u Volume 67 u Pages 16u March-2014 www.vaastuyogam.com

stC o n n e c t i n g V a a s t u t o t h e 21 C e n t u r y

VaastuyogamNEWSLETTER

Welcome to the March 2014 issue of Vaastuyogam.

As a departure from our regular policy, from this

issue we will discuss corporate failures and the role

of the corporate logo. We begin with India’s massive

automobile failure – the Hindustan Motors and their

Ambassador car.

I want to draw attention of my many clients and the

vast readership of this magazine to the importance of

sound business and quality practices in running

companies. There is no substitute for genuine,

innate and methodical business acumen. The

corporate logo can help you with the business. It

cannot run it!

Our Saptapuri series takes us to the ancient holy city

of Kanchipuram this month. At the risk of sounding

repetitive I urge all readers to make time and travel to

these holy places. Get lost in the by-lanes of India’s

hoary past – maybe you will find you true self!

Happy reading! Happy travelling!

Jagat Guru Shankaracharya of Kanchi

“Vaastu today is a

book of lucky charms”-Architect Mr. Bhaskar Nirula

This month we continue our conversationwith Architect Bhaskar Nirula of Placekinesis Associates, Ahmedabad.

Readers will recall that we spoke to him last month in the context of the Satellite Police station that he designed.

Excerpts from the interview:

EDITORIAL ARCHITECT’S VOICE

ccording to me Vaastu is a body of text

written to make life simpler for people Abuilding palaces, temples and towns. It

also doubled as a do-it-yourself manual for the

uninitiated who were planning to construct

dwellings for themselves.

The logic of the text is specifically Indian in as

much as it is suitable for the hot tropical climate of

our country. The text is a culmination of the

accumulated experiences of its various uncredited

authors, especially their observations about the

weather, the wind directions and the topography of

the plot.

I am not an expert on the subject but I presume that

it was the Brahmins of the day who introduced the

astrological angle to what must have been an

architectural treatise. The Brahmins also could not

resist adding their own rules of do’s and don’ts

along with a layer of retribution psychosis in the

event of non-conformity to the texts.

I must add here that the advance of construction

technology and the introduction of air-conditioning

as well as modern cooking appliances have more

or less overtaken the Vaastu tenets as far as

architectural aspects of Vaastu go. However,

Vaastu is still adhered to because of its other

output; the betterment of one’s prospects. That is

the subject of the Vastu Shastri and the underlying

motivation of implementing Vaastu today. In fact,

Vaastu today is a book of lucky charms.

continued on page 2

Design: ARM Communication

15- Temple Town of Kanchipuram

- Architect Bhaskar Nirula 1

- Corporate Logos6Hindustan Motors

9- Saptapuri Kanchipuram

ARCHITECT’S VOICE

u March-2014

Architect Mr. Bhaskar Nirula

Wide Angle (Ahmedabad) Iscon Harmony, Baroda

Monsanto ( regionalcentre, Ahmedabad) Iscon Habitat, Baroda

Satellite Police Station, Ahmedabad Iscon Heights, Baroda

Wide Angle (Mehsana) Shangrila, Alembic, Baroda

City Point (Patan) Darshanam Central Park, Baroda

Inox( Bharuch) Awadh Shangrila, Surat

Iscon Megamall (Surat & Rajkot) Awadh Park View, Ahmedabad

Poonam Mall, Nagpur R.K. Habitat, Bharuch

Shaligram 3, Ahmedabad R.K. Casta, Bharuch

Inder Residency, Udaipur Satyam Skyline, Ahmedabad

Royal Orchid, Ahmedabad Satyam Landmark, Ahmedabad

Ramada Inn, Ahmedabad Satyam Sarjan, Changodar

Satyam House, Ahmedabad Iscon Platinum, Ahmedabad

JBR House, Ahmedabad Archi Platinum, Udaipur

3rd Eye Voice, SEZ, Ahmedabad Dev Aurum, Ahmedabad

3rd Eye one, Ahmedabad Dev aadi blossom, Kheda

3rd Eye two, Ahmedabad Dev aadi seven, Sanand

Regency Plaza, Ahmedabad Popular Infinity, Anand

Shivalik 10, Ahmedabad Sahara township, Porbandar

Iscon Elegance, Ahmedabad Sahara township, Bhavnagar

JBR arcade, Ahmedabad Sahara township, Baroda

Iscon Pride, Deesa Sun Optima, Ahmedabad

Abhijyot Harmony Sun Solace, Sanand

Shailja Club, Mehsana Asian Pearl, Ahmedabad

Iscon Club, Bhavnagar Pearl 36, Ahmedabad

Iscon Club, Baroda Maruti Celedron

The Park View, Ahmedabad Maruti Zenobia

Nysa Courtyard, Baroda Maple High street, Bhopal

Significant Projects :

Date of Birth: 14th of Nov. 1969

Place of Birth: New Delhi

Education:

• X and XII from Xavier's , Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• Architecture from CEPT

Career:

• Internship @ Atelier Bernard Kohn, Paris (July - Aug of '90)

• Internship @ SDB, Delhi ( Sep - Nov of '90)

• As an architect @ Design Unit (1995 - 2000)

• Started self practice in 2000 under the

f i r m , ‘ P L A C E K I N E S I S ' l a t e r 'PLACEKINESIS ASSOCIATES’

I follow Vaastu, irrespective of any brief

because Vaastu has undisputable design

logic in the Indian context. When clients

insist on detail Vaastu provisions,

sometimes the Vaastu Shastri gets the

upper hand in design but I see this as the

client’s prerogative. The structure being

built belongs to him and he has every right

to do it his way.

Architects wrongly presume that it is the

Vaastu Shastri who is all-powerful.

continued on page 4

1

Moreover Vaastu is

not just some

architectural fix; it is

a way of life. People

who believe in

Vaastu have total

faith in the Vaastu

Shastri. To them he

often comes as a

savior who has

rescued them from

crises of

catastrophic nature.

“Vaastu today is a book of lucky charms”-Architect Mr. Bhaskar Nirula

2

u March-2014 3

ARCHITECT’S VOICE Satyam Corporate House, Ahmedabad .

Satyam House, Ahmedabad.

“The solid parallel north-south walls and the simplicity of form was directly influenced by our climatic conditions and the need to have an open, transparent and fluid working environment which would be a reflection of the corporate policies of the group as real estate developers. The skewed ramp juxtaposing over the double height entrance frame covered by a glass floor, cutting through the water body, provided for an interesting shift and lent a lot of dynamics at the onset. The all glass north facade of the building lets in the soft northern sunlight making it an almost see through block. From within, the glass facades help a lot to bring in the landscape and make for a pleasant and comfortable stay in experience.

