UNDERSTANDING

TEMPLES

Participant Name : V.MANIMEGALAI

Institute : Mohamed Sathak AJ Academy of Architecture
Email ID : manimegalaiprasanna@gmail.com
Exercise 1 : Mythologies Prof. Manasi Chokshi
No. Question Temple Data
Sri Sanjeevi rayar temple / Thiruvadi raya puram –Ayyengar kulam,
1 Name of the shrine and place
Kanchipuram
2 Who is the shrine dedicated to? Sree Hanuman/Anjaneyar
What is the vahan/vehicle of the shrine ?
3
Or a symbolic associated animal? None
Does the god/ goddess ward off any particular
4 Snake bites/insect bites, any reptile bites
disease or problems?
5 What is the prasad given? Thulasi theertham
What are the mythological stories associated to Temple constructed by tatacharya (manager general of sree krishnadevarayar)
6
the goddess? Describe in short. because hanuman helped him in the form of monkeys to escape robbers
Does the shrine have a printed material?
7 Calendars/website/ booklets that prints the
mythological stories. None
Are there any particular days in the year that are
8
dedicated to this shrine? 1st day of Chitra Pournami/nadabhavi festival
Does the temple building belong to a style of
9
architecture? If yes, which? Vijayanagara
Is the shrine a part of a larger complex of
10
shrines? Yes

UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name:

Exercise 1 : Mythologies Prof. Manasi Chokshi

On this slide :
1. Location map North
2. Plan of the temple
3. Photos of the temple

Front entry

North
Location Map Rear entry Plan

UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name: V.MANIMEGALAI

Exercise 2 : Analysis of Temple Spaces Dr. Shilpa Sharma

On this slide :
1. Plan of the temple – with sequential colour coding North 2
2. Photos of each architectural strategy used in the temple

4
5 5.Garbha griha entry
1. Landmark View
LEGEND
Strategy Code
2
3
4
2. Entrance 3. Mandapas 3. Pradakshina approach 5
to inner sanctum
UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name: V.MANIMEGALAI
Exercise 3 : Study of Impact of temples in an Urban Precinct Prof. Khudeja Patel
Range
No. Criteria No. Remarks
Y N
1 No. of devotees (daily) approx. Y 20-50 Varies during Thursdays as its auspicious for lord hanuman.
Festivals Y 1 Chitra pournami festival
Social Religious knowledge Other associated rituals for lord hanuman for e.g. Hanuman
building Y jayanthi
2 Infrastructure Transportation Y 1 Well connected to Kanchipuram and thiruvannamalai
Supply from nearby pond “Thatta samudram” – 133 acre
Physical Water supply Y 1 pond and municipal water supply connections.
Sanitation N 0 No toilet or any other sanitation facility
No Recreational Y 2 Presence of temple square and a padithurai for pond
Commercial Formal N 0 No formal establishments
4
Establishments Informal Y N/A Temporary stalls during chitra pournami
Residential Y 1 Presence of the village Ayyengar kulam, Kanchipuram
5 Settlements
Dharamshalas N 0 Not any observed
6 Heritage Y 1 12th to 16th century temple maintained by ASI
Pilgrims N 0 Not a part of pilgrimage
7 Tourism
Presence on tourism circuit Y 1 Forms a part of kanchipuram tourism
Total 10 4 Varies Potential structure for heritage documentation

UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name: V.MANIMEGALAI

Exercise 4 : Value Assessment Prof. Payoja Raikar

On this slide :
Gopuram North
Plan of the temple –
a) With labelling of the various elements
b) Value assessment with colour coding according to the legend

Portico

Legend
High Value
Medium Value
Low Value
Column
1. Architectural value Step well

UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name: V.MANIMEGALAI

Exercise 4 : Value Assessment Prof. Payoja Raikar
On this slide :
Plan of the temple – 2. Historic value North
a) With labelling of the various elements
b) Value assessment with colour coding according to the legend
Sri koti kannikadhanam lakshmikumara tatadesika, the manager
general of the then king Venkatapadideva maharaja of vijayanagar
dynasty (dates back to 16th century) was returning to the town
Kanchipuram with huge amount of gold. Due to dusk he was forced
to camp at his place, where he was surrounded by a group of
robbers. Sri tatacharya/Sri Aiyangar started to recite Rama nama to
ward off the evil force. Hanuman who is an unfailing attendant
wherever rama nama is recited came to the rescue of tatacharya
and he multiplied an army of men who drove away the robbers.
When tatacharya woke up the next morning the group of men
explained him the sequence of events happened during the night. In
order of these events the devoted vaishanvite erected a temple for
hanuman called as Sri Sanjeevi rayar temple also known as thiruvadi
raya puram (as anjaneyar is known as siriya thiruvadi). He also built
a stupendously large lake called thenneri which is now familiarly
called as Tata samudram/Aiyangar kulam. On the banks of this pond
there is a stone engraving registering the same event with Hanuman
vimsati, a poem of 20 versus composed by Sri Aiyangar. Banks of
tata samudram also holds stone reliefs of various gods and
goddesses depicting hindu religion.

UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name: V.MANIMEGALAI

Exercise 4 : Value Assessment Prof. Payoja Raikar
3. Cultural value
On this slide :
North
Plan of the temple –
a) With labelling of the various elements
b) Value assessment with colour coding according to the legend

The nadabhavi(step-well) of the village is historically connected

to the Varadharaja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram
(Varadharajaperumal-Moolavar is transferred from the main
temple and kept in the step-well of ayyangar kulam for a ritual
on the day of tamil new year) and its physical continuity is still
intact as its texture is not destroyed. The place is rich in water
Sree sanjeeva rayar temple
resources with the presence of a 133 acres pond.
nadabhavi(step-well)

The three stepwells and cloistered verandah

UNDERSTANDING TEMPLES (7-11 Dec. 2020) Participant Name: V.MANIMEGALAI