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2024-11-09T17:29:44Z

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>Jaysonsands: Changing short description from "kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam" to "Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu, India" (Shortdesc helper)

2021-05-23T09:34:50Z

Changing short description from "kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam" to "Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu, India" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{Short description|Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Kampaheswarar Temple
| image = Kampaheswarar Temple.JPG
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Tamil Nadu
| map_caption = Location in [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|10|59|24.1|N|79|25|59.97|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name =
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| district = [[Thanjavur district|Thanjavur]]
| location = [[Thirubuvanam]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = Kampaheswarar([[Shiva]])kampaheswari
([[Durga]])
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture = [[Dravidian architecture]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

The '''Kampaheswarar Temple''' or kampa-hara-ishvarar ( kampa-hareswarar ) is a [[Hindu]] temple dedicated to the god [[Shiva]]. It is situated in [[Thirubuvanam]], a village in [[Thanjavur district]] in the [[South India]]n State of [[Tamil Nadu]], on the [[Mayiladuthurai]]-[[Kumbakonam]] road. Shiva is worshiped as "Kampahareswarar" as he removed the quaking (Skt. ''Kampa'') of a king who was being haunted by a [[Brahmarakshasa]]. It was built by [[Kulothunga Chola III]] and is considered the last of the four masterpieces built during the [[Medieval Chola]] era.

The temple has a shrine for [[Sharabha]], a depiction of [[Shiva]], a part-lion and part-bird beast in [[Hindu mythology]], who, according to [[Sanskrit literature]], is eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump. The temple is considered in the line of [[Brihadisvara Temple]] at [[Thanjavur]], [[Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram|Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple]] and [[Airavatesvara temple]], with the trio forming the [[Great Living Chola Temples]].

==Legend==
As per Hindu legend, Shiva is believed to have relieved ''Kampa'' (quaking) of a king haunted by evil spirits on account of the king killing a [[Brahmin]] by mistake. This led to the name of Kampahareshvara.<ref name=Ayyar>[[#Ayyar|Ayyar 1993]], pp. 316-320</ref> As per another legend, Shiva is believed to have assumed the form to quench the fury of [[Narasimha]], an [[avatar]] of Vishnu.<ref name=Meena>{{cite book|title=Temples in South India|last=V.|first=Meena|publisher=Harikumar Arts|location=Kanniyakumari|year=1974|edition=1st|page=29}}</ref>

==Vaippu Sthalam==
It is one of the shrines of the [[Vaippu Sthalam]]s sung by Tamil Saivite [[Nayanars|Nayanar]] [[Appar]].<ref>பு.மா.ஜெயசெந்தில்நாதன், தேவார வைப்புத்தலங்கள், வர்த்தமானன் பதிப்பகம், சென்னை, 2009</ref><ref name=shaivam>[https://shaivam.org/hindu-hub/temples/place/437/thirubuvanam-kambahareswarar-temple மூவர் தேவார வைப்புத் தலங்கள், Muvar Thevara Vaippu Thalangal, திருபுவனம் (Thirubuvanam), 6-51-11]</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Kampaheswarar Temple Thirubuvanam.jpg|The central shrine of the Kampaheswarar Temple|left|thumb|200x200px]]
As per inscriptions found in the south wall of the temple, the shrine was constructed by the Chola king [[Kulothunga Chola III]] as a memorial of his successful North Indian campaign.<ref name="tourist"/> The inscriptions indicate the contribution towards the construction of the Nataraja shrine and the mukhamandapa. Some of the other temples that figure in the inscriptions are the [[Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram|Nataraja temple]] in [[Chidambaram]], the [[Ekambareswarar temple]] at [[Kanchipuram]], the [[Meenakshi temple]] at [[Madurai]], the [[Mahalingeswarar Temple, Thiruvidaimarudur|Mahalingeswarar Temple]] at Thiruvidamaruthur and the [[Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur|Brihadisvara Temple]] at [[Thanjavur]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Ancient Indian Geography, Volume 2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8897ridkczoC&q=tirumanikuzhi&pg=PA656|page=656|first=Subodh |last=Kapoor|publisher=Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd|year=2002|isbn=9788177552997}}</ref> The inscriptions in the shrine of the presiding deity is similar to the one in the outer ''gopuram'' (gateway tower), which indicates the building of the temple by Kulottunga-Choladeva. While it is unclear which Kulottunga it is, scholars have placed it at 1176 CE, which is closer to the reign of [[Kulothunga Chola III]], who is believed to have been the last powerful Chola king. There are four inscriptions from Kulothunga Chola in Grantha script. The inscription 189 of 1907, the one on the southern wall of the central shrine, is damaged and mentions Arya Sri-Somanatha. Inscription 190 on the same wall indicates the building operations of Kulothunga Chola. 191, at the entrance of outer gopura, is a duplicate of the 190. On the same gopura, inscription 192 indicates record of king Kulothunga Chola. There are two inscriptions in Tamil from the period of Jatavarman Tribuvanachakravarthin Parakrama Pandyadeva registered by Epigraphy Department in 1911. One of them, 159, registers a contract between the residents of ''Tribhuvanavirapuram'' and ''Kulamangalanadu'', who were ''urkaval'' (watchmen) of the village. On the same wall, the inscription numbered 160, records a similar contract in the presence of chief Udaiyar Kulasekharadeva.<ref name=Ayyar/>

