இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
In the growth of religious art, Tamilnadu has
acquired a permanent place of glory by its Ananda
Tandava Nataraja', hallowed at Chidambaram and
pursued in its thousands of temples there after
where a south facing Nataraja sub- shrine was
fixed with a central bronze figure of ineffable beauty.
Although Siva tandava bronzes and stone sculptures
comparable with most other parts of India in the
latter category
themselves form a feature of
Tamilnadu temples also, there is one element about
them which calls for special notice. Tandava forms
draw their primal inspiration in India from Bharata's
Natya sastra karanas, as commented upon by
Abhinavagupta, variously in Bhujangatrasita, Talasam
sphotita, Katisama, Lalita, and Urdhva tandavas, to
mention a few, dividing themselves into three
categories. the Ananda tandava, Chatura and
Urdhva tandavas, with the 'marukal' pose highlight-
ing some of these, as in the Pandyan region. Much
of these are to be seen from the Pallava period itself,
from the very turn of the seventh century A.D., as
seen in the Avanibhajana - pallaves vara griham
cave temple at Siya mangalam at the Kailasanatha
temple at Kanchipuram, Muvarkoil at Kodumbalur
and the Brihadisvara at Thanjavur.
7வது 60J6 மாநாடு இல்ண்டன் 2004
SAIVA ICONS OF TAMILNADU
K.V. Soundara Rajan
-
-
-
The exmples of the Dakshinamurti, Chandesa
Anugraha, Aja ekapada and Jvarahara develop only
from the eighth century onwards. These again form
a unique legacy of Tamilnadu mainly. Similarly the
Vishapaharana, Somaskanda, Lingadhara (coming
from the Decan), Varahi among the Saptamath's as
Dandinidevi (uniquely perpetuated in ancient Kalinga,
as in the Varahi temple at Chaurasi), Tripurantaka
etc.. form another series of icons which gain
considerable currency mostly in Tamil nadu from
fairly early stages. There is no doubt, however, that
some of these had derived their textual notice form
the Deccan and Madhyadesa in the trail of Mahesvara
Saivism's diffusion from there into Tamilnadu from
the eighth century, as in the case of Chandesa,
Lingadhara etc., from the Rashtrakuta times, in the
wake of usages seen in works like Isanasivagurudeva
paddhati which was composed in the Deccan.
origin from the significant symbiosis of the Vedic
Rudra with Agni, in the post - Vedic times, leading
to the very inception of the arupa linga tattva of
Saivism with its inbuilt contrasts of heat and cold.
The imagery of Jvarahara maintains the very
personification of the Vedic Agni, as a paradigm
'Chatvari sringah trayosyapadah dve sirshe
saptahastah' in its three legged, two headed,
seven handed specification. It was the form the
dhyana of which dispelled the jvara or fever both of
the physical body and that which is caused by
constant rebirth (bhava roga jvara) and is sanctified
in the linga at the Kampaharesvara temple at
Tribhuvanam near Kumbakonam. Chants of Rudra
for relieving the heat caused through pestilences
like small - pox is common in Tamilnadu. An apsidal
temple for this god is to be seen at Kanchipuram,
not far from Ekambaresvara temple. It is interesting
that the Jvarahara form is always depicted as a Siva
tandava type where the radiating jata gives the
illusion of the orbs of fire of fire-God Agni. The Isana
aspect of Siva also incorporates the jvarahara tattva
and we have a rare example of this in the sun temple
at Modhera (Gujarat) where Isana, as a dikpala on
the North-East wall face, is depicted as a Jvarahara
divinity, standing, with two heads, three legs and
seven hands in pratyalidha pose. The icon equally
well embodies the Lingodbhava tattva where the
god manifested himself as a pillar of fire, without
beginning and without end. The earliest reference to
this concept is to be seen in the Mahabharata where
Asvatthama bent on exterminating the five younger
Pandava progeny in the battle camp was deterred
by a pillar of fire that manifested itself before him,
and Asvatthama realizing the God in it immediately
offered worship to him by hurriedly forming a
sthandila on the ground and establishing a linga in
the form of Pasupati, thereby atoning for his sinful
intention.
Nandhi Replased by Hanuman
Another form of Siva, as Bhikshatana, is
again mostly unknown in many other parts of India,
but is profuse and rich in imagery and detail in stone
and bronze in Tamilnadu, in the form that cast its
Of these, Jvarahara is a rare example, not
much known in most parts of India but draws its
172
In
the
growth
of
religious
art
Tamilnadu
has
acquired
a
permanent
place
of
glory
by
its
Ananda
Tandava
Nataraja
'
hallowed
at
Chidambaram
and
pursued
in
its
thousands
of
temples
there
after
where
a
south
facing
Nataraja
sub-
shrine
was
fixed
with
a
central
bronze
figure
of
ineffable
beauty
.
Although
Siva
tandava
bronzes
and
stone
sculptures
comparable
with
most
other
parts
of
India
in
the
latter
category
themselves
form
a
feature
of
Tamilnadu
temples
also
there
is
one
element
about
them
which
calls
for
special
notice
.
