New Sivan Koil Nearing Completion

In my recent blog of 1^st Aug 2012, I had mentioned about a friend forwarding me some pictures of the under-reconstruction Sivan koil.  These were hosted in the blog and can be seen alongside at the link 'Sivan Koil under re-construction'.  Since viewing the images I developed a restless urge to visit the place and see things in person.  This feeling was partly due to the guilt of not having visited my Kuladeivam, the Mahasastha at
Suraikayur for considerable time in between.  Perhaps it was God’s call that drew me to Him on Saturday last, 4th instant.

In my mind, I had only the image of an old dilapidated, unused structure for a temple which must have seen active worship some 100 to 150 years before.  To reinforce the image, the blog carried photos of the temple (can be seen alongside) with an over grown very tall peepal tree in the middle, climbing through the structure, with roots crawling down the walls.  The walls were bare having lost the plastering to the elements and the old type two inches thick clay bricks exposed.  All these gave the whole place a haunted look.  Despite all these, the temple retained its charm and quiet beauty.

The old structure was a compact one.  In front of the Sivan sannadhi there was chamber with vaulted roof, typically seen in temples in the Thanjavur belt, where devotees could stand within and have darshan of the lingam.  However in front of the Ambal sannadhi there was no such vaulted chamber but had a small antechamber with a low entrance and ceiling.  The deity was placed inside the gurbagreha which was beyond this small antechamber.  Devotees could have a closer darshan of the Goddess from this antechamber.
 

Given the condition of the old structure, the age of which, I guess, will be not less than 200 to 300 years, was unfit for worship, being unstable and inaccessible.  Hence there was a need for a new structure to house the deities.

At first site of the newly reconstructed Sivan koil, one feels a sense of amazement!  Completely gone is the old structure, having been razed to the ground and in its place has come up a brand new one.  Despite being new, it continues to retain its old charm in a very substantial measure.  The locations of the main temple and the sub-temples within the precincts have been retained as they were originally.  This was particularly important when it came to the Siva lingam, which was oriented to the East in such a way that Sun’s rays would fall on the lingam every year on August 27, 28 and 29.

While most of the deities are damaged and are therefore unfit for worship any more in terms of the aagama sasthras, what is miraculous is the fact that the main deities of Sivan, Ambal and Nandi are intact and therefore are being retained as such while the others are being replaced by new ones which have arrived.

A large pillared hall in front of the Sivan and Ambal sannadhi  has replaced the vaulted chamber.  This hall will enable several persons to assemble conveniently in front of the deities, protected from rain and shine.  It can also be used for gatherings such as marriages in the village.

Particular mention is called for the high quality of workmanship in the stucco works on the vimanams and mandapam.  There painting is another aspect.  All of them bear a quite understated elegance with only two basic colours – yellow and ochre.  It is a pleasing change from the multi coloured images which are so typical in several temples.  Conspicuous is also the hair do on the stucco images.  They don’t bear jata mudi, i.e., matted hair tied in a conical fashion over the head, but are seen flowing down at the back of the head upto shoulder.

One separate sannadhi to house a new deity, Ayur Devi , is under construction.  This structure is obstructing the view of the main structure when seen from the Southern side, which is the entrance into the complex.  The Eastern side cannot have an entrance as there is a temple pond on this side.  Perhaps, in my personal view, this new sannadhi should have been offset more to the Western side, which would have given an unhindered view of the main structure.  By being more towards the East, one sees the rear of the sannadhi than the frontal view of the grand pillared mandapam and the vimanams while entering from the South.  I guess the sthapathis may have some reasoning for this kind of an alignment.

A bala stabhanam, i.e., a makeshift shelter houses the old deities while the newly made replacements are kept in a water tank undergoing their jala vaasam, before their dhanya and dhana vaasams, their final installation and consecration at the time of Kumbhabhishekam.

With the Lord’s blessings, the Kumbhabhishekam is expected to be performed in a couple of months’ time.

But even before that, in a couple of weeks’ time, more towards the end of this month of August, despite the fact that the new temple is yet to be consecrated, devotees are expected to visit the place to have darshan of Lord Shiva being worshipped by the rays of Surya.  That should be a site to watch!

Given alongside is the link, 'New Sivan Koil', to photos of the newly reconstructed Sivan Koil in all its splendor.