Kanyakumari district Kalkulam circle Shiva temple in Travangodu town. Moolavar is in the form of Pratipani Linga. There are Shiva and Vishnu temples in the temple complex. The temple is the tenth of the twelve Shivalayams where Shivalaya Ota takes place.
Place
Travangodu is a town under Travangodu Nagar Panchayat in Kanyakumari District Kalkulam Circle. Thiruvananthapuram is on the Nagercoil Thiruvananthapuram road that separates from Thakkalai on the Karungal road. On the road branching off from the main road, there is a Mahadeva temple towards the east.
Travancore is an ancient town. It had the status of a capital city during the Ai dynasty. It was the capital of ancient Venad. It is said that Srivazhumkodu (bride’s abode) came to be known as Trauvidhangkodu.
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Travancore Temple
The temple deity is widely known as Pratipani, Mahadeva. The Mahadev temple in Travancore has shrines for both Shiva and Vishnu. Lord Shiva in Shiva temple is in the form of Linga and Lord Vishnu in Vishnu temple is Lord Vishnu with conch wheels.
Temple structure
Front Hall: The front entrance of the temple has eight pillared front hall. The pillars are carved with sculptures. There are courtyards on both sides of the hall and a walkway in the middle.
The one and a half acre temple complex has a Shiva temple to the south and a Vishnu temple to the north.
Shiva temple
The Mahadeva temple faces east, with a copper-plate flagpole opposite the east gate.
Mohamandapam, Travancore Temple
Mughamandapam (Nandi Mandapam): The Shiva temple has a Muhamandapam with ten pillars, five on each side. It is flanked by paddocks with a path in the middle. This mandapam is called Nandi Mandapam because of Nandi. The hall has an altar and a vada lamp. There are sculptures of Dwarpalakas with the symbol of Shiva along with other sculptures in the muhammadapam.
There is no inscriptional information about the construction of the Nandi Mandapam, however it must have been built at the end of the Venatarasan period, according to Dr. A.K. Perumal is their speculation.
Kalmandapam: The 16-pillared Kalmandapam is next to the Mughamandapam, facing south and north. In the center of the hall is a passage leading to the sanctum sanctorum rising from the ground level.
Karruvara: The karruvara where the mother is located consists of the vesara vimana. In front of the sanctum sanctorum there is a sopanam step and a circular hall around it. The inner palace is located on the ground level for easy movement around. The antiquity of the sanctum is P.U. The temple inscriptions and architectural structure help to carry it back to the 9th century AD.
Ganapathi Temple, Travancore
Thiruchuthu Mandapam: It is two feet above the ground level with 33 pillars. Pillars and sculptures are seen today. Between the circular hall and the sanctum roof there is a gap created later for ventilation. Thiruchuthu Mandapam P.U. There is inscriptional evidence that it belongs to the 16th-17th century.
Vishnu temple
Next to the Mahadev temple is the Vishnu temple on the northern side. In front of the temple there is a flagpole and an altar. At the front of the temple is a vestibule with sculptures of Garuda and Hanuman, followed by a 12-pillared hall. There are exit doors to the north and south of the arena. There is a walkway in the middle of the arena.
There is a four-legged mandapam 4 feet above the ground level built later. Next is the sanctum sanctorum. The sanctum sanctorum has a Vishnu sculpture with a conch wheel. The womb depends on the vesara type. A circular mud hall houses traditional images.
The Shiva Temple Vishnu Temple is made up of two separate temples joined by a later wall to make it appear as one temple. There are copper clad flagpoles in front of Shiva and Vishnu temples.
Sculptures
Lantern Sculptures, Travancore Temple
Muhamandapa Sculptures: Among the four pillars in front of the Shiva Temple Muhamandapa, the middle two pillars have sculptures of Dwarapalakas with the symbol of Shiva. The south facade pillar has a sculpture of Arjuna and the north facade pillar has a sculpture of Karna. Arjuna and Karna sculptures such as Arjuna and Karna sculptures found in Tiruvattaru Temple, Suchindram Temple and Kalkulam Temple.
Other sculptures found in the facade,
- Cupid (holds cane, bow, lotus)
- Kannan bearing Govardhana giri (Half-chasthanga on Kannan’s waist; Cow with neck-beads nearby).
- Kannan Vastraparana scene (Kannan crawling on the top of the tree, naked women on either side of the tree)
- Ganesha Sculpture (Standing Column; Hymn, Crown; Busts; Tiger Legs)
- Composite sculpture (male mouth on female breast)
- Kannan who steals butter (from Uri)
- Yasoda (with mat in hand ready to strike Kannan)
- Karthikeyan (seated on peacock; veal in hand and weapon of power)
- Hanuman
- Raman
- Sage (undressed)
- Dancing girl
- Agora Veerabhatra
- Creepy Kannan
- Kuravan (with horn in hand)
- Kuravan (to capture the princess)
- Monkey (swallowing a bird)
- Yalis
Sanctum Sculptures: On the northern wall of the sanctum sanctorum of the Shiva temple is a sculpture depicting Narasinghan killing Iraniya. Iraniya is lying on the lap of Narasimha with ten hands. There is a sculpture of Pragladhan nearby. Nataraja, Madthalam Adippavavar, Gangalanathar reliefs are painted on top of the car.
The Vishnu temple has sculptures of Lord Garuda and Hanuman in the main hall.
