Have you ever asked why many legal activists are waging a war against the TN’s Hindu Religious Charitable Endowments Department?
Tamil Nadu is the region where two ancient cultures of Bharat, the Vedic and Sangam ideologies merged. The Tamil kings, who were native sons of the soil, were truly dharmic who intelligently integrated many independent tribal and regional cult worshippers into mainstream religions during the age of Bhakti. In fact, the movement of Bhakti began in TN. While on one side, the native bhakti saints travelled on foot and praised the geography; on the other, the kings used religion to integrate people under one umbrella by building temples. This was also the time when the kings (pan-India) used the early brahmin settlers to transform barren and hostile lands to arable soil. In this way, the Tamil kings used institutions like temples and the brahmadeya (land grants to brahmins) to expand and establish their territory. Even when the dynasty changed, the strategy remained undisturbed, which eventually allowed the temple to become administrative centres of the State.
So what happened to those temples that did not become an administrative centre? This blog will give a 360 degrees view of temple history using one such temple town in TN which did not become an administrative centre.
Thiruvengadu is a village, about 100 km South of Puducherry and 100 km East of Thanjavur. Even though the township may be unheard of for many, the temple is one of the biggest in Tamil Nadu (TN).
If you are wondering how the biggest temple can still be unpopular? Well, it is not totally unknown either.
In India, typically, every temple has a sthala puranam, a legend that specifically extols the greatest of the region, which became a reason for the existence of the temple. So, one of Thiruvengadu temple’s greatness is that it is auspicious for the planet Mercury. As the legend goes- Budhan, the planet Mercury, on coming to know that he is the illicit son of Tara and Chandra felt ashamed of his birth and performed great penance to Lord Siva to correct his birth status. Pleased by his penance, Lord Siva is believed to have elevated him, conferring on him the status of planet at this location. Thus, this location becomes auspicious and sacred for existence of a temple, and so features among the Navagraha kshetra-s (destinations associated with planets). Those people who have debilitated or afflicted Mercury in their horoscope, visit this temple to turn the tides of Time. But…, apart from being a navagraha sthalam, this temple is considered as the adi Chidambaram, for containing the sannadhi-s (presence) of Siva (as Nataraja) and Vishnu in close proximity.
Besides that, the Thiruvengadu temple also houses the most beautiful forms of Siva, right opposite to Goddess Kali’s sannidhi. According to the local folk-lore, Kali, being the personified fury of Goddess Durga, was being eternally wrathful. Therefore, in order to calm her intensity, Siva is said to have taken the form of Aghoramurthi. The sculpture of Aghoramurthi of Thiruvankadu is minimalistic and as handsome as some of the early Pallava depictions of Siva in Kailasanatha temple, Kanchi. Today, it is very difficult to catch the sculpture in its original glory as it is constantly ornate. However, since my grandmother (mother’s mother) belonged to a small village around this temple town, I have memories of this sculpture so vividly imprinted when my father had undertaken a special abhishekam for the idol in the early 90s.
Among other greatness, this is also the temple from where the most beautiful Chandikeshwara and Ardhanarishvara Chola bronze sculptures belonging to Rajendra Chola times (now in Madras Museum) were excavated from here.
Thus, it is the only Hindu temple which contains three sannidhi-s (presence of Siva in three forms: Swetharanyeswarar, Nataraja and Aghoramurti), three temple tanks (Surya thirtam, Soma thirtam, Agni thirtam), and three sthala vriksham (Banyan, Vilvam, Golden Shower trees). So…, imagine the size of the temple!
As long as the Tamil land was being ruled by Hindu kings, this temple constantly received patronage and kept expanding. However, during colonial times, this temple, not being an administrative centre, did not benefit from as much patronage as Madurai Meenakshiamman, or Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar temples did. But in this context, there is another regional story and true incident which goes as follows.
Usually, the temple priest is the local caretaker of the temple properties, deities and rituals with patronage of state and devotees. But, unable to meet with the expenses of such a large temple, the priest here would lock the various temple premises and throw the key on the feet of the Lord: in the belief that He who has manifested here for his devotees, will also show a way for keeping their faith intact. And this unconditional faith of the priest didn’t let him down, as the next day when he visited, the iron key would have turned gold. The gold would then be good enough to keep the rituals alive, taking care of the needs of the families of the priests and the people engaged in temple services. In this way, the temple has been functional even at a time when the glory of the temple was unknown and the patronage had stopped.
The interesting thing about temple stories is how the core idea for dharma, which translates as religion has spilt over into sociological, political, artistic and cultural aspects of the society as well. In this way, the idea of dharma was not restricted to faith, but applied in various disciplines that was reinvented from time to time to stay relevant. For example-
- Professional dharma was the professional integrity of an individual
- Political dharma was the integrity of socio-political authority in activities of governance, and law & order
- Social dharma was the goodness or, the socio-ecological responsibility of every being to their immediate and extended ecosystems
- Science aspect of dharma was an applied tradition for inventions of utility and included industries like technology, weapon craft, metallurgy, housing and healing
- Art aspect of dharma was meant for propagating the appreciation of forms and identifying things of true beauty and includes food, culture, entertainment etc; and,
- The religious aspects of dharma was the wisdom inherently laced that would give a framework for all of the above mentioned disciplines.
Thus, the purpose of various disciplines was for upholding a harmony for social, ecological and cosmic order. And, the Indian kings fought wars to establish and propagate dharmic socio-cultural values that were progressive and suiting changing times. While the kshatriya-s were considered as dharma palana-s, the brahmana varna-s were considered as karma palana-s, who knew the scripture and could reinvent the daily disciplines to changing times, accommodating professional demands suiting various economic status of people, and their dharma was guarding the scriptures.
In this way, within the frameworks of dharma, the kingdoms expanded and dynasties changed, but the cultural ethos remained constant, connected to a singularity. Though it was a culturally pluralistic, complex society, it could accommodate other religious ideologies of Buddhists and Jaina-s (even Jews) as Bharat was built on ideas of cultural values and was tolerant to theistic, agnostic as well as atheistic ideas. However, with the passage of time, social hierarchy and rigidity infiltrated into the Indian socio-political structures especially since the time the temple traditions began to function just like any other kind of a colonial institution.
Between traditions and institutions, there is only a thin line. While the nature of tradition is to safeguard values and ensure evolutionary progress; the purpose of institutions is only to ensure rules of the traditions are followed. As long as the “rules” are followed for a higher cause, an institution would make sense. But…
With the link to the wisdom texts declining, and people’s lifestyle and growing needs taking them away from the civilizational seed, little bond to the native culture and ancestral lifestyles have brought the culture to be very exhibitive. Although South India held itself firmly even after Independence, the urban attitude post globalisation and the dravidian political idealogy are actually threatening the dharmic culture and intangible cultural heritage.
Can the lost glories be restored? Yes! But…
Not until we change our outlook towards temple and idol worship by elevating our aesthetic sensibilities. Since the paths of universalism are classified as theories of: Justice (dharma), Goodness (artha) and Beauty (kama), new paths can be reconstructed to suit contemporary times. And,…
For this reason, the paths of Jvala have been thematically curated for comprehending deeply Indic ideas of (social:) wellness, (universal:) discipline and (appreciation of:) culture.
To know what wellness is, read: Should we fear ‘Pain’?