Tandava
forms
draw
their
primal
inspiration
in
India
from
Bharata's
Natya
sastra
karanas
as
commented
upon
by
Abhinavagupta
variously
in
Bhujangatrasita
Talasam
sphotita
Katisama
Lalita
and
Urdhva
tandavas
to
mention
a
few
dividing
themselves
into
three
categories
.
the
Ananda
tandava
Chatura
and
Urdhva
tandavas
with
the
'
marukal
'
pose
highlight
ing
some
of
these
as
in
the
Pandyan
region
.
Much
of
these
are
to
be
seen
from
the
Pallava
period
itself
from
the
very
turn
of
the
seventh
century
A.D.
as
seen
in
the
Avanibhajana
-
pallaves
vara
griham
cave
temple
at
Siya
mangalam
at
the
Kailasanatha
temple
at
Kanchipuram
Muvarkoil
at
Kodumbalur
and
the
Brihadisvara
at
Thanjavur
.
7
வது
60J6
மாநாடு
இல்ண்டன்
2004
SAIVA
ICONS
OF
TAMILNADU
K.V.
Soundara
Rajan
-
-
-
The
exmples
of
the
Dakshinamurti
Chandesa
Anugraha
Aja
ekapada
and
Jvarahara
develop
only
from
the
eighth
century
onwards
.
These
again
form
a
unique
legacy
of
Tamilnadu
mainly
.
Similarly
the
Vishapaharana
Somaskanda
Lingadhara
(
coming
from
the
Decan
)
Varahi
among
the
Saptamath's
as
Dandinidevi
(
uniquely
perpetuated
in
ancient
Kalinga
as
in
the
Varahi
temple
at
Chaurasi
)
Tripurantaka
etc
..
form
another
series
of
icons
which
gain
considerable
currency
mostly
in
Tamil
nadu
from
fairly
early
stages
.
There
is
no
doubt
however
that
some
of
these
had
derived
their
textual
notice
form
the
Deccan
and
Madhyadesa
in
the
trail
of
Mahesvara
Saivism's
diffusion
from
there
into
Tamilnadu
from
the
eighth
century
as
in
the
case
of
Chandesa
Lingadhara
etc.
from
the
Rashtrakuta
times
in
the
wake
of
usages
seen
in
works
like
Isanasivagurudeva
paddhati
which
was
composed
in
the
Deccan
.
origin
from
the
significant
symbiosis
of
the
Vedic
Rudra
with
Agni
in
the
post
-
Vedic
times
leading
to
the
very
inception
of
the
arupa
linga
tattva
of
Saivism
with
its
inbuilt
contrasts
of
heat
and
cold
.
The
imagery
of
Jvarahara
maintains
the
very
personification
of
the
Vedic
Agni
as
a
paradigm
'
Chatvari
sringah
trayosyapadah
dve
sirshe
saptahastah
'
in
its
three
legged
two
headed
seven
handed
specification
.
It
was
the
form
the
dhyana
of
which
dispelled
the
jvara
or
fever
both
of
the
physical
body
and
that
which
is
caused
by
constant
rebirth
(
bhava
roga
jvara
)
and
is
sanctified
in
the
linga
at
the
Kampaharesvara
temple
at
Tribhuvanam
near
Kumbakonam
.
Chants
of
Rudra
for
relieving
the
heat
caused
through
pestilences
like
small
-
pox
is
common
in
Tamilnadu
.
An
apsidal
temple
for
this
god
is
to
be
seen
at
Kanchipuram
not
far
from
Ekambaresvara
temple
.
It
is
interesting
that
the
Jvarahara
form
is
always
depicted
as
a
Siva
tandava
type
where
the
radiating
jata
gives
the
illusion
of
the
orbs
of
fire
of
fire
-
God
Agni
.
The
Isana
aspect
of
Siva
also
incorporates
the
jvarahara
tattva
and
we
have
a
rare
example
of
this
in
the
sun
temple
at
Modhera
(
Gujarat
)
where
Isana
as
a
dikpala
on
the
North
-
East
wall
face
is
depicted
as
a
Jvarahara
divinity
standing
with
two
heads
three
legs
and
seven
hands
in
pratyalidha
pose
.
The
icon
equally
well
embodies
the
Lingodbhava
tattva
where
the
god
manifested
himself
as
a
pillar
of
fire
without
beginning
and
without
end
.
The
earliest
reference
to
this
concept
is
to
be
seen
in
the
Mahabharata
where
Asvatthama
bent
on
exterminating
the
five
younger
Pandava
progeny
in
the
battle
camp
was
deterred
by
a
pillar
of
fire
that
manifested
itself
before
him
and
Asvatthama
realizing
the
God
in
it
immediately
offered
worship
to
him
by
hurriedly
forming
a
sthandila
on
the
ground
and
establishing
a
linga
in
the
form
of
Pasupati
thereby
atoning
for
his
sinful
intention
.
Nandhi
Replased
by
Hanuman
Another
form
of
Siva
as
Bhikshatana
is
again
mostly
unknown
in
many
other
parts
of
India
but
is
profuse
and
rich
in
imagery
and
detail
in
stone
and
bronze
in
Tamilnadu
in
the
form
that
cast
its
Of
these
Jvarahara
is
a
rare
example
not
much
known
in
most
parts
of
India
but
draws
its
172