The eastern and western facades do get punctured, albeit in different proportions, respecting the difference in heat and glare that the directions generate, to again bring in the landscape on both sides.

The double height atrium like space is acoustically treated that lends a lot of richness to the experience of being inside the building.”

Architect Mr. Bhaskar Nirula

I follow Vaastu,

irrespective of any

brief because

Vaastu has

undisputable design

logic in the Indian

context.

When clients insist

on detail Vaastu

provisions,

sometimes the

Vaastu Shastri gets

the upper hand in

design but I see this

as the client’s

prerogative. The

structure being built

belongs to him and

he has every right to

do it his way.

2

ARCHITECT’S VOICE

However, the Vaastu Shastri is only as

powerful as the client allows him to be. In

addition, there are Vaastu remedies and

counter balancing strategies for all but the

utterly serious Vaastu infringements.

Architects occasionally use Vaastu as a

shield and a license not to design. They

take the easy way out by submitting quick

fixes in the name of Vaastu, adding that

they were helpless, as the design had to

be strictly Vaastu compliant.

In my case, sometimes, corners are an

issue I have with Vaastu. As an architect it

is difficult to accommodate a square every

time; there has to be room for other

geometrical design options as well.

Vaastu’s insistence on squares and

rectangles make for boring and repetitive

design and I will admit to a quarrel or two

with the Vaastu consultant.

Having said that, let me add that I am

positive about Vaastu because of its

sound underlying principles. Of course,

one has to understand the whole concept

objectively. I have never designed a house

with a southern entrance. In fact, even in

high-rise residential buildings I have

excluded South entrances. I am doing a

project with over 500 homes and all of

them have either north or east facing

homes. Wherever possible, I have put the

master bedroom in the south-west and the

kitchen in the south-east. Be that as it may,

Vaastu anomalies will always creep in

when one is designing multi-storey

buildings with numerous flats per floor that

are facing each other.

Architecture is many things all put together

in one. Yet designing a home for and

individual is totally a different ball game

than designing a commercial complex.

While designing a home for an individual I

keep telling the client, “Keep talking to me.

Put up your demands. The more you

speak to me the more will I come to know

you and the better idea I will get as to what

to design.” I see my role as an facilitator

for accomplishing the client’s aspirations

within the framework of significant

architectural finesse.

It remains to be said that sometimes the

journey takes reverse gear as well as

Architecture

when I have to impress upon the client that

what he wants should fit into a concept of a

house and not a showroom or multiplex.

The scenario changes dramatically in the

case of commercial complexes and public

buildings.

Though I don’t insist upon it, I prefer

whenever I handle the interiors of my

projects; It gives me better control over

them. Even more so with the landscaping.

Here, I do insist on doing the landscaping

myself because I firmly believe that

landscaping is married to the architecture

of the building and should rank as

important as the building design.

Architecture in Ahmedabad was jolted

after the 2001 earthquake. There have

been significant buildings after this period.

Some of them are worth mentioning. The

Prathama Blood Bank by Gurjeet

Matharoo comes straight to mind. Mr

Gurjeet Matharoo is a very sensitive

architect with an extraordinary body of

work. Safal Profitaire by Bimal Patel is

another outstanding building. Then, there

is the wonderful work done by Apurva

Amin.

I have been lucky to have done some

excellent projects but I shall restrict myself

to one. Satyam House near Rajpath Club,

Ahmedabad.

Satyam House was the first occasion on

which the Satyam team had approached

for a proposal.

It was a free hand that I had and what

came through in the first few meetings was

the simplicity and the uncomplicated

nature of all their personalities. The

simplicity and comfort that I shared with

the team transpired through in the project

and it was a great experience working with

them.

The solid parallel north-south walls and

the simplicity of form was directly

influenced by our climatic conditions and

the need to have an open, transparent and

fluid working environment which would be

a reflection of the corporate policies of the

group as real estate developers. The

skewed ramp juxtaposing over the double

height entrance frame covered by a glass

Interiors and Landscaping

Post - Earthquake buildings in

Ahmedabad

Satyam House, Ahmedabad

floor, cutting through the water body,

provided for an interesting shift and lent a

lot of dynamics at the onset.

The all glass north facade of the building

lets in the soft northern sunlight making it

an almost see through block. From within,

the glass facades help a lot to bring in the

landscape and make for a pleasant and

comfortable stay in experience.

I must add here that

the advance of

construction

technology and the

introduction of air-

conditioning as well

as modern cooking

appliances have

more or less

overtaken the

Vaastu tenets as far

as architectural

aspects of Vaastu

go. However, Vaastu

is still adhered to

because of its other

output; the

betterment of one’s

prospects.

u March-20144

continued on page 5

u March-2014 5

ARCHITECT’S VOICE

Prathma Blood Bank, Ahmedabad by Matharoo Associates

Safal Profitaire, by Bimal PatelAhmedabad

Some of the worth mentioning are, The Prathama Blood Bank

by Gurjeet Matharoo and Safal Profitare by Bimal Patel

significant buildings

The eastern and western facades do get

punctured, albeit in different proportions,

respecting the difference in heat and glare

that the directions generate, to again bring

in the landscape on both sides.

The double height atrium like space is

acoustically treated that lends a lot of

richness to the experience of being inside

the building.

The Satyam house experience is a point in

my career where I managed to create a

great working environment in a building

which was easy on the eyes and true to its

context.

As such, speaking on a pan - India scale

there is not enough Vaastu demand to

justify the wholesale training of Vaastu and

its inclusion and sustainability in the

Architect’s syllabus.

Apart from Gujarat, Maharashtra,

Rajasthan and parts of the South India

there is not much of an insistence on

Vaastu. Even in the above mentioned

states Vaastu mainly plays a role in private

homes and offices. But, there is in addition

to this there is a whole lot of population in

these states that doesn’t care much about

Vaastu. Moreover, Public buildings,

Commercial complexes, High-rise

buildings are all designed outside the

purview of Vaastu.

Yet, there is the other truth too, that not a

single client has insisted that the Public

building, Commercial complex, High-rise

building be totally anti-Vaastu!

Moreover Vaastu is not just some

architectural fix; it is a way of life. People

who believe in Vaastu have total faith in

the Vaastu Shastri. To them he often

comes as a savior who has rescued them

from crises of catastrophic nature.

The Vaastu advice does not stop once the

structure is made. Rather, the making of

the structure is the starting point of a long

and solid relationship between the Vaastu

Shastri and the client. Every time there are

changes to the building Vaastu advice will

be sought and adhered to. So, even if an

architect were to learn Vaastu he would

never be an acceptable substitute for the

family Vaastu consultant.

