TEMPLE AND SONGS LINKS This is a modest attempt to explore the famous temples of India and post songs composed in praise of each of them culled out form many sites . I've never come across a site that provides such information. Of course, there are close to 30000 temples in Tamil Nadu alone and it would take a long time to even cover 1% of these but it never hurts to start! I hope this information will be useful to carnatic music lovers of our group . I for one is a buffllo when it comes to carantic music ragas . but documented information is power hence this documentation . Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple (Madurai)

The Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai is one of the most famous temples in South India as this is where, according to Hindu legends, Lord Shiva appeared on Earth in the form of Sundareshwarar to marry Pandya King Malayadwaja Pandya's daughter, Meenakshi (believed to be an incarnation of Hindu Goddess Parvati). A detailed article on this divine marriage can be found herehttp://templenet.com/Tamilnadu/Madurai/legend3.html.

As mentioned in the article, the legend of Meenakshi Kalyanam brings together four of the six main streams in popular Hinduism - Shaiva, Shaktha, Vaishnava, and Skanda faiths. Before describing this beautiful temple in detail, I' d like to share a recording of a wonderful song composed by Sri Papanasam Sivan, in praise of the Goddess Meenakshi at Madurai. The song is 'Devi Neeye', rendered by the late M.S.Subbulakshmi. According to legend, Lord Sundareshwara (as Sundara Pandya) and his consort Goddess Meenakshi ruled over Madurai for a long period of time. In due course of time, they had a son called Ugra Pandya who is none other than Lord Muruga (also known as Subramanya).

The Meenakshi Amman temple here in Madurai has been mentioned in Tamil literature (Thirugnanasambandar) as early as the 7th century. I t is believed to have been sacked later by a Muslim invader and then rebuilt with the efforts of Arya Natha Mudaliyar (Prime Minister of first Nayak of Madurai, 1559-1600AD) and Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659AD) Shiva (as Sundareshwarar) and his fish-eyed spouse, Meenakshi, are enshrined

in this twin temple. There are in all eleven towers to this temple, the largest and most beautiful being the one on the southern doorway. Rising to a height of about 70 metres, this impressive 'gopuram' is by far the most ornate and florid of the Dravidian towers. To the south of the main shrine dedicated to Shiva, is the temple of Goddess Meenakshi. The high point of Meenakshi temple is its celebrated "Court of Thousand Pillars". Built around the year 1560A.D. by Arya Natha Mudaliyar, it is a great work of structural engineering as well as sculpture and art. Every one of its thousand pillars is subjected to an amazing variety of ornate carvings.

Here is another song on Goddess Meenakshi, composed by Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar and rendered here by Sri D.K.Pattammal in the rAga gamakakriya. It is believed that on Deepavali, the day of narakachaturdashi, Dikshithar performed puja as usual and asked his students to sing this song. As his students sang the lines "Meena lochani paasa mochani" he raised his hands and saying "sive paahi" left his mortal coil. Song: mInAkSi mEmudamrAgA: gamakakriyAtALA: AdiComposer: Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar

Pallavi

mInAkSi mE mudam dEhi mEcakAngi rAjamAtangi

Address to Goddess Parvathi at Madurai as Meenakshi, who wears Mechaka and is called as Raaja Maathangi, gives me joy.

Anupallavi

mAnamAtrumE mAyE marakata chAyE shivajAyEmInalOcani pAshamOcani mAnini kadamba vanavAsini

Controller of Individual self, Supreme Self and the relation between two. Greenish in color like emerald. Eyes are like fish. Liberator from worldly bondage. Lives in kadamba vanam.

Charanam

madurApuri nilayE maNivalayE malayadhvaja pANDya rAja tanayEvidhuviDambana vadanE vijayE vINAgAna dasha gamakakriyEmadhu mada mOdita hrdayE sadayE mahAdEva sundarEshapriyEmadhu mura ripu sOdari SAtOdari vidhi guruguha vaSankari Sankari

Abodes in Madurai. Daughter of great king Malayadwaja Paandiyan, who ruled

Madurai. Face dazzles like full moon. Creator of Ten nuances which are used in veena and vocal music.

Lives in the heart of people who relinquished wine and anger. Consort of Lord Siva, who is known as Sundareswara at Madurai. Sister of Lord Vishnu, who is a destroyer of demons Madhu and Mura. Adored by Lord Brahma and Lord Shanmukha. There is a festival during every month in the year at the Meenakshi Amman Temple. The most auspicious of these is the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam (the divine marriage of Meenakshi) which happens every year in the month of Chitrai (April). Other majors festivals like Mahashivarathri and Navarathri are also celebrated in a grand manner. A detailed description of all the festivals celebrated in this temple is here.

