Temple car
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Temple cars[1][2] are chariots that are used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart.
The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut (from Jagannath), signifying a tremendous, virtually unstoppable force or phenomenon.
The procession of the Asia's largest and greatest temple car of Thiruvarur Thiyagarajar Temple in Tamil Nadu features prominently in an ancient festival held in the town.[3] The annual chariot festival of the Thygarajaswamy temple is celebrated during April – May, corresponding to the Tamil month of Chitrai. The chariot is the largest of its kind in Asia and India weighing 300 tonne with a height of 90 feet. The chariot comes around the four main streets surrounding the temple during the festival. The event is attended by lakhs of people from all over Tamil Nadu.[4]
The Aazhi Ther is the biggest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. The 30-foot tall temple car, which originally weighed 220 ton, is raised to 96 feet with bamboo sticks and decorative clothes, taking the its total weight to 350 tons. Mounted on the fully decorated temple car, the presiding deity – Lord Shiva – went around the four streets with the devotees pulling it using huge ropes. Two bulldozers were engaged to provide the required thrust so that devotees could move the chariot.[5]
As of 2004, Tamil Nadu had 515 wooden carts, 79 of which needed repairs.[6] Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram Natarajar Temple are among the temples that possess these huge wooden chariots for regular processions. The Natarajar Temple celebrates the chariot festival twice a year; once in the summer (Aani Thirumanjanam, which takes place between June and July) and another in winter (Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai, which takes place between December and January). Lord Krishna of Udupi has five temple cars, namely Brahma ratha (the largest), Madya ratha (medium), kinyo (small), and the silver and gold rathas.
Gallery[]
Temple chariot in Bannur, Mysore.
House of Jaffna temple car at Nallur Kandaswamy temple, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, where temple car preserves or rests during non-function.
Tiruvarur temple car, the largest (chariot) temple car in the world, it weighing 300 tonnes (295 long tons; 331 short tons) with a height of 90 feet (27.43 m).
The temple car vernacularly called Theru from the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Kerala
The temple car vernacularly called Kuthira from the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Kerala
Srivilliputtur Andal Temple car which was idle 18 years up to 1974 – 2nd largest Temple Car in Tamil Nadu.
Picture of Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple Golden car.
Picture of Alwarkurichi People pulling Sivasailanathaswamy Temple car.
List of places with Temple cars[]
- Aragalur
- Avinashi (Sri Avanashiappar Temple)
- Banavasi, Karnataka
- Bantwal, Karnataka
- Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysuru
- Chettikulangara, Kerala (Chettikulangara Devi Temple)
- Cherai, Kerala
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (Koniamman Temple)
- Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu (Nataraja Temple)
- Dindigul (Abiramiyamman Kovil)
- Denkanikottai (Betarayaswamy Kovil)
- Erode (Chennimalai, Sivagiri, Sivanmalai)
- Gobichettipalayam (Sri Kondathukalaimman Temple, Sri Balamurugan Temple, etc.)
- George Town, Malaysia (Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple)
- Hamm, Germany (Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple)
- Hampi, Karnataka (Stone Chariot built by Vijayanagara Kings
- Karinjeshwara, Karnataka ((Mahathobhara shri Parvathi-Parameshwra )Karinjeshwara Temple)
- Kadiri, Andhra Pradesh (Sri Khadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Temple)
- Kumbakonam (Sri Saarangapani Temple and others)
- Koduru, Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka (Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple Gokarna)
- Karuvalur (Shri Mariamman Kovil)
- Kallal Town (Somasundareswarer Kovil)
- Kancheepuram (Ekaambaranathar Kovil)
- Karamadai, Tamil Nadu
- Kateel, Karnataka, (Shri Durga Parameshwari Temple)
- Mookambika Temple, Kollur Karnataka
- Kanchipuram
- Kuala lumpur, Malaysia (Seri Maha Mariamman Temple Devasthanam)
- Kadayanallur
- Mannargudi (Sri vidhya Rajagopalaswamy temple)
- Mylapore, Chennai (Kapaleeshwarar Temple)
- Manali New Town, (Aiyya Temple)
- Mulki, (Shree Venkataramana temple)
- Mulki, karnataka, (Shree Kalikamba Temple)
- Mulki, karnataka (Shri Bappanadu Temple)
- Mangalore, karnataka (Shri Venkataraman temple)
- Mangalore, Karnataka
- Madurai – (Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple and others)
- North Authoor (Sri Somanathar Somasundari Temple)