Teaching Vaastu

4

continued on page 7

manufactures automotive and forged

components.

The armouring division under Hindustan

Motors Finance Corporation Ltd., a fully

owned subsidiary of HM, is also based out of

the Uttarpara plant. It is one of the leading

bullet-proof fabricators for Ambassador cars

and Mitsubishi Pajeros

The company also has operations in

Pithampur near Indore in Madhya Pradesh

where it produces 1800 cc CNG and other

variants of Winner.

H indus tan Mo to rs has techn i ca l

collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors

Corporation of Japan and, under this

license, produces and markets premium

passenger cars viz. Lancer, Pajero Sport,

Cedia, Montero, Outlander and Lancer

Evolution X (Evo X) at its third plant situated

at Tiruvallur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

H indus tan Motors a lso con t rac t -

manufactures Isuzu suv and pick-up vehicle

at Tiruvallur.

Ambassador the car with a British legacy

was the first car to be made in India.

Ambassador was born in 1958. Its design

was based on British car model – Morris

Oxford; build by Morris Motor Co at oxford

United Kingdom. Ambassador borrowed not

the design but technology as well from

Morris. The Ambassador was a runaway

success. Ambassador ruled the Indian

market till 1980’s. The only other car which

was in market was Premier Padmini. The

licence raj, lack of capital and the unfriendly

Indian economic policies ensured that no

automobile manufacturers entered the

Indian market, and Ambassador was

Downfall of the King

enjoying a good market share.

In 1983 MarutiUydog Ltd, launched its

flagship product in collaboration with an

unknown company Suzuki Motors of Japan.

Maruti 800 offered some never before seen

features & a radical design. Soon

Ambassador lost its leadership position to

Maruti. With brilliant marketing strategies &

a radical design Maruti 800 made inroads

into the family segment in the car market &

the segment reciprocated by embracing

Maruti. Ambassador started losing its

leadership position to Maruti.

Ambassador had some advantages over

Maruti800 which made it dearer to certain

segments. It was the only Indian car with

Diesel option during that time. There was a

significant difference in the prices between

Diesel and Petrol, and the other big

advantage it offered was the space and

sturdiness. These two factors propelled the

brand to become popular among big

families and among the Taxi & tour

operators.

Corporate Logos investigates

the causes for the downfall of two

giants of Indian industry. This

month we study the case of

Hindustan Motors and follow it up

next month with the story of HMT.

industan Motors Limited was

establ ished during the pre-HIndependence era at Port Okha in

Gujarat. Operations were moved in 1948 to

Uttarpara in district Hooghly, West Bengal,

where the company began the production of

the iconic Ambassador. Equipped with

integrated facilities such as press shop,

forge shop, foundry, machine shop,

aggregate assembly units for engines, axles

etc and a strong R&D wing, the company

currently manufactures the Ambassador

(1500 and 2000 cc diesel, 1800 cc petrol,

CNG and LPG variants) in the passenger

car segment and light commercial vehicle

1-tonne payload mini-truck Winner (2000 cc

diesel and CNG) at its Uttarpara and

Pithampur plants.

The first and only integrated automobile

plant in India, the Uttarpara factory,

popularly known as Hind Motor, also

Hindustan Motors is an Indian automotive manufacturer based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is part of the Birla Technical Services industrial group. The company was the largest car manufacturer in India before the rise of Maruti Udyog. It is the producer of the Ambassador car, widely used as a taxicab and as a government limousine. This car is based on the Morris Oxford, a British car that dates back to 1954. One of the original three car manufacturers in India, founded in 1942 by Mr. B. M. Birla, it was a leader in car sales until the 1980s, when the industry was opened up from protection. All through its history, the company has depended on government patronage for its sales and for survival by eliminating competition

CORPORATE LOGOS

This article is a researched article and

borrows heavily from printed and

electronic encyclopedias as well as

material provided by our panel of

research scholars and academics

6 Vaastuyogam u March-2014

Hindustan Motors Logo

Hindustan MotorsThe King is now History

CORPORATE LOGOS

6

1950 Hindustan

1958 Hindustan Ambassador

1988 Hindustan Contessa

Hindustan Bedford

The brand was perceived to be less

expensive to maintain & was ideal car for

Indian roads. These were only perceptions,

as Ambassador lacked in quality &

refinement. Rusting was a common problem

faced by its owners.

Ambassador was perceived to be a car ideal

for Indian roads. The brand also had a

positive perception of being less expensive

to maintain. In fact Ambassador was

expensive to maintain and even though the

car looked sturdy it lacked the quality and

ref inement. Rust ing was common

complaints. The only reason consumers

bought the car was due to the economy of

diesel cars which made buyer to

compromise on other parameters.

Another significant market for the brand was

the Government. Over 16% of the brand

sales came from the Government.

Ambassador was the first choice for most

bureaucrats.

However the officials also lost interest in the

brand. With the emergence of new and

better models from other auto-makers, there

was a significant drop in the orders from the

Government.

The fall of Ambassador from a leadership

position to a marginal player is a classic

7Vaastuyogamu March-2014

the Ambassador over the years

Without investing in

either brand or

product, Hindustan

Motors had sealed

the fate of this

brand. In the brand

management

perspective, it’s

suicidal not to

continuously invest

in a brand.

continued on page 8

CORPORATE LOGOS

case of marketing myopia. For decades the

brand had been taking its customers for

granted.

Out of all the fundamentals & techniques in

marketing, it’s failed in almost all which led to

it failure.

Product: If we look at the product,

Ambassador never changed with times. The

brand made many cosmetic changes from

1958-2000 and three upgrades was made

which was named as Mark II, Mark III and

Mark IV. Beyond these so called cosmetic

changes there was no significant value

addition between these upgrades. The look

and the built quality remained the same. A

major change happened when the brand

introduced an 1800 CC Isuzu engine. It did

lift the sales of the brand. But the euphoria

was short lived. The apathy of Hindustan

Motor to offer product changes in tune with

the times made the brand stale.

Price: Hindustan Motor never bothered to

rationalize the price of the brand.

Ambassador was costing around Rupess

4,80,000. At the price a consumer could

afford a more luxurious & comfortable cars.

According to reports, the Hindustan Motor

plant had achieved full depreciation in 2000.

But the company did not even think about

passing on the reduced cost to the

consumer. Had the company rationalised

the price of Ambassador in 2000, the brand

might have survived the competition.

