Rajarajeshwara Temple: Difference between revisions

{{Refimprove|date=March 2017}}

| name              = Shree Rajarajeshwaram

| architecture      = [[Tamil Architecture]]

| inscriptions      = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]

| year_completed        = Modern temple [[Rajaraja Chola#Kandalur Salai|1010 A.D.]]

| creator            = [[Parashurama]], [[Rajaraja Chola#Kandalur Salai|Rajaraja Chola]]

|architect=[[Rajaraja Chola I]]}}

The '''Rajarajeswara temple''' is a [[Shiva]] temple located in [[Taliparamba]] in [[Kannur district]] of [[Kerala]], [[South India]]. It was built by [[Raja Raja Chola I]]. The temple is regarded as one of the existing 108 ancient Shiva Temples of ancient Kerala. It also has a prominent place amongst the numerous Shiva temples in South India. It had the tallest shikhara amongst the temples of its time. The Rajarajeshwara temple has a top of about 90 tonnes. If any problem is encountered in the other temples of South India, devotees seek a solution in this temple through a ''prasna'', a traditional method of astrological decision making.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} The ''prasna'' is conducted on a ''peedha'' (a raised platform) outside the temple.

Legendarily, it was supposedly renovated by Sage Parashurama, long before the [[Kali Yuga]] commenced. Several centuries ago it was renovated by the [[Mushika Kingdom|Mushika]] ([[Kolathiri]]) dynasty kings. This temple was rebuilt into its present form in the early eleventh century. The quadrangular sanctum has a two-tiered pyramidal roof; in front of the sanctum is the ''namaskara mandapam'', but the temple has no ''kodi maram'' (flagstaff), unlike others in Kerala. Only [[Hindus]] are permitted to enter.<ref name="daiji">http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=23566&n_tit=After+Jayamala%2C+now+Meera+Kicks+Off+a+Temple+Row!</ref>

The Shiva Linga here is believed to be several thousands of years old. Legend has it that Shiva gave three sacred Shiva Lingas to [[Parvati|Parvati/Sati]] for worship.<ref>http://www.hindubooks.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=176&page=2</ref> One sage, Maandhata, propitiated Lord Shiva with intense prayers. Shiva was so pleased that he presented one of the Shiva Lingas to him with the injunction that it should be installed only at a place where there was no cremation ground. The sage, after searching all over, found [[Taliparamba]] the most sacred spot where he installed the Shiva Linga.

After his death the Linga disappeared into the earth.<ref name="hindubooks p3">http://www.hindubooks.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=176&page=3</ref> Then his son Muchukunda offered similar prayers to Shiva and got a second Shiva Linga, which too disappeared in course of time. Centuries passed. The third Shiva Linga was handed down to Satasoman, a king of Mushaka/Kolathiri/Chirakkal Royal Family, who then ruled the region. He was an ardent devotee of Shiva. On the advice of sage [[Agastya]], he prayed to Lord Siva, who granted him the Shiva Linga. The king installed it in the present temple built by him. However, many legends associated with the Temple, claim Agastya Himself as installing the Shiva Linga (which is believed as per those legends to be a 'Jyothirlingam').<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAt8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA386 | title=Pilgrimage to Temple Heritage| isbn=9788192128443| last1=Mathew| first1=Biju| date=September 2013}}</ref>

While circumambulating the Naalambalam (the outer structure around Sree Kovil, the sanctum sanctorum), one walk towards the left side and from the Nirarithikonam (south-west corner) worships Goddess Annapoorneshwari of the famous shrine in Cherukunnu, a few kilometers away. It is believed that the Goddess at Cherukunnu is the wife of Lord Rajarajeswara. Standing on the west one worships Goddess Bhadrakaali enshrined in a renowned shrine of divine mother in Maadaayikkavu. Originally, it is said that goddess Bhadrakaali was worshiped in the western Gopuram of Sri Rajarajeswara temple and later the idol was taken and installed in the shrine at Maadaayikkavu.

The Rajas of Chirakkal (by which name the Kolathiri Family has been known since they shifted their capital to Chirakkal in 858 CE) have been pious devotees of Sri Rajarajeshwara and some touching incidents are told relating to the intensity of their devotion. The Maharajas of Travancore used to make an offering of an elephant to the temple before ascending the throne (It is worth noting that both Kolathiri and Travancore are branches of the Velir clan, originally from the [[Thiruvananthapuram]] area, descending from the ancient Ay/Venad family. Kolathiri and Travancore have since as two sister dynasties reciprocally adopted from each other several times). The Zamorin of Kozhikode was also an ardent devotee of this deity.

Though it is not practised as widely as it was in the earlier days, it is still a religious custom among many local Hindu women to visit three prominent temples in Taliparamba when they are pregnant. Apart from Rajarajeshwara temple, the other two temples are [[Sri Krishna]] at [[Trichambaram]] and another Shiva temple, [[Kanjirangad Sri Vaidyanatha Kshetram]], in [[Kanjirangad]], about 6&nbsp;km from Taliparamba. It is believed that Shiva at Rajarajeshwara temple assures the child a high status, Sri Krishna of Trichambaram bestows it with good nature and mental qualities and the deity at Kanjirangad temple gives the child long life.