Attur - On Tiruchendur to Thoothukudi Road - Somanatheswarar temple
This temple has a siva shirine and on the praharam a sayana vishnu sannidhi.
On the door jamb of vishnu shirine an inscription of Pandya Sadayana Maran mentioning a donation to the Thirunarayana Vinnagara Devar in a Brahmadeya by name Shadangavi kurichi. Shadangavi is a word used to denote a person who mastered the six angas of Vedas.
The siva shirine has inscriptions from RRC period.
The images of the temple look distinctively different . Request experts to confirm whether it is an early Pandya temple.
The temples is white washed. If ASI takes over it will be good.
About 10 years back, the temple was flooded. The Vimana must be of stone once. The images in Vimana - Indra, Narasimha and Brahma are intact. people say - the fourth one Dakshinamoorthy was washed away in the floods.
Thanks a ton for the information sir. The temple has a lot of properties which have been looted people as they normally are in TN. The last time i heard this temple is struggling to meet ends and the archagar's are paid a meagre salary and so the poojas are not performed properly at many times. The EO is a very enterprising person and was filing cases to retrieve lost properties(its been a year since i visited this temple. Hope the person i am referring to is still there). Aypathasi thiruvizha in this temple is very beautiful. The only time when this place is crowded is during the Karthigai-margazhi Ayyappa season.
I disagree. Temples are living institutions and they also go through the process of birth, growth, decline, rejuvenation and destruction. They cease to exist for several reasons - flood, people leaving the village, stopping of patronage, floods, and immersion (due to building of dams-e.g mettur) The kings of yore were content to give grants, but did not interfere in the management of temple which was left to the locals. The local religious heads did a good job. They are the ones interested in the tradition and continuity. Government control is nothing but religious socialism, which will harm the religion, tradition and customs, in the long run. We know where economic socialism led us; and how we now resent government control, licensing and such invasive practices. Will we agree to go back to democratic socialism? The looting and daylight robbery are due to the general decline in dharma; when the king or our elected government is corrupt, the citizens become adharmic and follow the king in sharing the loot. Yatha raja that prajah. Selective governmental control of hindu temples only aggravates the problem. Anyway nobody is accountable and all those who flaunt their corrupt values get more recognition and rewards. I am for return of temple administration to the original owners. Sampath
Around 10% of the current temples are in private hands and the situation is no different. Here at least we can ask questions to Govt.
Even in King's time there were lot of cross check by the Royal court, execution ofpunishments, withdrawal of grants etc etc. There is a very long epigraph on the Thirumalperu temple mismanagement.
You may be aware that during the Yadava dynasty rule, all the Tirumala priests heads rolled literally and the temple was handed over to Sri Vyasaraya.
I am advocating Govt control as that is a lesser evil. To my knowledge they are not interfering in the worship methods.
i am far
a. Govt Control and full protection to moortis and jewels. b. Continuing current worship methods c. better salary and continuance of heriditory worship d. Strict followup of religious life style by Gurukkals and adhereing to tradition like Kerala Tantris. Strict personal mantra japams and chanting. e. No deviation from agamas f. Traditional renovation and protecting history. g. Stoppage of all this chemical worship as refered by Reach Chandra.
What we need to do is create awareness among the temple administration and Govt. For that first we should have clear idea.
IDear Sankaranarayanan, I do not want to get into a lengthy discussion or argument. The government's or the king's job is to govern and not own institutions - temples in our case. It is the king's job to punish the guilty, whether he is a priest or madathipathi or a common swindler. Neither scriptures or tradition permit the king to take over temples or any institution like trade guilds of those days. Take any institution - satyam, leelawati hospital to name a few - all are steeped in various forms of corruption - is government control the right answer? I will vote for that party which will de-nationalise temple administration and return the temples to local care. Sampath
I do agree on handing over but differ on the timing
If the Govt decides to handover today -
a. Whom will that handover - Will there be a sabha recreated? who can be its members? How will they be elected? will it be the same practice as mentioned in Uthiramerur ( which was the system even prior to that as reference are found in Pandyan area also)
b. How they will maintain the temple? Wont Rich get a prefernce over poor or Poor also will get an equal saying?
c. What if the sabha wants to change the procedures? With so many Vastu experts, Jyodisha sigamanis offering free advises on temples - who will have ultimate control over them?
d. In one private temple - where tradition had Siva by the side of Vishnu, some one decided to move the siva outside - You know what happened then?
Recently attempts were made to Move Nellai Govindan also outside. After privatisation - there will be a free for all and more such things will happen before you even realise on what is happening.
I strongly feel that the Government control should continue but people should participate more in getting the dues from tennants and enforcing rituals like in Kerala.
To esure that- a. Pay them properly and comprehencively. In fact many are leaving the service as they are not getting maried. Girls prefer only salaried.
Many are working for the only reason that they dont want to leavetheir heriditory duty. If some one forces them to leave - they will leave happily. Hence pay them and force them to follow tradition strictly.
b. Only Religious heads of Mutts should be airing views on Temple rituals. Now every one is giving free advise in this regard. With one central authority, no major change happened.
Ensure the above first and then think of moving the temples to private hands. Otherwise this move will be a disastor.