Here are some more songs on Lord Sundareshwara and Goddess Meenakshi by past and current musicians.

Akhilandeshwari-Jambukeshwara Temple (Thiruvanaikaval)

Akhilandeshwari in the ragam Dwijavanti is omposed by Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar (though several musicians, including scholars like T.L.Venkatarama Iyer have insisted that this is NOT by this composer). Thanks to my cousin who makes me hear it constantly in my car, the song has been running in my head for few days now and I thought I'd start this whole project of linking temples with songs (also suggested by him!) with this song.

Many great artists have rendered this beautiful song over the years. It is one of Sri Semmangudi's popular songs, especially for his fantastic kalpana swarams. There is a rendition by Sri T.N.Seshagopalan, which is also very nice and easier to learn from.

Song: akhilaaNDEshvariRagam: dvijaavanti

28 harikaambhOji janyaAa: S R2 M1 G3 M1 P D2 SAv: S N2 D2 P M1 G3 M1 R2 G2 R2 S N2 D2 N2 S

Thalam: AdiComposer: Muthuswami Dikshitar

Pallavi

akhilANDEshvari rakSamAm Agama sampradAya nipuNE shrI

Oh Akhilandeshwari! The one who is adept in the traditions of the Agamas (Vedas),

please protect me.

Anupallavi

nikhila lOka nityAtmikE vimalE nirmalE shyAmaLE sakala kalE

Her inherent nature pervades all the worlds, is pure, sublime. She is the dark-complexioned one and is the repository of all arts.

CharaNam

lambOdara guruguha pUjitE lambAlakOdbhAsitEhasitEvAgdEvatArAdhitE varadE varashailarAjanutE shAradEjambhAri sambhAvitE janArddananutE jujAvanti rAganutEjallI maddaLa jhar jhara vAdya nAdamuditE jHnAnapradE

She is worshipped by Lambodara (Ganesha) and Guruguha (Murugan). She possesses shining long tresses and always sports a graceful smile. She is the supreme one worshipped by Saraswati. She is the bestower of boons and the daughter of Himavan (King of Mountains), the honorable one. She is Sharada, venerated by Indra and Vishnu. She is extolled through raga jujavanti (dvijaavanti) and takes delight in music of the instruments like jhalli, maddala, and jarjhara. She is the conferrer of supreme knowledge.This is the famous Akhilandeshwari-Jambukeshwarar temple situated in Thiruvanaikaval (Thiru Aanaikka) near Trichy. It was built by Kocengannan, one of the early Cholas, around 1800 years ago. This temple is one of the five major Shiva temples representing five major elements - Fire, Earth, Water, Sky and Wind. The presiding deity here, Jambukeshwara (represents Water), sits under a Jambu tree over a small stream that engulfs the deity during the rainy season, as shown in the picture below. Legend has it that Lord Shiva appeared here under a Jambu tree in the form of a Shiva lingam. Also, two devotees of Shiva were born here under the influence of a curse as a white elephant and a spider. The elephant worshipped Shiva with flowers and water brought in its trunk (hence the name Tiru Aanaikka). Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar has composed a song in praise of Jambukeshwarar in his magnificent Panchalinga krithis that are dedicated to the five forms of Lord Shiva. There is a recording of Sri M.L.Vasanthakumari rendering this song, Jambupate, in the ragam Yamunakalyani.Also in this temple is Sri Akhilandeshwari, one of the most famed forms of Parvati along with Meenakshi and Kamakshi. The sannidhi of this goddess in this temple along with the sannidhi of Prasanna Vinayaka is in the shape of 'OM'. It is believed that people who go around the sannidhi 12 times and for one full mandala (48 days), will get the blessings of the goddess and have a good, healthy and wealthy life. Also, according to tradition, Sri Akhilandeshwari was originally an Ugra Devata of great fury, and Adi Shankaracharya is said to have converted the fiery energy of the deity into a manifestation of peace. He is said to have adorned her with ear-rings bearing the symbol of the chakram. There is also a shrine to Adi Shankara in this temple.

Song: jambUpatERagam: yamunA kalyANiThalam: tishra Ekam (Rupakam)Composer: Muthuswami Dikshitar

Pallavi

jambUpatE mAm pAhi nijAnandAmRta bOdham dEhi

Oh Jambupati, protect me and give me the knowledge of the nectar of true bliss.

