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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00114 Dec 2005

 
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Sri :

Dear Sriman Narayana BhakthAs :

A respected member of the group had asked about 
AshtAnga VimAnams at ThirukkOshtiyUr  , ThirukkUdal ,
UtthiramErUr and also about its Aagamic significance  and 
whether AshtAnga VimAnams are unique to PerumAL Koils .

I thought that the subject of the VimAnams is a good
one to share some thoughts with you all  and invite any 
comments .

General Comments about the VimAnams of Dhivya dEsams
****************************************************************************
1. There was a time , when the VimAnams were taller than the Gopurams .
These were mostly at Shiva Temples built  during the height of ChOLaa 
Kingdom . One Example is that of  Bruhadheeswarar temple at ThanjAvUr 
built by Raaja Raaja ChOzhan , who ruled between 985-1014 C.E. The kings
wanted to celebrate their victories and for the land to know of them .

The 216 feet ThanjAvur VimAnam with 13 stories is Pyramidal in shape 
with a sikhara (cap stone) sitting on top of the pyramid ; this cap stone 
is a single piece of  granite weighing 81 tons . A cupolic Octagonal dome 
( AshtAnga ) has been placed over it . One can speculate that AshtAnga 
aspects are linked to Ashta dhig Gajams defending the 8 directions or 
ashta Iswaryams or ashta siddhis . 

The Gangai Konda ChOzhan(1014-1044 C.E) built a 9 story vimAnam 
for Siva at GangaikoNDa ChOzhapuram , which is 185 feet tall ; Raja Raja
ChOzhan II (1046-1073 C.E)  built the IrAvatheeswarar temple at 
DhArAsuram with a 85 feet tall VimAnam ; KulOtthunga ChOzhan III 
( 1178-1218 C.E) built the SivA Temple at Thirubhuvanam , which had 
a 130 feet tall VimAnam . These were engineering marvels of their times .  

AchArya RaamAnuja ( 1017-1137 C.E ) lived during these ChOLa times .

VaishNavite Temples had taller Gopurams than their VimAnams . 
The later day ChOLA kings went back to smaller sized VimAnams 
and the PallavAs , PaandyAs , ChALukyAs and VijayaNagara kings
kept their VimAnams shorter than the Gopurams . 

The tall SrivilliputthUr Temple Gopuram and the South Gopuram of 
Lord RanganAtha at Srirangam built by the 44th Pattam Srimath
Azhagiya Singar are examples , where the main Gopuram is taller
than the VimAnam inside .

2. AshtAnga VimAnams are rather unique to VaishNavaa Temples
perhaps because of the sacred AshtAkshara Manthram of Sriman
NaarAyaNaa . 

3. The Famous AshtAnga VimAnams are at  ThirukkOttiyUr , 
ThirukkUdal ( Mathurai Koodal Azhagar) , ParamEswara 
ViNNagaram(Vaikunta PerumAL Koil , ThiruvAttAru and 
ThiruppARkkadal ( celestial ) dhivya dEsams . 

3.1: The garbha graham at ThirukkOttiyUr  has  4  storeys 
( Ground Floor : Sayana PerumAL ) ; First floor ( NinRa 
ThirukkOlam ); Second Floor ( Seated ThirukkOlam ) 
and below ground floor.basement ( Natana KrishNan ). 

3.2: Mathurai Koodal Azhagar has AshtAnga VimAnam and
multiple Sannidhis at different storis like at ThirukkOttiyUr .

3.3 : Vaikunta PerumAL KOil ( ParamEswara ViNNagaram) near Kaanchi
has multiple stories has Sayana ThirukkOla PerumAL in the first floor
of the VimAnam and NinRa ThirukkOla PerumAL on the second floor .
It is a Pallava period koil . Althought he VimAnam is called Mukundha
VimAnam , it is included among the temples with AshtAnga VimAnam .

4. Thiru Parama Padham (Sri Vaikuntam) has AanathAnga VimAnam .

5. Chathuranga Kola VimAnam is at  ThiruvallavAzh KolappirAn
sannidhi .

6. Outside the 108 Dhivya dEsams , the UtthiramErUr temple has
AshtAnga VimAnam .

(To Be Continued) 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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