Architecture Stood Base to Execute an event of Historical and Religious in Relief Sculpture (A Rare Relief Sculpture of a Divinely Play by Saint Tirugnana Sambandar on Ekambaresvara Temple’s Tower of Kanchipuram) Prof.Dr. S.A.V. Elanchezian, Assistant Professor Dept. of Architecture Thiagarajar College of Engineering Madurai

India Some of the Relief sculptures are being as lithic documents on rare History. Evidence to this; we have series of huge base reliefs carved in Vaikuntha Perumal Temple of Kanchipuram. Those are being very rare master pieces of art of India; themed on History of a Dynasty. Besides, some single or loose reliefs can found some temples, those figured on some events. Some of them depicted with couple of frames or more. Some has shrunken in one frame even it for on vast story. Many of those not identified even they situated in very main places of the temples. Simply those have sighted frequently by publics some time by scholars. Though the seeing eyes even belongs to Art Historians or Historians or self-interested Writers doesn’t catch the historic or aesthetic values of the art, even though they situated in visible area as said above. In fact the great scholars too failures to this; since, that the chance is being as a gift of God thus happened in rare. Why I am saying on this is the orientation of the researched sculpture that situated in the entrance jamb of the huge Raya Gopuram of Kanchipuram Ekambareswarar Temple is noteworthy. Though of its regular and direct visibility and orientation, no any articles came so far all I Know. Therefore this paper throwsa new light probably in first time on a sculpture whichholds an historical event and too especially with divine miracle casted by Saint Thirugnana Sambandhar. Keywords: Sambandhar, Palm tree, Thiruvothur, Gopuram, Relief Sculpture, Kanchipuram.

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Orientation of the Sculpture The sculpture carved at the tower’s front entrance jamb. The jamb’s right side (on lookers view wise) facet having this sculpture carved at roughly 4½ feet high now. Hence in origin could be with 10 feet high and could be seen with lifted head however was visible keenly. The relief sculpture is roughly 14”x 12” inches sized with two + one members only. Sambandhar’s Pilgrimage to Tondaimandalam The sculpture stood as a tribute to the saivasaint GnanaSambandhar. Also it is a figural inscription on GnanaSambandhar indeed. Besides, most of the major Temples were sung by four. The Four were Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Manikavasagar respectively. Thus those particular temples if sung by them were known in Tamil as pāḍalpeṛṛasthalangaḷ

(தாடல்பதற்ற஡லங்கள்). In this kind, during the pilgrimage of Sambandhar at

Tondaimandalam he visited some temples while on the way. Therefore he before to Kanchipuram worshiped the Lord Siva at TiruvannamalaiArunachaleswarar Temple where Siva offered his appearance as Jyothi Lingam to him. With this bliss he came towards north to come further. While he too worshiped Lord Siva of Thiruvothur. Thiruvothur Thiruvothur now known as Cheyar a town situated on a bank of Cheyyaru. Also it is wrongly called as Thiruvaththipuram and Thiruvithipuram. Cheyyar is originally Sēyonāṛu means a river created by Lord Murugan. In fact, now this temple known with Sanskrit name of Vedhapuriswarar Temple. Many Temples were lost their original names by replaced of Sanskrit Names. The town from Thiruvannamalai having 76 kilometres distance. The temple is an ancient one, since, sung by Sambandhar. The main shrine seems to be a later version of Pallava style designed as NagaraVimana. The temple entranced with two towers the first tower stands with six storeys. The Divine Play at Thiruvothur Sambandhar reached the village Thiruvothur worshiped God Siva. Where, he chanced to do a divine wonder, of a request of local man also an ardent devotee to Siva. As of, the man came and worshiped Sambandhar, then addressed about him and his God service. He said that he planted palm trees for Siva devotees to serve. What happened was but no any of them yielded the palm – fruits because, all of them were male trees unfortunately. Since, he worried about his helplessness, suffered much. Beside this, The Jain saints were satirised him and asked often to convert the male palm trees to yield palm fruits by the devotion of Siva. The Sambandhareared this and went inner the Temple of the same. He worshipped the god and

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sung a hymn with melted heart while the Jain saints were been parted there. The hymn given below:

ꯂத்த஡ர்ந்஡ாப஦ணபகாண்翁஢ின்பதான்ண羿

ஏத்஡ா஡ாாில்லலப஦ண்迁ங்கால்

ஓத்鏂ர்த஥஦ஒளி஥폁வாளங்லகக்

埂த்஡ீர்உம்஥埁஠ங்கதள... 1.54.1

...and finally he continued at the end of the hymn as:

