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Sikha-natha temple
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The structural Kudumi-natha temple is a growth of ages. It consists of
the sanctum, the ardha-mandapam (அர்த்த-மண்டபம்) and four other
mandapam-s, called maha-mandapam (மகாமண்டபம்), the sabha-mandapam (சபா
மண்டபம்), the anivetti-k-kal-mandapam (அணிவெட்டிக்கால் மண்டபம்) or
vasantha-mandapam (வசந்தமண்டபம்)and the ayirakkal-mandapam (ஆயிரக்கால் மண்டபம்) . The sanctum and the
ardha-mandapam (அர்த்த-மண்டபம்) as at presently existing are of a later
age than other structures.
The original sanctum and the ardha-mandapam (அர்த்த-மண்டபம்) could
have been built towards the beginning of the tenth century. They were
renovated twice, one in the Pandya (13th century AD.) and then in the
Vijayanagara times (15th century AD.). Some scholars think that there was
a third renovation in Nayak-s days. (17th century AD.)
TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
Ayirakkal-Mandapam
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The ayirakkal-mandapam ('the-mandapam-with-a-thousand-pillars') is
what the visitor enters first. The form and features of the inner mandapam
are characteristic of the architecture of the Vijayanagara period. The
pillars contain a great number of sculptures, many in the folk or popular
tradition. Above many of them there are sculptures of the 'avatars of
Vishnu' and of the warriors of the Ramayana, Hanuman, Sugriva, Vali, etc.
There are some portrait sculptures also.
Massive pillars with sculptures
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The visitor passes from this to another larger mandapam called
anivetti-k-kal-mandapam, or vasantha-mandapam. On both sides of which are
pillars which bear large sculptured figures of Ganapathi, Subrahmanya,
Ravana, Ugra-narasimha in the act of tearing the entrails of Hiranya,
Rama, Mohini, the enchantress, some samhara (‘destructive’) forms of Siva,
Veerabhadra (வீரபத்திரர்), Kali, Nataraja in the Urddhva-tandava (ஊர்த்துவதாண்டவம்)
pose, two images of Vishnu, one on Garuda and the other on Hanuman, Rati,
Manmatha, and portrait sculpture of Nayak or Pallava-rayar (பல்லவராயர்)
chiefs and their ministers or vassals. The portrayal here of figure of
horsemen treading over the foot soldiers is of particular interest. One
can see here weapons used respectively by the horseman and the foot
soldiers and the method in which the foot soldiers defended themselves
from the attacks of the horsemen.
Dvara-palaka, Sikha-natha temple
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Passing between two huge four-armed Dvara-palaka-s (துவாரபாலகர்) with tusks, who are
guarding the way, and ascending the Gangairaya-koradu
(annex-built-by-Gangaiyaraya) (காங்கேயராயன் கூராடு), one enters a sabha-mandapam built in the
Pandya style. It houses idols of Nataraja (நடராஜர்), about 6 feet in height, and
Sivakama-sundari (சிவகாம சுந்தரி) as well as bronzes of Somaskanda (சோமாஸ்கந்தர்) and Chandrasekhara
(சந்திரசேகரர்), all
belonging to the late Chozha or Pandya period (12th – 13th century AD.).
The next is the maha-mandapam, a late Chozha structure (12th century
AD.) containing other bronzes - Ganesa, Subrahmanya, Chandikesvara (சண்டிகேஸ்வரர்),
Sastha,
Manikka-vachakar (மாணிக்கவாசகர்), Sundara-moorthi (சுந்தரமூர்த்தி), Sambandar
(சம்பந்தர்), Bhikshatana-moorthi (பிக்ஷாடனமூர்த்தி) and
Pidari (பிடாரி).
The garbha-griham containing the principal idol of Sikha-natha
(Kudumi-natha) and the ardha-mandapam in front of that, belong to a much
later epoch than the maha-mandapam and sabha-mandapam. It appears to have
been renovated. Two images in the first prakaram are significant. One is
the pair of two-armed Dvara-palaka-s in the ardha-mandapam, which resemble
those of the
Vijayalaya Chozhisvaram (விஜயாலய சோழீஸ்வரம்) at
Narttamalai (நார்த்தாமலை) (9th century
structure). And the other is a Pallava Valamburi Ganapathi.
The temple prakaram.
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This first prakaram encloses a covered pradhakshina pathway. Against
this wall are sculpture of the Sapta-matrika, Lingodbhava, Saiva saints,
Jyeshtadevi, Subrahmanya, Gajalakshmi, etc., dating to different periods.
It is heartening to note that the later renovators appear to have
carefully preserved the sculptures of the earlier periods.
In niches in the walls of the sanctum are Dakshina-moorthi, Vishnu, Brahma
and Durga. A pillar on the rear, on the shrine’s west contains a sculpture
of some chief, probably a Pallava-rayar who renovated the shrine and the
ardha-mandapam.
THE SHRINE OF AKHILANDESVARI
The shrine of goddess Akhilandesvari (அகிலாண்டேஸ்வரி) is in the second prakaram. It is
also developed from time to time. The garbha-griham and the ardha-mandapam
belong to an earlier period than the present Sikha-natha shrine. The
vimanam could have been built in the late Pandya period (13th century
AD.). In front of this are a maha-mandapam and an outer mandapam. The
latter belongs to the 'Madurai Nayak' style. There is a hexagonal stone
slab in this mandapam on which the Pallava-rayar and the Tondaiman Rajas
used to perform their coronation ceremonies.
MYTHOLOGICAL STORY CONNECTED WITH SIKHA-NATHA (KUDUMI-NATHA) SHRINE
The principal idol worshipped in the temple here is named Sikha-natha
('Lord-with-the-tuft'). This strange name is explained by a local legend.
A temple, priest, according to the story, once gave his sweetheart the
flowers intended for divine worship. The ruler of the place, who came
unexpected to the temple shortly thereafter, was given as prasadam (பிரசாதம்) the
flowers that the lady had worn. The Raja, discovering some locks of hair
among them, asked the priest how they got there. To conceal his offence
the priest asserted that the hair must be the deity's all the while
praying that he might not be proved untruthful. His prayer was heard and a
lock of hair in the form of kudumi (குடுமி, ‘tuft’) miraculously appeared on the
lingam for the Raja's inspection.
A small protuberance on the idol is still shown to the visitor as the
kudumi that originally appeared to save the priest-lover. It must be
remembered here that the God of Kalahasti whom Kannappa-nayanar (கண்ணப்ப
நாயனார்) worshipped
was called Kudumi-th-thevar (குடுமித்தேவர்).
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