Annamalaiyar Temple – Third Prakaram – Unnamulai Amman
Shrine
This shrine has been erected in the north – west corner
of the second prakara touching the Thiruchutrumalikaipatti on both sides and on
the north side of the Annamalaiyar shrine. On the south wall of this shrine, at
about 10 feet high, the emblem of Hoysala rulers, the Kandaperanda bird is
found and nearby a statue of a man with anjali pose is found standing. He is identified
as king Ballala and this indicates that the outer walls of this shrine were
originally constructed by this King.
This shrine contains a garbhagriha and antarala on a
high plinth and is encompassed by a closed mandapa. The mandapa is supported by
nine pillars each in front of the northern and southern sides and two pillars
on the frontal part. There are five pillars each on northern and southern sides
of the garbhagriha and the antarala, and two pillars on the western side.
The front portion of the mandapa is locally known as
Ashta Lakshmi mandapa. Glorious ornate pillars represent the Ashta Lakshmi and
other aspects of the mother. These pillars are of exceptional beauty and the
robes superb. The aspects of the mother are flanking on the aniottikkal and
face towards the centre.
The images are found on these pillars are Dhanyalakshmi,
Vijayalakshmi, Aiswaryalakshmi, Santanalakshmi, Gajalakshmi, Dhanalakshmi,
Rudra, Durga, Mahashakti, Sarasvati, Kalanthakara, Markandeya, Veena Tharani
and Veera Pathirar.
The sanctum is approached by the flight of steps on the
northern and southern sides. Two Amman statues are found on either side of the
wall of the garbhagriha. Unnamalai Amman in the sanctum is three feet tall idol
radiating peace and joy. The Amman holds in her right hand a kumuda and in the
left is Lola hasta. Similar figures found ornate the three Devakoshtas. They
are of one and half feet high. Chandikeswarar shrine is found on the northern
side of the garbhagriha. On the western part of the antarala Lingodbhavar,
utsavamurti of Vinayakar, Chola Linga, Chera Linga and Brahmi Lingam are found.
The entire Amman shrine was renovated in the twentieth
century by the Nagarattars. It displays only recent day architecture. The
architecture of the sanctum sanctorum and sculptures found there belong to the
eleventh century. The stones containing inscriptions have been altered during
the renovation work of the shrine. An inscription of the Chola king Kulottunga
III of 1179 A.D. indicates that the Amman shrine was built during the 12th
century A.D. But some scholars have come to the conclusion that Kulottunga I, a
pious devotee of Lord Siva should have built the temple.
The huge structure in front of the Amman shrine is
called the Kodimaram mandapam. It is supported by three rows of pillars on
either side of the central passage leading to the Amman shrine, each row
consisting of 12 pillars. In the central passage between the fourth and fifth
pillar from the shrine stands the flag staff. In front of the flag staff, there
is a nandi. The gate way of the Amman shrine is guarded by Dwarapalakis one on
each side. On the left gate way, there is a shrine dedicated to Vijaya Raghava
Vinayakar.
On the right side a row of nine statues Vinayaka, Lingodbhavar,
Ganapathi, Bhairava, Linga, Valli, Subramaniya, Deivanai and Dakshinamurti, sit
for giving darshan. The Navagrahas stand on a square stone platform on the
northern side of the Kodimaram mandapa in between the seventh and eighth
pillars of the second and third row of pillars from the Amman shrine. A small
shrine dedicated to Chitra Gupta, the account keeper and the principal
secretary of Yama, the God of death is found on the northern side of Navagraha
attached to the wall surface. The central passage has two central pillars on
each side corresponding to the entrance of this mandapa.
The separate structure of the Temple of Unnamulai Amman
has been erected in the northwest corner of the third Prakaram - it is (as
expected) to the left of Lord Siva.
After passing through the doorway one enters a large
mandapam facing the Shrine of the Mother. In front of the entrance to the inner
shrine there is a second Nandi and on either side of the Goddess her two sons;
Vinayaka and Karthikeya guarding the entrance. Pillars representing the Ashta
Lakshmis extend from the entrance doors to the Inner Shrine. Because of the
Ashta-Lakshmis (eight Lakshmis), this mandapam is known as the Ashta Laxmi
Mandapam.
In the north-eastern corner stands the sacrificial
pavilion used during the thirteenth century onwards, with an opening on each of
its four sides as in the Vedic sacrificial pavilions, which were light
structures to be burnt after sacrifice was completed.
It can be inferred from inscriptions dated 1180 A.D.
during the region of the Chola King Kulothunga III, that there was a Shrine to
the Goddess (at Arunachaleswarar Temple), called Thirukkalakotam. The Navagraha
Shrine, the Kodimaram Mandapam, the Ashtalakshmi Mandapam and the Sanctum
Sanctorum are important structures of the Unnamulai Amman Temple.
The Devi temple and the mandapam in front of it are
quite modern, remodelled by the Chettiars in the last century. It seems the
Devi’s temple was on a lower level than that of the Siva temple and there
existed a flight of steps leading down into the shrine. Now the shrine is on
the same level as that of the other shrines. Inside this shrine is a colonnade
of carved pillars and the prakara is covered with stone roofing. The image of
the Devi’s Shrine is believed to date from the 11th century.
In the mandapam in front of the Devi’s shrine is the
Flagstaff, Nandi and a shrine dedicated to the Navagrahas which is held in
great veneration by devotees, who light lamps and go round the Shrine in order
to propitiate the evil influence of the planets.