A Kodandarama temple that may have inspired Muthuswami Dikshitar’s raganga composition

Sometime successful the aboriginal 19th century, Muthuswami Dikshitar arrived successful Thanjavur for an extended stay. Legend suggests helium whitethorn person visited adjacent earlier, going by his creation ‘Nabhomani chandragni nayanam’ (Nabhomani raga, Triputa tala), which is believed to person been created connected the juncture of the Brihadiswara temple’s consecration during the reign of Serfoji II. The ‘Sarabhendra samsevita charanam’ seems to bespeak this. As per the Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library records, the consecration took spot successful 1801, evidencing Dikshitar’s beingness successful the region.

The composer’s much prolonged enactment was to thatch euphony to the Thanjavur Quartet. According to Subbarama Dikshitar’s Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini, lone 2 of the 4 brothers, Ponniah and Vadivelu, were disciples of Muthuswami Dikshitar. Today, however, scholars judge that each 4 trained nether him. Since Vadivelu was calved successful 1810 and would person been astir 5 erstwhile helium began learning from Dikshitar, we tin presume that the composer came to Thanjavur astir 1815.

During his stay, Dikshitar embarked connected what whitethorn beryllium described arsenic raganga raga project. As is good known, helium followed the asampurna mela/raganga raga scheme, wherever successful a raga tin beryllium considered a genitor standard if it has each 7 notes, not needfully successful linear bid oregon successful some ascent and descent. It was student V. Raghavan who identified astir of the compositions successful this set, and the temples successful and astir Thanjavur mentioned successful the lyrics. Of the 72 raaganga ragas, 69 person songs, each of them based connected Thanjavur temples. Many of them are connected the Big Temple and the Bangaru Kamakshi shrine.

One of the compositions is connected Lord Rama — ‘Kodandaramam’ successful raga Kokilaravam (the 11th raganga raga successful Adi tala). In keeping with astir of the raganga compositions, this excessively is acceptable successful the pallavi/anupallavi format, and truthful has nary charanam. In caller times, this opus has been attributed to the Rama temple astatine Vaduvur, renowned for its beauteous utsava deity. But V. Raghavan intelligibly states that it was composed connected the Kothandarama temple connected the banks of the Vennar successful Thanjavur.

There is logic successful what helium says, due to the fact that the farthest temple to person a creation successful the raganga raga strategy is the Dharmasamvardhini shrine successful Tiruvarur. All the temples featured successful the acceptable travel nether the medication of the Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam. However, the Vaduvur shrine has ne'er been a portion of it, making its relation with the opus unlikely. Having accepted V. Raghavan’s premise, the task past is to place the temple helium meant.

The shrine successful question is an highly picturesque one, not acold from the famed Punnainallur Mariamman Temple. The Vennar flows adjacent by, but the larger waterbody successful the vicinity is the Samuthiram lake. Given Thanjavur’s level terrain, the temple’s gopuram and that of the Mariamman shrine tin beryllium seen from rather a distance. The Kothandarama temple tin beryllium reached by a roadworthy that runs past the now-ruined Rani Mandapam, erstwhile a pleasance pavilion for the Maratha queens.

The Vaduvur temple was built by Pratapasimha (1740-1763). Interestingly, his queen Yamunamba endowed different Rama temple astatine Needamangalam, whose presiding deity, Santaramaswami, has been praised by Dikshitar successful the kriti ‘Santana ramaswaminam’ successful raga Hindola Vasantam. In this compositions, Dikshitar refers to the kshetra arsenic Yamunambapuri, indicating the queen’s patronage.

A formation of steps takes you to the entranceway arch of the Kodandarama temple. The temple’s rectangular operation of the temple comprising the sanctum, a mukhamandapam and a spacious circumambulatory corridor. The colonnaded verandah with a raised level that runs each on the periphery, allowing devotees to beryllium and witnesser temple festivals. It besides serves arsenic a vahana mandapam.

Legend has it that the utsava idols of the temple — Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Anjaneya — were discovered successful a field, starring to the operation of the shrine. The moolavar is simply a magnificent lasting Kodandarama, with Lakshmana, Sita and, astir unusually, Sugriva. Hanuman, successful veera posture, has a south-facing sanctum. There is different Hanuman idol extracurricular this sanctum. A Garuda faces the main Rama. The priests present accidental that the moola Rama is made of Salagrama chromatic brought from Nepal, though it is much apt that it is fashioned successful stucco, with Salagramas forming the core.

The tranquil ambience of the temple makes you ideate Dikshitar seated present and composing kritis. That said, the creation does not springiness immoderate kshetra details, and truthful the statement that it cannot beryllium connected Vaduvur applies arsenic to this temple. But then, nary of the raganga raga compositions provides immoderate section details. Irrespective of whether the opus was composed here, the temple with its exquisite carvings and ornate garbagriha is worthy a visit.