Chakrapani Temple, Kumbakonam
Encyclopedia
Chakrapani Temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Lord Vishnu
located in Kumbakonam
, Tamil Nadu
, India
. In the temple, Lord Vishnu appears in the form of a discus or Chakra
to put down the pride of Surya
(the Sun), who subsequently became his devotee.
worshipping the lord as he is said to have been cured an illness by the grace of this God. A panchamukha(five-faced) Hanuman
is erected in the prakaram
(outer precincts of the temple).
In 1620, when Govinda Dikshitar, divan-administrator for the Nayaks
, constructed the Ramaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam, he added a commercial corridor between the new temple and the older Chakrapani temple.
parallel to the shrine of the temple situated across the river Cauvery. Neivethanam (sacred offering) performed everyday for the deity is dependent on the smoke emnating from the burning of corpses from the ghat. It is pertinent to an ideology that God performs the chakra (cycle) of life and death.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
dedicated to Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
located in Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In the temple, Lord Vishnu appears in the form of a discus or Chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
to put down the pride of Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
(the Sun), who subsequently became his devotee.
The Temple
The temple is noted for its exquisite pillars. The presiding deity, Chakrapani has 8 arms. There is a bronze image of king Serfoji IISerfoji II
Serfoji II was the last ruler of the Maratha principality of Tanjore to exercise absolute sovereignty over his dominions. His descendants, however, have managed to thrive as titular Maharajahs of Thanjavur to the present day...
worshipping the lord as he is said to have been cured an illness by the grace of this God. A panchamukha(five-faced) Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
is erected in the prakaram
Prakaram
A Prakaram, also spelled Pragaram or Pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer parth around the Hindu temple sanctum. These may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the inner most prakaram....
(outer precincts of the temple).
In 1620, when Govinda Dikshitar, divan-administrator for the Nayaks
Nayak dynasty
Nayak dynasties emerged after the downfall of Vijayanagara Empire. The Nayaks were originally military governors under the supervision of the Vijayanagara Empire. After the battle of Talikota, several of them declared independence...
, constructed the Ramaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam, he added a commercial corridor between the new temple and the older Chakrapani temple.
Practise
Chakra Padithurai is a famous ghat in KumbakonamKumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
parallel to the shrine of the temple situated across the river Cauvery. Neivethanam (sacred offering) performed everyday for the deity is dependent on the smoke emnating from the burning of corpses from the ghat. It is pertinent to an ideology that God performs the chakra (cycle) of life and death.