- Perur (Patteewarar Temple)
- Puttur, Karnataka, (Shri Maha Lingeshsara Temple)
- Palani, Tamil Nadu
- Palakkad, Kerala (Many temples in settlements of Palakkad)
- Puri, Odisha
- Srikanteshwara Temple, Nanjangud, Mysuru
- Sakkottai, (Karaikudi)
- Srivaikuntam (Sri Srivaikuntanathan Permual Temple – Fourth largest temple car in Tamil Nadu)
- Suchindram (Thanumalayan Temple)
- Srivilliputtur (Sri Andal Temple - Second largest temple car in Tamil Nadu)
- Salem, Tamil Nadu (Elampillai, Aranagalur, Rasipuram)
- Suratkal, Karnataka
- Teluk Intan, (Nagarathaar Sri Thendayuthapani)
- Tirunelveli (Sri Nellaiappar Temple – Third largest temple car in Tamil Nadu)
- Tiruchengode (Sri Arthanareeswarar Temple)
- Tiruvannamalai (Annamalaiyar, unnamulai amman temple, 5 Chariots)
- Tirupattur (Aruilmigu Muthukumara Swamy Thirukkovil, God Shiva chariot)
- Thirthahalli
- Tiruvallur
- Tiruvidaimarudur (Mahalinga Swamy) Schariots
- Thungapuram (Ariyalur-Perambalur)
- Trincomalee, Sri Lanka (Koneswaram temple)
- Thiruvarur (Thiyagarajar Temple - First largest temple car in Asia)
- Thiruthangal (Perumal Kovil)
- Thirukoshtiyur (Sri Sowmiya Narayana Perumal Kovil)
- Udupi, Karnataka
- Virudhunagar
- Vasudevanallur( sri cinthamani nathar temple(arthanathiswarar temple)
- Yanam
Lalgudi Saptharisvar temple car
List of temples/cities having Golden cars[]
Puducherry[]
- Sri Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar, Pondicherry, Puducherry
Karnataka[]
- Sri Krishna matha, Udupi
- Shri Durga Parameshwari temple, Kateel
- Shri Mahabaleshwar temple, Gokarna
- Mookambika Temple, Kollur
- Mahalasa Narayani Temple, konchady, mangalore
Tamil Nadu[]
- Arulmigu Maruntheeswar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai
- Arulmigu Devi Karumariamman, Thiruverkadu, Chennai
- Arulmigu Vadapalani Andavar, Vadapalani, Chennai
- Arulmigu Kamatchiamman, Mangadu, Chennai
- Arulmigu Kanthaswamy, Parktown, Chennai
- Arulmigu Mundakakanniamman, Mylapore, Chennai
- Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar, Mylapore, Chennai
- Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy, Maruthamalai, Coimbatore
- Arulmigu Eachanari Vinayagar, Coimbatore
- Arulmigu Thandumariamman, Coimbatore
- Arulmigu MeenakshiSundareswarar, Madurai
- Arulmigu Solaimalai Murugan, Pazhamudircholai, Alagarkovil Madurai
- Arulmigu Jambukeswarar, Thiruvanaikkaval, Trichy
- Arulmigu Nellaiappar Temple, Tirunelveli
- Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy, Rameswaram
- Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy, Thiruchendur
- Arulmigu Kamatchiamman, Kanchipuram
- Arulmigu Dandayuthapaniswamy, Palani
- Arulmigu Swaminathaswamy, Swamimalai
- Arulmigu Subramanyaswamy, Thiruttani
- Arulmigu Anjaneyaswamy, Namakkal
- Arulmigu Pachaimalai Murugan, Gobichettipalayam
- Arulmigu Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman, Gobichettipalayam
- Arulmigu Mariamman, Bannari, Erode
- Arulmigu Velayuthaswamy, Thindalmalai, Erode
- Arulmigu Arthanareeswarar, Thiruchengode, Namakkal
- Arulmigu Subramaniyaswamy, Sivanmalai, Erode
- Arulmigu Kottaimariamman, Dindigul
- Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar, Thiruvannamalai
- Arulmigu Vaidhyanathaswamy, Vaitheeswaran Kovil
- Arulmigu Mahalinga Swamy Temple, Thiruvidaimarudur (SILVER CHARIOT)
- Arulmigu SankaraNarayanaswamy, Sankarankovil
- Arulmigu Vanamamalai Perumal, Nanguneri
- Arulmigu Balamurugan, Raththinagiri
- Arulmigu Mariamman, Samayapuram
- Arulmigu Masaniamman, Anamalai
- Arulmigu Mathurakaliyamman, Siruvachur, Perambalur District
- Arulmigu Angalaparameshwari Amman, Melmalayanur, Villupuram District
- Arulmigu Natarajar Temple, Chidambaram, Cuddalore District - the chariot for Pichandavar on the eighth day of 10-day long festival
Andhra Pradesh[]
- Lord Shiva temple
- Narasimhaswami temple and tirumala Sri vari ratham
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Rajarajan, R. K. K.; Rajukalidoss, Parthiban. "Nāyaka Chefs-d'oeuvre: Structure and Iconography of the Śrīvilliputtūr Tēr". Acta Orientalia.
- ^ Rajarajan, R. K. K. "Iconographic Programme in Temple Cars: A Case Study of Kūṭal Alakar tēr". East and West, Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO), Rome.
- ^ "Official Website of Arulmigu Thiyagaraja Swamy Temple,Tiruvarur - Festival". thiyagarajaswamytemple.tnhrce.in. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Festivals, Culture & Heritage | Tiruvarur District, Government of Tamil Nadu | India". Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ Kumar, K. Sambath (16 June 2016). "Car festival held at Tiruvarur Thyagaraja Swamy Temple after a gap of six years". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Government of Tamil Nadu Welcomes You". tn.gov.in. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012.
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