“埁쏁ம்லத஦ாண்தலண뿀ன்埁லலத஦ாத்஡ர்

அ쏁ம்ꯁபகான்லற஦羿கலளப்

பத쏁ம்ꯁக쮿뿁ள்ஞாணசம்தந்஡ன்பசால்

வி쏁ம்ꯁவார்விலணퟀதட” -1.54.11 (Sambabdhar 1.54)

The last stanza possesses the request at God to yield the palm fruits though males they were. On this selfless request the god took an action converted the trees as she palms too with yielded fruits. The Jain saints watched eagerly of the failure that surely going to be happened to Sambandhar that how it is possible and said as ridiculous. But the result was negative the trees baptised as to feminine has been yielded surprisingly. The stunned Jain saints accepted the Lord Sivas Greatness and converted to Saivism without other examines. However, some fanatical Jain followers were severely punished due to the opposition, as of those days custom.

Visualization on this event

Therefore, in rare and in very need Sambandhar did these divine super - recoveries in various places. The other example to this was; healed to long day suffered dangerous fever of King Pandiya of Madurai and the other was given rebirth to Poombavai of Mylapore from her body - burnt ashes and bones kept pot. This is known from his Hymn that sung at the www.ijellh.com 532

Mylapore Temple when on his visit. (Sambandhar 2.47) We don’t know the former incident’s sculpture perhaps may be placed at MinakshiSundareswarar Temple of Madurai. I am not sure about it however, a relief sculpture at a Mandapa pillar of Kapalisvara Temple of Mylapore which holds the later incident’s sculpture that should be mentioned here.

Indeed at in Toṇḍaimaṇḍalm he did two of these divine plays, since the incident which documented in particular temples or the region’s main Shrine. We hope may be an earliest sculpture regard this may possible there. Though, there we can find this scene in stucco sculptures on the main tower, probably, at the second storey of right side, where in the sālā aedicule, the palm tree centrally depicted. Whereupon, the left side at the recess place, probably ofpanjara aedicule Sambandhar has been portrayed in standing gesture. Beside this, the temple’s sthalavirutchamwhich means the holy tree of the temple,is also, Palm trees because of the incident, which, also worshiped with prominence since has seen there with ardhamandapa in frontward. (This is very rare that asthalavirutcham tree which provided with mandapa in frontward for its worshippers according to the temples of southern India.)After of this, Sambandhar continued further to Kanchipuram, while on the way he visited Magaral and Kuranganilmuttam.It is said that saint Sambandhar who sung decade(decade means ten verses in a song)onthe god of Kuranganilmuttambut he didn’t mentionson thePallava style especially a period of Mahendracave – Temple and its God.Thus his song at Kuranganilmuttam goes to then existed brick temple and God. (K.R.S. p 61)After this visit and finally reached to Ekambareswarar temple. As mentioned earlier that our article’s topic sculpture is belongs to the same temple, was though a later work but carved in aesthetic sense.

Reason to the Sculpture carved The explained great event happened in Tondaimandalam since, has been documented again by then rulers at the capital of the region. Moreover, the continuous long traditional trinity of Tamil rulers in south as Chera, Chola and Pandiya was once or probably first time in history, discontinued by Muslim invaders in fourteenth century. When, after many struggles finally the Hindu Kingdom flourished to rule again the vast region. However, It was really impossible then due to the aggressive Muslim rulers with huge military, even who they converted the founders of the Vijayanagara dynasty to Muslims, earlier. (K. A.N. p 237) Since the establishing once again the Hindu Kingdom was a high task as once been as so to the Tamil Saints who restored the Hinduism from domination of the other religions. Also www.ijellh.com 533

they struggled more to establish the Hinduism. To this many field work they made. They debated to the oppositionists. They done, divine wonders. Due to these great services the Hindu religion stood with stronghold. Still has been continuing. Therefore, the imposed tower of the Ekambareswarar Temple by the King Krishnadeva Raya of Vijayanagara dynasty, which on documented purposively. Kind of this special incident of Gnanasambandhar, which took place particularly in the same region that, had been documented at a prideful structure of them.

Composition brilliance of the Sculptor

The sculpture composed in orthographic view. Since, all its figures appeared in straight; therefore the one point perspective technique has been followed. It is though a small relief sculpture carved neatly with all discipline. The plane of the picture has been symmetrically composed by left and right distributions, equally. Since the right side figure is a shrine of two storeys which positioned in colossal appearance. Probably the two storied temple could be at least with 35 feet high up to finial which is finely balanced in left side by placing a height palm tree. The palm trees are the key elements to that incident since proportioned also with priority. Below to the palm tree two human figures have been carved. The figures exactly positioned left and right side the tree since being at centre. The right side figure is depicted little taller though they stood at one place.