Brand Management: The Company also

never invested in the brand. Without

investing in either brand or product,

Hindustan Motors had sealed the fate of this

brand. In the brand management

perspective, it’s suicidal not to continuously

invest in a brand. Often heritage brands wait

till it becomes dated. Once the brand

becomes dated, it’s virtually impossible to

rejuvenate the brand.

The task is to prevent the brand to become

dated. For that the brand has to go to the

consumer for ideas. Changes in product or

promotions can sustain the brand even in

the light of emerging competition.

Ambassador should have learned from

Maruti 800. The brand survived because it

made changes along with the changing

consumer values. The brand rationalised its

price in the light of emerging competition

which makes Maruti 800 relevant even in the

current market.

7

8 Vaastuyogam u March-2014

Rao Speak

Hindustan Motors is an outstanding example of a bad case

getting worse because of an indifferent logo. The company

made hay while the sun shone on its fortunes by way of an

accommodating protectionist industrial policy and a

benevolent government dispensation that showered it with a

continuous stream of orders notwithstanding quality and

production issues.

The quaint font used in the logo and a massive mismatch of the

colors have fully supported the company’s downfall. Less said

the better!

Dr. Ravi Rao

From the Times of India, Sep 27, 2013.

continued on page 10

mong the seven holy cities mentioned above, Kanchipuram Aand Kasi are the more holiest.

While dying in Kasi gives salvation for a soul, getting born into Kanchipuram assures a person of salvation. Not only that, even if a person is not born in Kanchipuram, if he or she set foot there, they will get rid of all sins.

Kanchipuram is bounded on all sides by holy rivers such as Palar, Cheyyar, Kambaiyar, Vegavathi, Manjalaru, Vanniyaru and Kanchiyaru.

Of the five natural elements such as, air, water, fire, earth and ether, Saivites consider Kanchipuram as the Prithvi (earth) Kshetram. The followers of Saktham (Goddess religion) revere Kanchipuram in terms of Aakasam (ether). Vaishnavites consider Kanchipuram as Thyaga Bhoomi – meaning the place in which God Vishnu appeared from Yagnam (sacrificial fire). Moreover Kanchipuram is also called Satya Vrata Kshetram – mean ing tha t t he res iden ts o f Kanchipuram will always speak truth in all circumstances.

Kanchipuram

Painting showing Goddess Parvati embracing the lingam. Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram.

KANCHIPURAM

Kashi (Varanasi, U. P.), Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), Mayapuri (Haridwar, Uttaranchal)

Ayodhya (U.P.), Avantika (Ujjain, M. P.), Mathura (U. P.), Dwaravati (Dwarka, Gujarat)

THE ANCIENT TIRTHYATRAS OF INDIA

Ancient religious texts mention seven cities in India as sacred. These seven cities are called as

Saptapuri in Sanskrit. ‘Sapta’ means ‘seven’ and ‘Puri’ means ‘town’ . They are Ayodhya, Mathura,

Maya, Kasi, Kanchipuram, Avanthika and Dwaravati. They are called as Mokshapuris – meaning the

towns in the soul can be liberated from worldly sins and salvation can be attained. The Garuda

Puranam mentions them in the following verse.

Ayodhya Mathura Maya Kasi Kañchi Avantika I

Puri Dvaravati chaiva saptaita moksadayikah II –

Garuda Purana I XVI .14

This article is a researched article and

borrows heavily from printed and

electronic encyclopedias as well as

material provided by our panel of

research scholars, astrologers,

academics and pundits

9Vaastuyogamu March-2014

continued on page 11

continued from page 9

According to

scholars,

Kanchipuram has a

continuous and

economically well-

sustained urban

history. The earliest

reference to

Kanchipuram town

form is found in the

Sangam literature

Perumpanatruppada.

Saivism

The Ekambaranathar Temple legends

There 108 Shiva temples scattered around the town limits of kanchipuram each having its own story. All these have been dealt in detail in the ‘Kanchipuranam’.

Parvati’s Penance – At Mount Kailash, once Goddess Parvati covered the eyes of God Shiva in a playful mood. However, Shiva got angry and made Parvati leave Kailash. Goddess Parvati selected the bank of Kambai river to stay. There she made a Linga out of sand and started praising it. To test the perseverance of Parvati, Shiva flooded the Kambai River that threatened to wash away the sand Linga. Parvati embraced the Linga to save it. Due to this, Shiva melted down and brought back Parvati again to Kailash. The sand Linga then hardened, and as believed by the

devotees, it bears the marks of Parvati Devi’s embracing.

Shiva – Parvati Marriage - The holy marriage between God Shiva and Goddess Parvati occurred in Kailash. All the Gods and Sages went to the Himalayas to witness the marriage. Due to this, the northern side of India started to tilt downwards. To equalize the weight between north and south sides, God Shiva ordered Sage Agasthya to go southwards. However, the Sage was saddened that he could not see the marriage. Seeing this, Shiva assured Agasthya that he would once again marry Parvati in Kanchipuram in order to enable the Sage to witness their wedding.

Thereafter, every year in the Tamil month of Panguni (March - April) the holy wedding of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as a festival. Elsewhere in the temple there is a Sannidhi for Sage Agasthya as referred by Pallava King Mahendra Varman I in his drama “Matta Vilasa Prahasanam”.

Prithvi Kshetram - According to the Saivist belief Kanchipuram is a Prithvi Kshetram. ‘Prithvi’ means sand. The five elements (Pancha Bhutas) of nature, water, fire, earth, ether and air are the great sources of life sustaining energy. There are five Shiva temples, four in Tamil Nadu and one in Andhra Pradesh, each one preserving and exhibiting the core energy of that particular divine element. Except the Jambukeswarar temple in Tiruchirappalli which is a Appu (water) Kshetram, the remaining four are situated in the ancient Tondaimandalam which is spread between Tirupati in Andhra to Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. The symbolic interlinking of Prithvi (earth) with Kanchipuram is manifest in the famous Ekambaranathar Temple where the Lingam is made up of sand with the outer metallic shield.

The Vaishnavite mythologies revolve around the ‘mountain’ inside the Varadaraja Perumal temple in the south-eastern par t o f the c i ty (L i t t le Kanchipuram) and the ‘cave’ inside the Kamakshi Amman temple in the northern part of the city (Big Kanchipuram). Embedded in several tales linking the foundation of these sites with Vishnu’s incarnations is the theme of the city as a sacred field within which sacrifice takes place. Kanchipuram is termed in Vaishnavite tradition as ‘Thyaga Bhoomi’ (land of sacrifice). The initiator of holy

Vaishnavism

sacrifice in these tales are not human beings like a king or a warrior. God Brahma himself is engaged in this ritual practice to have the vision of Supreme God Vishnu.