== Architecture ==
{{Multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
|align=left
| total_width = 300
| width1 = 3264 | height1 = 2488
| width2 = 4128 | height2 = 2322
|direction=horizontal
|image1=Thirubuvanam (11).jpg
|image2=Tirubavanam (13).jpg
|footer=Sculptures in the panels of the temple
}}

The temple follows the Tamilian style of architecture. An unusual feature of the temple is that the ''vimana'' is extremely high unlike other Dravidian-style South Indian temples. The architecture of the temple is similar to the [[Big Temple]] at [[Thanjavur]], [[Airavatesvara Temple]] at [[Darasuram]] and [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]] temples. The distinct features of all the temples is the ''[[vimana]]'', the structure over the sanctum, being taller than the gateway tower, which is an unusual feature in [[Tamil architecture|Tamil temples]]. There is a separate shrine for Sarabeswarar and a metal icon of the same deity within the sanctum, which has fine artistic work.<ref name=Ayyar/><ref name="tourist">[[#tourist|Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu 2007]], p. 71</ref> ''Yali'', a mythical creature with the face of a lion, which is otherwise considered a symbol of Nayak architecture has its earliest representation in Chola art in the temple. The temple was built by the [[Kulottunga Chola III]] of the [[Later Cholas]], who ruled between 1176-1218 AD of the 13th century.<ref>{{cite journal|title='Expanding Form': The Architectural Sculpture of the South Indian Temple, ca. 1500-1700|last=Branfoot|first=Crispin |journal=Artibus Asiae|volume=62|issue=2|pages=204|issn = 0004-3648|jstor=3250266|year=2002|publisher=Artibus Asiae Publishers|doi=10.2307/3250266}}{{Subscription required |via=[[JSTOR]]}}</ref> The two circular pilasters with circular shafts on four sides of the ''vimana'' indicates the antiquity of the temple. The feature is possibly termed ''Vrittasputitas'' in ''silpa'' texts like ''[[Shilparatna]]''. Such a feature is otherwise found only in few other temples like [[Neyyadiappar Temple, Tillaistanam]], [[Tiruttalinathar Temple]] in [[Thiruputhur]], central shrine in [[Moovar Koil]] in [[Kodumbalur]], [[Vijayalaya Choleeswaram]] in [[Narthamalai]] and Anantheswara temple in Udayarkudi.<ref>{{cite report|title=The Mahadeva temple of Tillaisthanam|last=D.|first=Devakunjari|volume=II|issue=III|journal=Damilica|publisher=The State Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu|editor-last=R.|editor-first=nagaswamy|year=1973|url=https://www.tnarch.gov.in/Library%20BOOk%20PDF/Damalica%20vol-II.pdf|page=44}}</ref>