Anupallavi

ambujAsanAdi sakala dEva namana tumburunuta hRdaya tApOpashamana ambudhi gaHNgA kAvErI yamunA kambu kaNDyakhilANDEshvarI ramaNa

He is honored by Brahma and other celestials. He mitigates the affliction of the heart of Tumburu. He is of the form of water, the great ocean and the rivers such as Ganga, Kaveri, Yamuna. He is the beloved one of Akhilandeshvari, whose neck is as beautiful as a conch.

Charanam

parvatajAprArtthitApaliHNgavibhO paHnca bhUta maya prapaHncaprabhO sarvajIva dayAkara shambhO sAmajATavi nilaya svayambhO sarva karuNA sudhAsindhO sharaNAgata vatsalArttha bandhO nirvacanIya nAda bindO nitya mauLi vidhRta gaHNgEndO nirvikalpaka samAdhi niSTha shiva kalpatarO nirvishESacaitanya niraHnjanaguruguhagurO

In deference to the prayers of goddess Parvati, the Lord manifested in the form of the Linga representing the element water. He is the Lord of the universe, which is made of five elements. He is Shambhu, who is compassionate toward all beings. He manifests of his own accord in the forest inhabited by elephants. He is the nectar-like ocean of mercy, and is the succour to those who take refuge in Him. He is the indescribable Nadabindu. He always holds the Ganga and the moon on His head. He is the Kalpaka tree, and is engaged in the desireless Samadhi, supreme consciousness. He is the father of the pure, faultless knowledge in the form of Guruguha.

Also in this temple is Sri Akhilandeshwari, one of the most famed forms of Parvati along with Meenakshi and Kamakshi. The sannidhi of this goddess in this temple along with the sannidhi of Prasanna Vinayaka is in the shape of 'OM'. It is believed that people who go around the sannidhi 12 times and for one full mandala (48 days), will get the blessings of the goddess and have a good, healthy and wealthy life. Also, according to tradition, Sri Akhilandeshwari was originally an Ugra Devata of great fury, and Adi Shankaracharya is

said to have converted the fiery energy of the deity into a manifestation of peace. He is said to have adorned her with ear-rings bearing the symbol of the chakram. There is also a shrine to Adi Shankara in this temple.

Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar has composed a song in praise of Jambukeshwarar in his magnificent Panchalinga krithis that are dedicated to the five forms of Lord Shiva. Here is a recording of Sri M.L.Vasanthakumari rendering this song, Jambupate, in the ragam Yamunakalyani.

Song: akhilANDeshvari durusugaRagam: karnATakakApiThalam: AdiComposer: Shyama Shastri

Pallavi

akhilANDEshvari durusuga brOvumu

Anupallavi

nikhila tApahAriNi bhuvilOna ninu mincina vArevarunnArammA

Charanams

1: mANikyamayamaiyunna mandira madhya vAsinI alivENIshrI shambhunAthuni rANI varamIyavE gIrvANI mAyammA

2: ambOruha sambhava harishankara akhila munIndra pUjitA ati gambhIrA dInarakSaNI gadA nA moralanu vinalEdA

3: O ambA ninu nammina nApai inta parAmugamEla vinushyAmakrSNutA cinta dIrci sAmrAjyamIyavE vEgamE

Arunachaleshwara Temple (Tiruvannamalai)"By seeing Chidambaram, by being born in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi, or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation."- Arunachala Mahatmyam by Sri Ramana Maharishi

Lyrics/Translation of Arunachala nathamSong: aruNAcala nAthamRagam: sAraHNgaThalam: rUpakamComposer: Muthuswami Dikshitar

Pallavi

aruNAcala nAtham smarAmi anIsham apIta kucAmbA samEtam

I always contemplate upon Lord Arunachalanatha, who is in the company of Apitakuchamba.

Anupallavi

smaraNAt kaivalyaprada caraNAra vindam

taruNAditya kOTi shaHNkAshacidAnandamkaruNArasAdi kandam sharaNAgata sura bRndam

His lotus feet bestow total salvation, even from just remembering them. He is knowledge and bliss, shining like crores of suns. He is the embodiment of sentiments such as mercy, etc. A host of celestials has sought refuge in Him.

