaippu Sthalam A ''Vaippu Sthalam'', :ta:வைப்புத் தலங்கள் also called a Tevara Vaippu Sthalam, is one of the Hindu temples in South India that is referenced in the songs in the Tevaram, hymns composed in praise of Shiva during th ...
s sung by Tamil Saivite Nayanar
Appar Appar (), also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar () or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime betwe ...
.மூவர் தேவார வைப்புத் தலங்கள், Muvar Thevara Vaippu Thalangal, திருபுவனம் (Thirubuvanam), 6-51-11
/ref>


History

As per inscriptions found in the south wall of the temple, the shrine was constructed by the Chola king
Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from to 1218. He ascended the throne after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war agains ...
as a memorial of his successful North Indian campaign. The inscriptions indicate the contribution towards the construction of the Nataraja shrine and the mukhamandapa. Some of the other temples that figure in the inscriptions are the Nataraja temple in
Chidambaram Chidambaram is a major town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to b ...
, the Ekambareswarar temple at
Kanchipuram Kanchipuram (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from ...
, the
Meenakshi temple Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the go ...
at
Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
, the Mahalingeswarar Temple at Thiruvidamaruthur and the
Brihadisvara 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 Cau ...
at
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art ...
. The inscriptions in the shrine of the presiding deity is similar to the one in the outer ''gopuram'' (gateway tower), which indicates the building of the temple by Kulottunga-Choladeva. While it is unclear which Kulottunga it is, scholars have placed it at 1176 CE, which is closer to the reign of
Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from to 1218. He ascended the throne after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war agains ...
, who is believed to have been the last powerful Chola king. There are four inscriptions from Kulothunga Chola in Grantha script. The inscription 189 of 1907, the one on the southern wall of the central shrine, is damaged and mentions Arya Sri-Somanatha. Inscription 190 on the same wall indicates the building operations of Kulothunga Chola. 191, at the entrance of outer gopura, is a duplicate of the 190. On the same gopura, inscription 192 indicates record of king Kulothunga Chola. There are two inscriptions in Tamil from the period of Jatavarman Tribuvanachakravarthin Parakrama Pandyadeva registered by Epigraphy Department in 1911. One of them, 159, registers a contract between the residents of ''Tribhuvanavirapuram'' and ''Kulamangalanadu'', who were ''urkaval'' (watchmen) of the village. On the same wall, the inscription numbered 160, records a similar contract in the presence of chief Udaiyar Kulasekharadeva.


Architecture

The temple is in
Thirubuvanam Thirubuvanam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is mainly known for the Kampaheswarar Temple. Demographics India census, Thirubuvanam had a population of 14,139. Males constitute 50% of the p ...
, a village in
Thanjavur district Thanjavur District is one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur (Tanjore) . The district is located in the delta of the Cauv ...
in the
South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
n State of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, on the
Mayiladuthurai Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) is a :ta:சிறப்பு நிலை நகராட்சிகள், Special Grade Municipality and district headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town ...
-
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 hea ...
road. It follows the Dravidian style of architecture. Its ''vimana'' is extremely high compared with other Dravidian-style South Indian temples. The temple's architecture is similar to that of the Big Temple at
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art ...
, Airavatesvara Temple at
Darasuram Darasuram or Dharasuram is a neighbourhood in the city of Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. The area is known for the Airavateswara temple constructed by the Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE. The temple is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage ...
and
Gangaikonda Cholapuram Gaṅgaikoṇḍa Chōḻapuram is a village located near to Jayankondam, Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu, India. It became the capital of the Chola dynasty in c. 1025 by Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I, Rajendra I, and served as the capital for a ...
temples. The distinct features of all the temples is the ''
vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also menti ...
'', the structure over the sanctum, being taller than the gateway tower, which is an unusual feature in Tamil temples. There is a separate shrine for Sarabeswarar and a metal icon of the same deity within the sanctum, which has fine artistic work. Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu 2007, p. 71 ''Yali'', a mythical creature with the face of a lion, otherwise considered a symbol of Nayak architecture, has its earliest representation in Chola art in the temple. The temple was built by the
Kulottunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from to 1218. He ascended the throne after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war agains ...
of the
Later Cholas The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
, who ruled between 1176–1218 AD of the 13th century. The two circular pilasters with circular shafts on four sides of the ''vimana'' indicate the temple's antiquity, and is possibly termed ''Vrittasputitas'' in ''silpa'' texts like '' Shilparatna''. This feature is found only in a few other temples like
Neyyadiappar Temple, Tillaistanam Neyyadiappar Temple, Tillaistanam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the village of Thillaisthanam also known as Tillaisthanam or Thiruneithanam in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism, Shaivism as one ...
, Tiruttalinathar Temple in Thiruputhur, the central shrine in
Moovar Koil Moovar Koil or "The Three temples" is a Hindu temple complex situated in the village of Kodumbalur, 36 kilometres from Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, India. These temples were constructed by the Chola feudatory and Irukkuvel chieftain Boothi Vikra ...
in
Kodumbalur Kodumbalur is a village in Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the site of the Moovar Koil temple complex. Location It is located at a distance of 35km from Trichy and 40km from Pudukkottai. The name Kodumbalur has been mentioned in ...
,
Vijayalaya Choleeswaram Vijayalaya Choleeswaram in Narthamalai, a panchayat town in Pudukottai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, India, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, Vishnu and houses the 8th century Jaina Abode. The temple is consid ...
in
Narthamalai Narthamalai, a cluster of small hills, is 25 km from Trichy on the Trichy- Pudukottai highway in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Here can be seen some of the oldest rock cut cave temples, as well as the longest rock-cut edicts, simil ...
, and Anantheswara temple in Udayarkudi.