There is similarity in story lines associated with Yathokthkari Perumal temple, Ashta Bhujam Perumal temple, Vilakkoli Perumal temple, Singa Perumal temple and the Varadaraja Perumal temple. God Brahma goes for Yagnam without his consort Goddess Saraswati who attempts to disrupt the holy sacrifice. God Vishnu interferes and saves the Yagnam. Eventually Goddess Saraswati turns submissive. At last, Vishnu appears from the sacrificial fire and gives vision to all.

All the mythologies of Sakthi (Goddess) worship in Kanchipuram revolve around the Kamakshi Amman temple. According to the Saktham tradition, Kanchipuram is Akasa Kshetram (ether holy place). Moreover, Kanchipuram is one among the 51 Sakthi Pithams spread all over India. According to legend, once Daksha (father of Goddess Parvati) performed a Yagnam with a desire to take revenge on Lord Shiva.

Daksha was angry because his daughter Dakshayani also known as Sati had married the 'yogi' God Shiva against his wish. Daksha invited all the deities to the Yagnam except for Shiva and Shakti. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Shakti from attending the Yagnam. She had expressed her desire to attend to Shiva who had tried his best to dissuade her from going. Shiva eventually allowed her to go escorted by his followers.

But Shakti, being an uninvited guest, was not given any respect. Furthermore, Daksha insulted Shiva. Shakti was unable to bear her father's insults toward her husband, so Dakshayani (the other name of Shakti meaning the daughter of Daksha) invoked her yogic powers and immolated herself.

Enraged at the insult and the injury, Shiva destroyed Daksha’s sacrifice, cut off his head. Still immersed in grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body, and danced the dance of destruction through the Universe. The other gods intervened to stop this dance, and the Vishnu 's weapon Sudarshana Chakra (the disc) cut through the corpse of Shakti. The various parts of the body fell at several spots all through the Indian subcontinent and formed sites

Saktham

10 u March-2014

which are known as Shakti Peethas today. At all Shakti Peethas, the Goddess Shakti is accompanied by Lord Bhairava (a manifestation of Lord Shiva)

The Kamakshi temple today is at the very center of the city, with the Ekambaranatha temple to the north-west and the Varadaraja temple to the south-east. It is interesting to note that all the major temples in the city are structured to face the prominent Kamakshi Amman temple.

The seated Kamakshi is a noble image, and to her front is the Sri Chakra in which the Mother Goddess is said to reside in her subtle form. Originally Kamakshi was the fierce form of the Supreme Goddess - Ugrasvarupini.

It was Adi Shankara who installed the Sri Chakra, which contained the ferocity of the goddess and transformed her into the calm and beautiful Brahmasvarupini. Kamakshi’s residence in her Brahma-Shakti form is in a cave below. She is said to have appeared on earth once to destroy demons, including the notorious Bhandasura. The Tapas Kamakshi (goddess in penance to expiate the sin of having closed the Lord’s eyes) has also been placed in the sanctum sanctorum. Coming out of it, on the left can be seen Kamakshi’s attendant Varahi. To her front is the Santana Stambham indicating the place where King Dasharatha

gained the boon of progeny from Goddess Kamakshi.

According to scholars, Kanchipuram has a continuous and economically well-sustained urban history. The earliest reference to Kanchipuram town form is f ound i n the Sangam l i t e ra tu re Perumpanatruppadai.

The town of Kanchipuram was surrounded by a fort and moat in the form of a lotus flower. It had wide roads and streets and trees were planted on both sides. Chariots moved freely in the streets. There was a market place on the outskirts of the town. In the first century AD, neither the temple structure nor the rituals were grown to such an extent in order to enable clustering of settlements around the temples.

The Vaishnavite Tiruvekka or the Yathokthakari temple was the first temple to be mentioned in literary sources. According to archaeological sources the areas surrounding this temple could be royal palace. The city was developed on the Nanthivartha pattern with 2 or 4 groups of settlements with a temple or the palace as nucleus, linked with straight roads cutting at right angles, it was thus on a cross pattern with palace or Temples as Vista closing and terminal points at the ends of the

Planned City

The Kamakshi

temple today is at

the very center of

the city, with the

Ekambaranatha

temple to the north-

west and the

Varadaraja temple to

the south-east. It is

interesting to note

that all the major

temples in the city

are structured to

face the prominent

Kamakshi Amman

temple.

continued from page 10

Mandapa (hall) of the Varadaraja Perumal temple, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

continued on page 12

11Vaastuyogamu March-2014

continued on page 13

Rajaveedhi on North and South and Kailasanathar and Vaikunda Perumal temple at the eastern and western ends respectively.

The Pallava King Narasimha Varman II constructed Manjaneer channel to facilitate drainage outflow. and digged the Sarvathirthakulam for public bath near the Ekambaranthar Temple. Houses came up on raised grounds and with burnt bricks for the first time, and the concept of garden at the backyard, a wide front space in the form of ‘Thinnai’ or Verandah which is the scene in old parts of the city even today. This was to provide good ventilation and for draining of rain water swiftly.

All the mythologies

of Sakthi (Goddess)

worship in

Kanchipuram

revolve around the

Kamakshi Amman

temple. According

to the Saktham

tradition,

Kanchipuram is

Akasa Kshetram

(ether holy place).

Moreover,

Kanchipuram is one

among the 51 Sakthi

Pithams spread all

over India.

Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram.

Religious Centre

Kanchipuram was one of the important places in the annals of the history of religion in India. It has the distinction of accommodating the major religions of Ancient India - Saivism, Vaishnavism, Buddhism and Jainism. The leaders and ideologues of these religions chose Kanchipuram as their head-quarters. Scholars set up monasteries, to engage in philosophical debates etc. Even though these religions had uncompromising positions and even showed enmity in s t a n d p o i n t s , t h e y c o e x i s t e d i n Kanchipuram. The city of Kanchipuram itself was divided into Siva Kanchipuram, Vishnu Kanchipuram, Jina Kanchipuram

and Buddha Kanchipuram. Among these four, the first two divisions are still followed.

Saivism - There are five Siva temples in Kanchipuram which were sanctified by the verses of Samayakkuravars, the prominent four among the 63 Nayanmars. They are Aneka Thangapada Eswarar temple, Ekambara Nathar temple, Onakantha Eswarar temple, Tirukkaleeswarar temple and Tirumetrali Eswarar temple. Of these five temples, the Ekambara Nathar temple is very old and mythologies knitted around it are unique and popular. Moreover, all the four Samayakkuravars sang verses on it. Including these five sanctified temples nearly 108 Saivite temples are spread all over the Kanchipuram town area – all are

continued from page 11

12 u March-2014

continued on page 14

old and each one of them having a distinct mythological background.

