Moolavar

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Moolavar
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Moolavar Image of Lingam inside the sanctum
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Moolavar or Mulavar is a Sanskrit, Tamil word referring to the main deity or murti (cult image) in a Hindu Temple. Moola means "main" in Sanskrit, “Avar” means “He/She who is” honorific title in Tamil which in turn refers to the primary deity in the temple.[1] The Moolavar image is permanently fixed in the sanctum. In Shiva temples, the Moolavar vigraha is usually Lingam (an iconic form), while in all other temples, the sculpted image of the respective deities are sported. The Moolavar is usually made of stone while in some temples, it is made of limestone or wood.

Ablution is performed on the Moolavar during daily prayer or during festivals. It is performed in a sequence with various material like milk, curd, honey and sugar. These are meant to indicate five elemental aspects of earth and with the ablution, prayers are sought to please the five natural elements.

Importance[]

Image of Vishnu

The sanctuary inside the Hindu temple is called Garba griha (dwelling of the embryo). The sanctum is located at the centre of the temple, and its only opening mostly faces east. The most ancient Hindu sanctuaries are flat stone dolmens, vertical and horizontal slabs forming a square room at the centre of a stone wall boundary. The more important gods, Moolavar, are near the center of the temples than the images that surround them and are precisely located at the points corresponding to the energies they represent on the temple plan's mythical power diagram.[2] During the Kumbabhishekam or the coronation event, the temple is renovated while the Moolavar image is moved to a temporary location. The practice is called Balalayam, during which a temporary image is housed in the sanctum.[3]

Architecture[]

Garbhagriha or garbha gṛha (Devanagari: गर्भगॄह) is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. Literally the word means "womb chamber", from the Sanskrit words garbha for womb and griha for house. Only pujari (priests) are allowed to enter the sanctum.[4][5] The Moolavar is usually made of stone image in most South Indian temples. In some temples, it is made of limestone or wood.[6] The Moolavar image is permanently fixed in the sanctum. In Shiva temples, the Moolavar vigraha is usually Lingam (an iconic form), while in all other temples, the sculpted image of the respective deities are sported with their weapons in different positions based on the legend associated with the temple. In large temples, more than one image is housed inside the sanctum.[7]

Religious practices[]

The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed five times a day; Ushathkalam at 6:00 a.m., Kalasanthi at 9:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 1:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m., and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for the presiding deities in the temple. The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi when ablution and special poojas are performed on the Moolavar.[8] The ablution on the Moolavar deity is performed in a sequence with various material like milk, curd, honey and sugar. These are meant to indicate five elemental aspects of earth and with the ablution, prayers are sought to please the five natural elements.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ Baldev Raj, C. Rajagopalan, C. V. Sundaram. Where gods come alive: a monograponze icons of South India.
  2. ^ Danielou, Alain (2001). The Hindu Temple Deification of Eroticism. pp. 75.
  3. ^ Chandran, Saravanan (2017). எக்ஸ்டஸி. Kizhakku. p. 75. ISBN 9788184938616.
  4. ^ "Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent - Glossary". Retrieved 2007-01-24.
  5. ^ "Templenet - Glossary". Retrieved 2007-01-29.
  6. ^ S.A.V., Elanchezian (2019). Thamizharin Uruva Valipaadu. Kalachuvadu Publications Pvt Ltd. p. 37. ISBN 9789389820812.
  7. ^ Thurston, Edgar. Castes And Tribes of Southern India. Victoria Publishers. p. 152.
  8. ^ "Sri Natuthuraiappar temple". Dinamalar. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  9. ^ Marga, Bhakti (13 May 2019). Maha Lakshmi: The Secret of Prosperity. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 97. ISBN 9783963430343.

External links[]

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