==Complex==
[[File:Munneswaram Sharabha.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Image of [[Sarabeswarar]]]]
The temple is approached through a five-tiered pyramidal ''raja[[gopuram]]'', the original structure, according to Sarkar, is from Kuluthonga's regime. The [[vimana]], the shrine over the sanctum is axial and of same height of that of the ''gopuram''. The temple's gopuram is similar to its counterparts at [[Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur]], [[Someswarar Temple, Pazhayarai]] and [[Nageswaraswamy Temple, Kumbakonam]], which all belong to the same period.
The presiding deity of the temple is Shiva [[lingam]] in the form of Kampaheswarar and is housed in the central shrine. There is a separate shrine for [[Sharabha|Sarabeswarar]],<ref>[[#Smith|Smith 2003]], p. 193</ref> a fusion of man, eagle and lion - the deity is believed to have relieved the [[Deva (Hinduism)|''deva'']]s (celestial deities) from the fury of [[Vishnu]] in the form of [[Narasimha]] after he slayed [[Hiranyakasipu]].<ref name="tourist"/> The sculpture of Sharbeshwaramurti in this Shiva temple is sporte with three legs, with body and face of a lion and a tail. It has four human arms, the right upper hand holds axe, noose is held in the lower right hand, the deer in the upper left hand and fire in the lower left hand. Narasimha is shown with eight arms, flaying and struggling under Sharbeshwaramurti's feet.<ref name= "Rao p.174">[[#Rao|Rao]] p.174</ref> The shrine has sculptures of Sridevi and Bhudevi, the consorts of Vishnu.<ref name="tourist"/> The bronze image of Sarabheswara temple is believed to have been from the period of [[Kulothunga Chola III]].<ref name=sarkar>{{cite book|title=The Kampahesvara temple at Thirubuvanam|last=H.|first=Sarkar|publisher=Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu|year=1974|location=Madras|page=9|url=https://www.tnarch.gov.in/Library%20BOOk%20PDF/KAMPAHARESVARA%20TEMPLE%20AT%20TRIBHUVANAM.pdf}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Kampaheswara Temple Entrance.JPG|Main entrance and Raja[[gopura]]
File: Tirubuvanam temple2.jpg|[[Dwajasthambam]]
File:Kampaheswar1.JPG|Outer [[prakara]]
File:Kampaheswara2.JPG|[[Vimana (architectural feature)|Vimana]]
File: Tirubuvanam temple3.jpg|Inner [[gopura]]
File: Tirubuvanam temple7.jpg|Pillars in the mandapa
File: Tirubuvanam temple8.jpg|[[Vimana (architectural feature)|Vimana]] rear view
</gallery>

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{Commons category|Kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam}}
{{refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book|last= Smith |first= David |title= The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India: Volume 7 of Cambridge Studies in Religious Traditions|page=193|access-date=2010-01-15|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTLlcGlkdjkC&q=sarabha&pg=PA191|publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-521-52865-8|ref=Smith}}
* {{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines Illustrated|last=Ayyar|first=P.V. Jagadisa|location=New Delhi|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=1993|isbn=81-206-0151-3|ref=Ayyar}}
*{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nGxbJqdEQrwC&q=thiruvidaimarudur&pg=PA71|last=Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu |title=Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu|year=2007|publisher=T. Krishna Press |location=Chennai |isbn=978-81-7478-177-2|ref=tourist}}
* {{Cite book|last= Rao |first= T. A.Gopinatha |title= Elements of Hindu iconography, Volume 2|pages=171–173|access-date=2010-01-15|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e7mP3kDzGuoC&q=sarabha&pg=PA174|publisher= Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|year=1997|isbn=81-208-0878-9|ref=Rao}}
{{refend}}

{{Hindu Temples of Kumbakonam}}
{{Thanjavur district}}
{{Vaippu sthalam}}

[[Category:Shiva temples in Thanjavur district]]
[[Category:12th-century Hindu temples]]

Kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam - Revision history

Nobranding1: small changes

>Jaysonsands: Changing short description from "kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam" to "Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu, India" (Shortdesc helper)