Charanam

aprAkRta tEjOmaya liHNgamatyadbhuta kara dhRta sAraHNgamapramEyamaparNAbja bhRHNgamArUThOttuHNga vRSaturaHNgamviprOttama vishESAntaraHNgamvIra guruguha tAra prasaHNgamsvapradIpa mauLividhRtagaHNgamsvaprakAsha jita sOmAgni pataHNgam

He is of the form of extraordinarily lustrous Linga, and holds a marvellous deer in His hand. He is like the bee hovering over the lotus-like Aparna-Parvati. He is seated on a majestic bull. He especially dwells in the hearts of noble Bhusuras. He is very much attached to brave Guruguha. He wears Ganga on His glorious head, and has conquered the moon, the sun and the fire with His natural brilliance.It is said that there are three major pilgrimage methods to achieve liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The first of these is by meditating within the Virupaksha Cave on Mount Arunachala (where Sri Ramana Maharishi lived from 1899 to 1916 in solitude). The second is by climbing to the top of Arunchala Hill's holy peak. The third method, adopted by many, is the custom of Giri Valam or Giripradakshinam, which is circumambulating the base of the Arunachala Hill.

Giri Valam must be undertaken after a bath, with a pure and meditative mind. It is advised to observe silence or silent chanting of Arunachala during this time, and it must be either undertaken alone or in a small group. There are several temples, shrines, lingams and tanks one will encounter during Giri Valam (the book Arunachala - The Holy Hill by R.Henninger is an excellent guide). It is said that there are about 360 thirthas (tanks) and 400 lingams in the 8 mile circuit around this hill. There are lingams at each of the eight cardinal directions along the Giri Valam route.. For a map of the route, click http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_I5rcTsc9-f0/R-GyWLQaKyI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/MKkD-WdRAyo/s1600-h/mountain2.jpg

Before continuing to some festivals celebrated at the Arunachala Temple, I'd like to post another song. This is the Arunachala Pancharatnam, composed by Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharishi, and tuned by M. S. Subbulakshmi. The slokam before the song is composed by a devotee of Sringeri, Sri Lakshmana Suri.

Interestingly, the opposition between th

Lyrics/Translation of Arunachala Pancharatnam [−]

Song: karuNA pURNaRagam: rAgamAlikAThalam: AdiComposer: Sri Ramana Maharishi

(Slokam - by Lakshmana Suri)

anilAnala salilA vani rajanIkara sarasIruha vallabhayajamAnaka samudAyaka vapushamakhilOdaya vilayAspada makhilAnthara makhilambhaja shaNkaram abhayaNkaramaruNAchala sharaNam

Verse 1

karunāpūrna sudhābdhēkabalitaghanaviśvarūpa kiranāvalyāarunāchala paramātmanarunō bhava chittakañjasuvikāsāya

O ocean of ambrosia, the overflowing fullness of grace! O Arunachala, supreme spirit, by [whose] series of rays the solid form of the universe is swallowed! Be the sun for the complete blossoming of [my] mind-lotus.

Verse 2

tvayyarunāchala sarvambhūtvā sthitvā pralīnamētacchitramhridyahamityātmatayānrityasi bhōstē vadanti hridayam nāma

O Arunachala! In you all this picture comes into existence, is sustained, and is destroyed. You dance in the heart as self (or spirit) as 'I', [and hence] they say 'heart' is name to you.

Verse 3

ahamiti kuta āyātītyanvishyāntah pravishtayātyamaladhiyāavagamya svamrūpamśāmyatyarunāchala tvayi nadīvabdhau

O Arunachala! By a very blemishless mind having sought thus, "From where does it come as 'I'?", having entered within, and having known one's own form, one becomes still in you, like a river in the ocean.

Verse 4

tyaktvā vishayam bāhyamruddhaprānēna ruddhamanasāntastvāmdhyāyanpaśyati yōgīdīdhitimarunāchala tvayi mahīyam tē

O Arunachala! Having given up external objects and having meditated upon you within by a mind restrained by the restrained breath, the yogi sees the light. They are exalted in you.

Verse 5

tvayyarpitamanasā tvāmpaśyan sarvam tavākrititayā satatambhajatē (a)nanya prītyāsa jayatyarunāchala tvayi sukhē magnah

O Arunachala! Seeing you by mind surrendered in you, he who by otherless love always worships everything as your form, triumphs having drowned in bliss in you.e top and bottom of the mountain is absent here since there is no temple, as at certain sites, of the deity with His consort at the bottom of the hill and one at the top of the deity in His yogic aspect. The sole Arunchaleshwara temple is identified with the mountain as a substitute. Nevertheless, this opposition is marked by 4 purification ceremonies during the year, for which the priests go up to the summit.

