Sri Panchavan Maadevi Pallippadai Temple

Address

Sri Panchavan Maadevi Pallippadai Temple, RamanathanKoil, Kumbakonam Taluk, Thanjavur District – 612 703

Diety

Panchavan MahadeviIswarathu Mahadevar/ RamalingaSwamy Amman: Devi VimalaNayagi / Mangala

Introduction

PanchavanMaadeviPallippadai Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located in RamanathanKoil near Patteeswaram in Kumbakonam Taluk in Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu. The Temple is also called as PanchavanMaadeviIswaram. It is a unique temple built in memory of one of the greatest Chola Emperors ‘s RajendraChola I’s Step Mother PanchavanMaadevi. This temple shows RajendraChola’s unconditional affection and love towards his step mother. This temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Puranic Significance

Before VijayalayaChola could set up his capital in Thanjavur (850 B.C.) and lay the foundation for the powerful Chola Empire that followed, the Chola kings were the chieftains in Pazhayarai. It was in this metropolis that Raja Rajan (985 – 1014) spent his childhood and where his sister Kundavai lived with her husband. King Rajendran I (1012 – 1044) lived here before shifting his capital to Gangai Kondacholapurem. These temples were built by ParantakaChola I for his father Aditya, and RajarajaChola I for his grandfather Arinjaya (ArnjijikaiIswaram). But the only edifice built as a PallippadaiKoil where a queen (PanchavanMaha Devi) was buried is this temple in RamanathanKoil. This temple is forerunner to Taj Mahal. Several hundred years before the Taj Mahal was built, a Tamil king had thought of such an idea and built a similar structure in memory of his stepmother. There are several inscriptions in the basement of the sanctum talks about the grant and donations given to this temple. An inscription dating to seventh year of RajendraChola I calls this hamlet as Pazhayarai, the MudikondaChola Puram in Narayur Nadu of SathyasigamaniValanadu, and names the temple as PanchavanMaadeviIswaram, a PallippadaiKoil and the lord of the temple as PanchavanMaadeviIswarathuMahaDevar. In the phrase that reads “PallippadaiPanchavanMaadeviIswarathuMahadevar”, a vandal has tried to deface the word Pallippadai that is of much historical importance. Fortunately, the words carved on stone are still legible. It is said that the idols of Dakshinamoorthy and Bikshadana belonged to NandivarmaPallava II (710 AD – 715 AD). Mother is called as VimalaNayagi / MangalaNayagi. She is housed in a separate south facing shrine. Her shrine is situated in MahaMandapam. There are idols of Surya, Murugan and Vinayaga in the MahaMandapam.

Special Features

This Temple is facing towards east with three tiered Rajagopuram. The temple is enclosed within brick compound wall. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of MahaMandapam, Arthamandapam and Sanctum. Two beautifully carved images of the Chandrasekara forms of Lord Siva can be seen at the entrance of MahaMandapam. Dvarapalas can be found at the entrance of the Sanctum.There is a Nandi in ArthaMandapam facing the sanctum. Presiding Deity is called as RamalingaSwamy / RamanathaSwamy / Panchavan MahadeviIswarathu Mahadevar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. Vinayaga, Bikshadana, Gangadhara,Arthanareeswarar, Dakshinamoorthy, Lingodbhava, Brahma and Durga are the Koshta idols located around the sanctum walls.