The architectural marvel, Kailasa Nathar temple is a standing example of the development of Saivism in Kanchipuram. Its creator, the Pallava King Narasimha Varman II presented himself through his inscriptions as a staunch Saivite. Siva Chudamani was one of the titles he bore. The big temples such as, Kachapa Eswarar temple, Kamakshi Amman temple and Kumarakkottam are also strongly rooted in Saivite tradition. Even though Kamakshi Amman temple belongs to the Saktham tradition (Goddess worship) it cannot be separated from Saivism. All the Saivite sects such as Pasupatham, Kalamukham and Kapalikam existed and flourished in Kanchipuram.

continued from page 12

Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram.

Vaishnavism - Out of the 108 Divya Desams (Vaishnavite temples or shrines sanctified by the hymns of Azhwars) eighteen are situated in the Kanchipuram town itself. The Yathokthakari Perumal temple was the oldest one and finds reference in the Sangam literature Perumpanatruppadai. Poigai Azhwar, the first and foremost among the twelve Azhwars was born in Kanchipuram. The Divya Prabandham originated from his first Tiruvandhadhi. He also takes credit for being the first person to write Vedic philosophy in Tamil and in poetic form. In this respect, it can be said that the great Vaishnavite tradition of South India originated in Kanchipuram.

The fourth among the twelve Azhwars, Tirumazhisai Azhwar lived in Tiruvekka at Kanchipuram with his disciple Kanikannan. Ramanujar, who established Vaishnavism as an organized religion and provided the strong philosophical foundation called Visishtadvaita, stayed at Kanchipuram for learning during his younger days. In Kanchipuram he was identified by Saint

Alavandar as the future leader of Vaishnavism.

Vedanta Desikar, one of the great teachers of Vaishnavism was born in Kanchipuram. He was a great intellectual, philosopher and authored more than 100 texts. During his time he surpassed all opponents of Vaishnavism through debates. Prativati Bayangaram Annam, who wrote the famous ‘Venkatesa Suprabhatham was also born in Kanchipuram. Tiruvaimozhi written by Nammaznwar which is also known by the name ‘Dravida Veda Sagaram’ was summarized by Nambi Pillai. But for some reasons it was kept incognito. This book was first published as ‘Yatindra Vaishnava Prabhavam’ at Kanchipuram.

Sri Bhashyam written by Ramanujar was compiled into a text by Sudarsana Acharya, a disciple of Ramanujar. This text also originated at Kanchipuram. A doyen of the Vaishnavism, Prativati Bayangaram Annangarachariar was also a native of Kanchipuram. He has published more than

u March-2014 13

Kanchipuram was

one of the important

places in the annals

of the history of

religion in India. It

has the distinction

of accommodating

the major religions

of Ancient India -

Saivism,

Vaishnavism,

Buddhism and

Jainism. The leaders

and ideologues of

these religions

chose Kanchipuram

as their head-

quarters. Scholars

set up monasteries,

to engage in

philosophical

debates etc.

continued from page 13

1000 religious texts. He was the recipient of President’s award and his birth centenary was celebrated all over Tamil Nadu.

Jainism - Kanchipuram, being the capital of the Tondaimandalam was not insulated from this sweep of Jainism all through South India.

The Pallava king Simhavishnu, who ruled from Kanchipuram, was a follower of Vaishnavism, but he did not look down upon other religions. His son Mahendravarman I (Seventh Century AD) was drawn to Jainism early in life. The wonderful cave temple at Sittannavasal is attr ibuted to his munificence. Located in the Pudukottai area, the cave has frescoes on Jain spiritual themes like the Samavasarana (divine pavilion) Lake. It is significant that Mahendravarman’s drama, Matta - vilasa -prahasana, which is a satire on the ways of the Pashupatas, the Kapalikas, and the Buddhists, avoids any criticism of Vaishnavism, popular Saivism, or Jainism

At a distance of ten miles from Kanchipuram is Tirupanambur, where the Jain acharya Akalanka lived. He is said to have defeated the Buddhists in a debate in the court of King Himasitala of Kanchipuram. The eminent Jain commentator Suranandi lived in Tiruparuttikunram. ‘Merumandara Puranam’ is the legend of the two assistants of the thirteenth Tirthankara, Vimalanatha. This narrative in thirteen cantos about the princes Meru and Mandara is attributed to Mallisena Vamana (Fourteenth Century AD) who lived in Kanchipuram. The impressions of his feet and those of his disciple Pushpasena are honoured in the C h a n d r a p r a b h a t e m p l e a t Tiruparuttikunram in Kanchipuram. The village of Tiruparuttikunram and the surrounding places are called as Jina Kanchipuram.

Buddhism - Manimekalai, the epic poem of the later Sangam age elaborately describes the events that take place in Kanchipuram that are related to Buddhism. The central character of this primarily Buddhist epic is Manimekalai, who was a dancer before but later became a nun. She obtains the Amuda Surabhi (nectar vessel) which produces food without end. This she uses for performing charity. In the course of her travels, she is directed by her grandfather Masattuvan to go to Kanchipuram, as the city had been devastated by a drought. When she goes there, she finds a temple of Buddha at the very center of the city: The king builds a garden in honour of Manimekalai’s coming to help his people. Delighted, Manimekalai makes him build a lotus seat for Buddha. She then places the

Amuda Surabhi on the lotus seat and welcomes all living beings to gather to be fed. She then meets her spiritual teacher, Aravana Adikal, who instructs her in the Dharma.

Her mind illumined, Manimekalai dedicates herself to the ideal life that leads to salvation. There is a place called Arappanancheri, where the sage Aravana Adigal is said to have spent the latter part of his life. Today the place is known as Arapperumchelvi Street (Maid of Great Charity). History records the names of several great Buddhists of Kanchipuram who spread the Dharma all over the world. Buddhaghosha (Fifth Century AD), along with the monks Sumati and Jotipala, lived in Kanchipuram. Aniruddha, author of Abhidhammatthasangaha, lived in the Mulasoma Vihara.

A Pallava king named Buddhavarman apparently built many viharas. Acharya Dharmapala, who entered the Sangha on the eve of his wedding, lived in Patatitta Vihara built by Ashoka near Kanchipuram. He wrote Pali commentaries for some of the Tripitaka texts. He taught at Nalanda University but died young at the age of thirty-two.

Ashoka’s closeness to Kanchipuram has been recorded by Hsuan Tsang, who says that a Buddhist stupa built by him was still standing four centuries later. Deepankara Thero, author of the Pali work Bhujja Madhu, lived in Balatissa Vihara in K a n c h i p u r a m . A n a n d a T h e r o o f Kanchipuram was taken by addhamma Jotipala to Burma to spread Buddhism there.