All the 61 pillars in the outer Prakara Thiruchuttu Mandapam have sculptures of the Buddha. There are 17 sculptures in the East Praghara, 13 in the North Praghara, 20 in the West Praghara and 14 in the South Praghara. These are offered as Deepalakshmi.
Lantern Sculptures, Travancore Temple
Deepalakshmi Sculptures: At the beginning of the eastern prakara, a large-breasted female sculpture standing in a tuliphanga posture is seen holding a lamp instead of an agal lamp. There is no other sculpture like this in the temples of Kumari district. The arms of the Bhava sculptures found on other pillars also have lamps with handles.
Most of the Lamppa sculptures are built with large busts. Condensed face and facial structure of the Pai sculptures, the ornamentation and the size of the bust are characteristic of the age.
Nirvana Bhavai: A pillar adjacent to the Vishnu temple in East Prag has a sculpture of Deepalakshmi in the tri-panga position. The middle garment is undone and falls on the ankles. The left hand holds the hem of the garment and the right hand holds a lamp. The lamp has an elaborate lotus flower design. The sculpt’s tapered midriff and belly folds are subtly shown. The necklace hanging from the neck lies close between the breasts. A string of pearls hangs in the ear. Around the hem of the sculpture is a work of hanging pearls. There are ornaments like bangles on the hands and bank on the shoulders. The sculpture is nude but not obscene.
There are three naked male sculptures standing one behind the other on the back of the pillar which houses the nude doll sculpture. A sculpture of a man prostrates and worships a naked woman.
Dancing Bhava: On one of the pillars in the eastern prakara there is a sculpture of a dancing Bhava with legs spread wide. The left hand carries a lamp. Anjali Hastamai is seated under her feet and her right hand is above his head. She is adorned with Bhadragundalam and Muthucharam.
Embrace Position: Sculpture of a crowned man embracing a woman at his waist. The man’s right hand is touching Bhava’s face as if caressing it with love. In her left hand is a lamp. Under the midriff is the garment.
On the pillar at the end of the east prakara is a sculpture of a female seated with a lamp in her right hand bowing under the hymn of Yali.
North prakara Sculptures: The north prakara of the temple also has bi- and tri-panga female sculptures with large busts and draped ornaments with lamp in hand. In the north prakaram there is a sculpture of a man wearing a mupuri thread and embracing a woman with a long garland around his neck. There is a sculpture of a pregnant woman with a bulging belly in the Dwiphangka position holding a lamp.
Temple at Thorana Gate, Travancore
Western Praghara Sculptures: There are many types of sculptures like woman with slip dress, pregnant woman with bloated belly, woman in loose clothes with drooping chest, woman carrying child, old woman with drooping chest and torn cheeks. In the west prakaram there is a sculpture with lamp in right hand and silver sword in left hand.
There are oral reports that the sculptures were carved under the leadership of a Pandi sculptor and that Ivan stayed in the town of Travangodu and married a Malayalam girl at her request.
Pujas and festivals
Daily pujas, special pujas and festivals take place. The festival starts on a single day in the month of Margazhi and lasts for ten days in Shiva and Vishnu temples.
History
Travancore Temple is the oldest of the temples where Shivalaya Ota takes place. There is an inscription on the wall of the temple that dates back to 866 AD during the reign of Ai king Kokarunandathakkan. An inscription dated to Kokarunandadakan refers to the Lord as Mahadeva. From other inscriptions in this temple, it seems that the names of Lord Shiva and Ishvara were in the banyan tree. According to Dr. A.K. Perumal says.Trivudhangoda temple
The name Travancore is widely mentioned in inscriptions found in Kanyakumari district. The Aruvikarai inscription contains the message that Balakottu Narayanan, a resident of Travangodu town, gave Nipandam to the Aruvikarai Krishna temple. Travangodu is mentioned in Iraniyal and Tiruvattaru inscriptions. P.U. The Udayagiri Fort inscription of 1803 mentions it with the epithet Travancore Rajyam.
inscriptions
- P.U. A Tamil cursive inscription dated 866 (T.A.S. Vol. VI p. 142) was found in the area between the Mahadeva temple and the Vishnu temple. An inscription stating that the Umayyad leader Singhan Kundra Bojan gave six kalams of paddy to the worshipers of the Mahadeva temple and performed puja twice with the interest from it. It can be identified as Kokarunandadakan inscription by the style of language and the sign found at the end.
- P.U. A 10th century Tamil cursive inscription (T.A.S. Vol. VI p. 79) is on the west side step of the temple. There is a message given in terms of land.
- P.U. An 11th century Tamil cuneiform inscription (T.A.S. Vol. VI p. 139) is on the south-west rock inside the Mahadeva temple. An inscription of the later Chola king Jatavarman. There is a news that Thirunanda was given a gift of 20 kalanju gold to buy a lamp and was ordered to pour ghee daily.
- P.U. There is a 12th century Tamil cursive inscription (T.A.S. Vol. VI p. 80). There is a story of a Nanda stipulating five buffaloes to the congregation to get ghee for burning a lamp. It seems that there was a separate church from this inscription.
- P.U. A Tamil Nibandha inscription dated 1611 is on the eastern side of the hall where Dwarpalagar is.
- P.U. An inscription dated 1639 in Malayalam script in Sanskrit (T.A.S. Vol. VI p. 78) is on the north hall wall of the Mahadeva temple. There is news that Ravivarman (1626-1648), the ruler of Venat, did temple repairs.
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