Iconographical features of the sculpture

1.The Temple and its Architectural style

The Temple as said before is a two storey vimana in vesara style. The hemispherical style of sikaraconfirmed the class. The first floor’s harastyled with flanking karnakutas at it corners whilst the sala aedicule carved in centre. The both aedicules carved in perfect proportion with all their elements. The finial too carved in fine. The entablature having sukanasikaswilst the sikara having mahanasikathat rightly proportioned. The pithi (wall) that showed with half pilasters though as usual see through method which too followed to show the temple belongs to whom. Therefore we can see the Lingam of womb chamber in transparently.

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2. The Palm Tree

The key to this incident were palm trees since one tree focused highly. Therefore the tree’s slender stem which carved exactly with its scares of previous leaves by zigzag carvings to show the trees exact character as a palm tree. Because to avoid the confusion between coconut tree and this one. The pinnated leaves arrangement plusses the harmony and symmetrical beauty to the whole. In addition the leaves were replicated to emphasise the original character of the tree. Because the artist took care to at least even if illiterate can identify the picture through kind of this depictions as it belongs to that particular story. Besides at centre of the leaves the yielded fruits that too carved with perspective since the fruits seem with front back and in middle like as the original bunch of. One more stem carved in low relief back to the front big tree to depict the farm like feel.

3.ThirugnanaSambandhar

The identification of portraiture of ThirugnanaSambandhar is not merely and roughly said in own. It has been examined by cross references. Thus the iconography of Sambandhar defined in child appearance since no dress to be shown to him. The head gear as with jaṭāmakuṭa is followed in distinctive manner. Therefore it has a bulge like headgear with garland encircled. The conformation element that studded by a band of rudraksha mala can see on his head. His loin has a band with flanking pendent on either side. (T.A.G Fig – 1, PL CXXXVII) His hands though in mutilated condition but traceable with usual cymbal striking gestures. Ears were seems with big patraKundalas.Since, the depiction of the incident keenly documented because of its divine worth particularly on the facet of tower entrance jamb. And too he sung on god Ekambareswara but none of any divine play happened here. Since the Thiruvothur incident was depicted.

Appar – Thirunavukkarasar

The sculpture again proven by other evidence which will be seen in the same sculpture’s above panel. The panel also in the same size to below panel consisting Lord Dakshinamurty and Appar. The latter figure is confirmed by the iconographical feature as of the rudraksha mala around the head as a band. Besides, the dust or debris clearing tool is his peculiar identity which found with him that too shown clearly but with little confusion. The attentive www.ijellh.com 535

gesture and anjalai hasta are too added as to confirm the figure as whom that was. Probably the orientation of this sculpture just above to our topic sculpture is can be a reason as Appar visited this temple before to Sambandhar, likely.

Conclusion The past histories were found in numerous inscriptions, copper plates and etc. Those were being majorly as documentations of social and official based then times.However some rare and very special events,those were documented rather than as written document but obviously in art which was the distinction of the Indian art. Therefore, kind of those art were not mostly traced because of the lacking in wider view, in fact which is really hard to assume such a pieces of art with its full of meaning.To find the character of the sculptures which in such a kind, that being part of it is difficult if without knowing on Hindu pantheon Iconographical knowledge.We don’t know the divine miracles of the saints that known from very early period but those are possible in some way. Why because the so far discussed event was carved in a focal area particularly in an entrance huge tower is possessing aestheticbeauty. Moreover, and when at finishing of this article, fortunately a one more useful data availed on the event as a free standing sculptural composition in the temple of Thiruvothur. It is the sculptures set in early historical period not latterly added. Particularly that being as round in sculpture, since the Palmyra tree has depicted in realistic manner with six to seven feet height roughly. A sculpture of Sambandhar stood below to the tree gestured with as usual of singing posture. Between these two sculptures centrally a Linga is situated to fulfil the composition of the event is noteworthy to mention.

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References

ThirunganaSambandhar, Thevaram, First & Second Thirumurai, in first Thirumurai the 54 thPathigam is probably on Thiruvothur. In Second Thirumurai the 47 thPathigam is on Mylapore Probably.

Srinivasan, K.R.S. Cave-Temples of the Pallavas, New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India,1964. Print.

NilakantaSastri, K.A.N. A History of South India, Madras: Oxford University Press, Madras, 1976. Print.

Cf. Gopinatha Rao, T.A. Elements of Hindu Iconography, Volume Two, Part II, Delhi: MotilalBanarsidass Publishers Private Limited, 1993. Print.

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Bronze Sculpture of ThirugnanaSambandhar – Medieval Period

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Main Tower that consist the topic sculpture in Stucco – Thiruvothur Temple

Close up View – Stucco sculpture shows the scene of Sambandhar and Palm Tree.

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Main Tower Entrance of Ekambaresvara Temple

Close up view of the topic sculpture – Main tower entrance of Ekambareswara Temple.

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