There are other revered names associated with Buddha Kanchipuram: Venudasa, Vajrabodhi, Sariputra Among the most famous Buddhists of ancient Kanchipuram are Dignaga and Bodhidharma. Hsuan Tsang, who visited Kanchipuram in the 7th Century AD, records that there were one hundred monasteries with ten thousand monks belonging to Theravada Buddhism following Dignaga’s yoga. Dignaga (Fifth Century AD) was a native of Kanchipuram a n d w a s b o r n i n S i m h a v a k t r a (Seeyamangalam). His Hetuchakra (Wheel of Reason) inaugurated Buddhist philosophical logic. Bodhidharma (Fifth Century AD) was a Brahmana prince of Kanchipuram who became a Buddhist and was trained in the techniques of meditation by Prajnatara.

The areas now included in the Big Kanchipuram were once considered as Buddha Kanchipuram.

14 u March-2014

u March-2014 15

he history of Kanchi can be traced

back to several centuries before the Tadvent of the Christian era. The

place finds its name in Patanjali's

Mahabhashya written in the second century

B.C. Manimekalai, the famous Tamil

classic, and Perumpanattu Padai, a great

Tamil poetical work, vividly describe the city

as it was at the beginning of the Christian

era.

Buddhism took deep root in Kanchi about

the 1st century A.D. Its influence began to

decline in Kanchi and in South India when

there was a great awakening among the

Hindus under the Vaishnavite Azhwars, and

Acharyas and Saivite Nayanmars. The lack

of royal patronage for Buddhism under the

Pallavas, Cholas and Vijayanagar kings

greatly undermined the vitality and

popularity of this religion. However,

sporadic preaching of the principles of

Buddha Dharma continued to exist till the

end of the 13th century. During Hiuen

Tsang's visit, when the country was under

the Pallavas, there were hundreds of

Sangharamas (Hostels) and ten thousand

Thera priests. Kanchi was proud of

producing Dignaga the famous Buddhist

logician, Bodhi - dharma and Dharmapala

who set high standards in the mastery of

Buddhist learning. Dignaga served in

Nalanda University with distinction and was

well versed in the Mahayana and Hinayana

systems and wrote many standard works,

which are admired by the Chinese, and the

Japanese even today. Dharmapala

abandoned worldly life in his youth and

became a great teacher at Nalanda on

Buddhist logic and meta - physics.

About 2 miles to the south of Kanchi,

Tiruparutikunram, a suburb of Kanchi, on

the southern bank of Vegavati, has long

been known as Jaina Kanchi. It is a

stronghold of the Digambara sect of

Jainism. For want of royal patronage and

public support, the religion did not thrive and

was confined only to a few staunch

followers and their descendants. The city

was under the Cholas from the 10th to the

13th century. The Cholas evinced keen

interest in the development of religion, as is

evident from the inscriptions on thewalls of

the temples. The weakness of the later

Cholas and the - confusion caused by the

invasion of Malik Kafoor was responsible for

the capture of the city by the Mohamedans.

The invasion was said to have been

attended with great devastation, according

to the historian, Ali bin Azizullah.

Kanchi is regarded as one of the three most

important centres of Vaishnavism, the

others being Srirangam and Tirumalai

(Tirupati), It is also regarded as one of the

four Vaishnavite centres in South India, with

the addition of Tirunarayanapuram in

Mysore. Every Vaishnavite even today

prays to the presiding Lords in these four

places three times a day from wherever he

might be. In ancient texts, Kanchiis called

as Satyavrata Kshetram. Saint Poigai

Azhwar, the first of the first three Azhwars,

was born here and Sri Vedanta Desika, the

last of the Vaishnavite Acharyas, was also

born here.

The great Vaishnavitere former,Ramanuja,

who was born in sriperumbudur, spent his

early years in Kanchi and had his education

and spiritual enlightenment at the feet of

Lord Varadaraja. Alavandar, one of the

greatest of the Vaishnava Acharyas, stayed

here dedicating his life to Lord Varadaraja.

This is the place where the great devotee

Tirukkachi Nambi, an elder contemporary of

Ramanuja, spent his life in the service of

Lord Varadaraja and learnt the six great

principles of Visishta - dvaita philosophy

from Lord Varadaraja Himself.

The fourth of the twelve Azhwars,

Tirumazhisai Azhwar, also lived here. The

hymns of the Azhwars in praise of the Lord,

Divya Prabandam, are a perpetual source

of inspiration to all Vaishnavites.

The Nayanmars have praised the Lord here

in their Tevarams. Sundaramurti Nayanar

r e g a i n e d h i s s i g h t h e r e . S a i r t ,

Pattinathadigal also poured out his divine

songs in praise of Lord Ekambaranatha

here. It is said that six out of the 63 Saivite

Nayanmars belonged to Tondaimandalam

of which Kanchi was the capital. It was here

that Adi Sankaracharya established the

Kamakoti Peetham. Manimekalai sought

salvation here, through her service to

humanity.

The great Tamil work Kanda Puranam and

Kanchi Puranam were composed here.

Tyagaraja also has sung about Lord

Varadaraja and the Goddess Kamakshi

Devi. Kanchi is the birthplace of the famous

historian Chanakya, also called as Kautilya,

of the Maurya Empire. As both Saivite and

Vaishnavite saints with their great learning

flourished in the 6th and 7th centuries, they

made Kanchi a great seat of learning of

Sanskrit and Hindu religion, next only to

Kasi.

Kancheepuram is the Banaras of the South.

Saint Appar has sung of the city as of

boundless learning. The catholicity of the

Hindu religion allowed both the sects to

flourish side by side under the influence of

their different tenets. The Saivite stronghold

is Big Kanchi known as Siva Kanchi and the

Vaishnavite stronghold is Little Kanchi or

Vishnu Kanchi. Both combined form the city

of Kancheepuram. - It is said in Brahmanda

Purana that Kasi and Kanchi are like the two

eyes of Siva. Kanchi Kamakshi and Kasi

Visalakshiare always spoken of together.