Complex

The temple is approached through a five-tiered pyramidal ''
rajagopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' (Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Malayalam: ഗോപുരം) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South In ...
'', the original structure, according to Sarkar, is from Kuluthonga's regime. The
vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also menti ...
, the shrine over the sanctum is axial and of same height of that of the ''gopuram''. The temple's gopuram is similar to its counterparts at
Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur Thyagaraja Temple is a Shiva temple, located in the town of Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu state, India. Shiva is worshiped in the form of a lingam as Thyagarajaswami, also known as ''Putridankondar''. His consort Parvati is worshipped as Goddess ''Ne ...
, Someswarar Temple, Pazhayarai and
Nageswaraswamy Temple, Kumbakonam Nageswaraswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the ''Tevaram'', written by Tamil poet sain ...
, which all belong to the same period. The presiding deity of the temple is Shiva
lingam A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or Aniconism, aniconic representation of the Hinduism, Hindu Hindu deities, god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Up ...
in the form of Kampaheswarar and is housed in the central shrine. There is a separate shrine for the deity Sarabeswarar, Smith 2003, p. 193 a fusion of man, eagle and lion, who is believed to have relieved the ''deva''s (celestial deities) from the fury of
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
in the form of
Narasimha Narasimha (, , or , ), is the fourth avatara of the Hindu god Vishnu in the Satya Yuga. He incarnated as a part-lion, part-man and killed Hiranyakashipu, ended religious persecution and calamity on earth, and restored dharma. Narasimha has th ...
after he slayed Hiranyakasipu. Sharbeshwaramurti is depicted with six legs, the body and face of a lion, and a tail. It has four human arms, with an axe held in the right upper hand, a noose in the lower right hand, a deer in the upper left hand, and fire in the lower left hand. Narasimha is shown with eight arms, flailing and struggling under Sharbeshwaramurti's feet. Rao p. 174 The shrine also has sculptures of Sridevi and Bhudevi, the consorts of Vishnu. The bronze image of Sarabheswara temple is believed to be from the period of
Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from to 1218. He ascended the throne after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war agains ...
.


Gallery

File:Kampaheswara Temple Entrance.JPG, Main entrance and Rajagopura File: Tirubuvanam temple2.jpg, Dwajasthambam File:Kampaheswar1.JPG, Outer
prakara A prakaram (प्राकारः in Sanskrit), also spelled pragaram or pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer part around the Hindu temple sanctum. They may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the innermost prakaram. ...
File:Kampaheswara2.JPG,
Vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also menti ...
File: Tirubuvanam temple3.jpg, Inner
gopura A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' (Tamil language, Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu language, Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Malayalam language, Malayalam: ഗോപുരം) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate ...
File: Tirubuvanam temple7.jpg, Pillars in the mandapa File: Tirubuvanam temple8.jpg,
Vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also menti ...
rear view


Notes


References

* * * *


External links

{{Vaippu sthalam Shiva temples in Thanjavur district 12th-century Hindu temples