During the festival of Mahashivarathri, the appearance of a pillar of fire signifies the supremacy of Lord Shiva (Lingodbhavamurti). A few months later comes the marriage ceremony, the Union of Lord Shiva with the Goddess. The third festival is that of Karthigai Deepam, celebrated by lighting a fire on top of the hill to establish Shiva's supremacy, and also by showing His oneness with the Goddess in the form of Ardhanarishwara. After this, the fourth and final purification ceremony represents seperation from the Goddess and manifestation of Lord Shiva as the great Yogi.

http://www.somasthyagaraja.com/2008/03/arunachaleshwara-temple.html

Seen above is a video of the Karthigai Deepam being lit on top of the Arunachala hill. According to Sri Ramana Maharishi, “Getting rid of the ‘I am the body’ idea and merging the mind into the Heart to realize the Self as non-dual being and the light of all is the real significance of darshan of the beacon of light on Annamalai, the center of the universe.” The deepam is lit on Karthigai day and burns for 7 days (or more), being daily replenished with ghee and camphor offered by devotees. At the temple, the priests chant Na Karmana and perform aarti to Sri Ramana Maharishi's photograph, while devotees sing Aksharamanamalai.

Sri Kalahastishwara TempleVaayu (god of wind) is incarnated as Lord Shiva and worshipped as Sri Kalahastisha in this temple. The first song that springs to my mind when I think about this beautiful temple is Muthuswami Dikshitar's masterpiece in Huseini, sri kAlahastIshA. Here is a rendition of this Pancha Bhootha Kshetra krithi of Dikshitar by Savita Narasimhan, a disciple of Chitravina Ravikiran. Kalahasti, a small town in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, is situated between two steep hills called Sripuram and Mummidicholapuram. The name of the town comes from the temple, which is named after 3 animals - sri (spider), kALa (snake) and hasti (elephant). These were 3 devotees of Lord Shiva (cursed by Brahma, Shiva and Parvathi respectively) who eventually attained moksha by worshipping Him. The river seen in the picture is Swarnamukhi, which flows on one side of the town while the other side is bound by hills. The Tamil Cholas and Vijayanagara rulers have made several endowments to this temple. Also, Adi Shankara is said to have visited this temple and offered worship here.

As proof that Lord Shiva resides here as a vAyu liNga, there is a light in the garbhagriha (innermost sanctum) of this temple that continues to flicker to this day though there is no loophole for air to enter the temple! The shiva lingam here, with marks from the three animals on it and the ancient nandi in front of it, is white in color and said to be

swayambu (or self-manifest). Also, this lingam is in the form of an elephant with tusks on each side, has a figure of a spider at the bottom, and looks like a snake with five hoods from top (see picture below).

Moving back to great songs composed on this temple, Veena Kuppayyar, an exponent of Veena and a Carnatic composer who learned under Sri Thyagaraja Swami, has composed five songs in praise of Sri Kalahastishwara. The most popular of those is koniyAdinE nApai in ragam kambhOji, rendered in the clip by Vijay Siva, one of the leading carnatic musicians today and a disciple of 'Sangeetha Kalanidhi' Late Sri D.K. Jayaraman since 1977. Another interesting story associated with this temple is that of hunter Thinappa, a great devotee of Lord Shiva, who used to offer the flesh of animals to the Lord before consuming them. One day he noticed tears dropping from an eye of the lingam. Thinking that someone had harmed the Lord, he immediately removed his own eye and placed it on the lingam which stopped the tears. After few days, on noticing that the other eye of the Lord was also affected, he was ready to remove his eye again when Lord Shiva, pleased with his strength and devotion, appeared before Him, restored his eyesight and gave him the name Kannapa. Even today, we find Kannapa's statue near the main lingam in this temple, and Pujas are first offered to him and then to the Lord. Adi Shankara has also sung about Kannappa Nayanar in his famous poem, Sivananda Lahiri.

The most important festival in this temple is Mahashivarathiri which lasts for ten days between February and March. On Sankranti, the deity is taken on a procession around the hills (a circuit of nearly twenty miles). In all, there are eighty-five festivals in this temple in a year.

Here is a list of songs composed in praise of Sri Kalahastishwara. Muthuswami Dikshitar

1. srI kALahastIsha - husEinI - jhampa

Veena Kuppayyar

1. Koniyaadina napai - Kamboji - Adi2. Nanu brova rAda - Sama - Adi3. BirAna nannu brova - Hamsadvani - ?4. Sama Gana Lola - Salagabhairavi - ?5. Sevitamu rAramma - Sahana - ?