The centre of attraction in Vishnu Kanchi is

the temple of Varadarajaswami situated on

the top of Hastigiri or Elephant Hill. One has

to ascend 24 steps up the hill to reach the

sanctum sanctorum. Lord Varadaraja is in

standing posture facing towards the west

with his gracious look. The figure is huge in

size with four hands holding the insignias of

Sankha, Chakra, etc., and richly decorated

with costly jewels. It is said in Brahmananda

Purana that the entire creation came to a

standstill once because of the pollution of

the mind of Brahma, the Creator. To get rid

of this mental pollution he entered into deep

meditation on the banks of the holy Ganga

to purify himself. He heard an invisible voice

wherein he was directed to perform one

The temple of Varadarajaswami

continued on page 16

Excerpts From the classic “Temples of Tamilnad” by R. K. DasPublished by Bhavans Book University

Temple Town of Kanchipuram

men and women and monkeys, are vivid

portrayals of the socio - physical culture of

the time. The sculptors were postmasters in

depicting life-like figures with their crude

chisel on black granite. The scenes remain

as sharp as when they came out of the

sculptor's dexterous hands and still remain

a marvel to the sightseers even centuries

after. It may verily be called the Museum of

Vijayanagar Art and Sculpture.

Coming to the religious sanctity of the place,

it is said that the town contains 18 Tirupatis

praised by Vaishnavite Alwars. The

Varadarajaswami temple itself contains

three sacred places of puranic importance;

first, the shrine of the presiding deity, Lord

Varadaraja, the second, the shrine Lord

Yoga Narasimhaswamy in the cave below

Hastigiri Hill, and the third, the shrine of Sri

Perundevi Tayar, consort of Lord

Varadaraja.

The Dhwajastambham of over 100 feet in

height is made of a single stone. The Ananta

Teertham, a holy tank, is on the north of the

100-pillar mandapam. There are two

mandapam in the tank - one for Lord Sri

Artigiri Varadaraja and another called the

Neerali mandapam. Lord Sri Artigiri

Varadaraja is lying below the water and is

taken out once in a generation for the

worship by the devotees.

A beautiful flower garden is inside the

prakarams where shrines of Azhwarshave

been installed. Sri Perundevi Tayar, the

consort of Lord Varadaraja, pays a visit to

this garden every Friday, when a festival is

celebrated. It is said that Sri Perundevi

Tayar had her manifestation in a holy tank

near the eastern tower. The shrine of this

Tayar is on a small hillock. On entering the

Hastigiri Hill gate we notice in Sri Guha

Narasimha's shrine, Lord Sri Alagaisingar

and Sri Haritartha Devi. The Supreme God

here gave Lord Brahma a darsan.

Ya thok taka r i Temp le . The name

Yathoktakari means "one who did as was

bid".

We have seen earlier how Mahavishnu

acted according to the desire of Brahma

and saved him from having to forsake the

sacrifice started by him. Here, during the

time when Tirumazhisai Azhwar was doing

his services in the temple, he had a great

devotee by name Kanikannan, a gifted

poet. An old lady who had been a dancing

girl in the King's court in her youth was very

much devoted to him (Kani Kannan) and he

rejuvenated her into a girl of sweet sixteen

by pleasing the Lord with his songs.

Seeing her, the King also wanted to

rejuvenate himself and therefore sought the

help of Kanikannan. But Kanikannan

refused the request of the King, as his

desires were for mundane pleasures,

whereas the rejuvenation of the old lady

was meant to help her to serve the Lord arid

his devotees for a long time with all the

strength of her body as desired by her. The

King wanted to use the good means for a

bad end. He wanted to neglect the path of

Saranagati or self surrender, which is the

essence of all religions. The King became

annoyed and banished Kanikannan from

the city. Tirumazhisai Azhwar himself could

not stay in the city without his devotee

Kanikannan.

He approached the Lord with the following

words: "Wilt thou keep silent, my Lord of

Kanchi, when our devotee Kanikannan is to

leave the place and I myself have to go with

him? Rather, Thou thyself should quit this

place folding up thy snaky bed, taking it

along." It is said that the Lord Himself at

once left the place along with the Saint and

his devotee. The whole Kancheepuram

grew dark as under a total eclipse of the

sun, and everything became gloomy. The

residents of Kancheepuram ran to the

King's court and protested against his order.

The King had to come down and approach

Kanikannan with an apology. The divine

party was by then halting on the outskirts of

the city on the bank of the river Palar in a

place, which to this day is known as Orikkai

(Oru-iravu-irukkai) or the place where the

Lord stayed for a night.

Kanikannan accepted the apology of the

King and Saim Tirumazhisai desired the

Lord too to retrace his steps, approaching

Him with a prayerful song. The Lord heard

his prayer and returned to the city, which

immediately became bright as before. To

commemorate this incident, a festival is

celebrated to this day in the month of Tai

(January - February) on the birth

constellation Makham of the Azhwar.

This is how Yathoktakari the Lord, who was

ever so ready to abide by the wishes of the

devotee, the Azhwar, proved it by his action.

The first and foremost of the Dravidian

saints, Poigai Azhwar (1017 - 1137 A.D.),

was born in the immediate neighborhood of

this temple and sang in praise of the Lord.

u March-201416

thousand yagas to bring purity to his mind.

As the number was overwhelming for him to

perform during a lifetime, he intelligently

selected Satyavrata Kshetram. As the most

sacred place where performance of one

yaga gets the merit of a thousand. Brahma

had previously got into an altercation and

misunderstanding with his consort

Saraswati. Finding Brahma engaged in

celebrating a sacrifice, Saraswati wanted to

spoil its merits by washing away the

sacrificial area, and transformed herself into

the form of River Vegavati. Brahma started

fervently praying to Lord Vishnu to save him

from this predicament by arresting the flow

of the river. Mahavishnu came in the form

Yathoktakari Perumal and laid he flat

against the course of the fast-flowing river,

Just then Brahma concluded his yaga and

Mahavishnu emerged out in the form of

Varadarajaswami. Brahma requested him

to bless his devotees for all time to come at

this place and Mahavishnu conceded to his

request and remained manifested there in

physical form. It is believed that

Mahavishnu appeared to Brahma in Krita

Yuga, to Brihaspati in Dwapara Yuga and to

AdhiSesha in Kali Yuga.

The Vijayanagar kings constructed the

temple and the grand gopurams on the east

and the west which are architectural

marvels. There are five prakarams around

the temple, with high outer compound walls.

The whole temple covers an area of about

23 acres. Probably this is the largest area

covered by a temple. Within the first

prakaram there is a hundred-pillar

mandapam built in the 16th century A.D. by

the Vijayanagar kings.

The sculptural beauty of the pillars is

amazing. Ornamental rings carved out of

single stone at the Four Corners of the

mandapam in the form of a chain are a

delightful spectacle. All the pillars contain

marvelous specimens of Vijayanagar art

from top to bottom. There are carvings

depicting different legends from Hindu

mythology and forms of dancing damsels in

various poses. The cavalcade of marching

soldiers, the baffling and intricate physical

feats as shown in a circus by a number of

continued from page 15