Thyagaraja Temple, Thiruvarur – Gopurams
The first of the most arresting features of the
Thiruvarur Thyagarajaswami temple to greet the devotee is the architecture of
the great entryways, Gopurams, at the four cardinal directions. Each
of the four exterior perimeter walls of the Thiruvarur temple has a large big
Gopuram with reinforced wooden gates at its center. Of these four
Gopurams, the Eastern Gopuram on the outermost perimeter wall called the Rajagopuram
because it conforms to the Vastu Shastra concept of a Maha Dwara (great
entrance) is by far the most exquisite.
This is a massive 118 feet tall 7 tier Rajagopuram with
plenty of sculptures. After Devendhran had to part with his Thyagarajar to Muchukunda,
he was unable to bear the loss and came to Thiruvarur requesting Thyagarajar to
come back with him. The Lord had told him to wait at the Eastern gopuram to
take him. It is considered that Devendhran is still waiting at the Eastern
entrance but Thyagarajar is yet to come out through that entrance. He comes out
for all the festivals through the other entrances only.
Built between the 12th and 13th Century by the Cholas,
the tall doorway of the Rajagopuram is characteristically a granite structure
up to the lintel level. This humongous granite base has several
rearing Yali figures, each mounted by a rider. The elegant slender
bodies of these horse-like creatures that sport the face of a lion and the
delicate relief carving on them are unique to the Chola artisans. These
Yalis are mythical animals created to represent different stages of life. The
six story, tapering superstructure above is constructed with deep red
brick and mortar.
Each of the six levels is proportionately smaller than
the tier below, hollow, and set with proportionate window apertures aligned
along the inner and outer facades. The Rajagopuram is a not only a work of
art, a repository of visual cultural history, and religion, it is also a result
of ancient South Indian politics and a bearer of political history for future
generations. The construction of the Rajagopuram is associated with
interesting history. In 1202 A.D., there was a great war between the
Cholas and the Pandyas.
The Chola king Kulothunga Chola III caused great havoc
on his enemy Sadaiyavarman Kulasekara Pandya and in the end, the Pandyan king
ran away from the battlefield. The victorious Chola king celebrated
his victory by crowning himself again in the Pandyan capital of Madurai as the
Thirubhuvana Veerathevan (the victorious warrior of the three worlds). He then
used the vast treasures of the Pandyan kingdom to raise a new temple at
Thirubhuvana Veerashwaram and used some of the funds to construct this Rajagopuram
at Thiruvarur.
In addition, the historical book Kulothunga Meykirthi
and the Thirubhuvanam inscription attest that Kulothunga III assigned villages
in the Pandyan and Chera countries to support this temple at Thiruvarur and
offered all spoils from the war to the Deity, Thyagarajaswami, affectionately
known as Thyagesa. A lasting image of this warrior benefactor, Kulothunga
Chola III with his guru Easwara Shivar, has been sculpted in the second tier of
the Rajagopuram.
While structurally and aesthetically similar to the
Eastern Rajagopuram, the Western Gopura has some beautiful figurines of dancing
women and other old sculptures. Interestingly, there are no
figurines that depict Demi-Gods, Devas. The Eastern side of this Gopura
has several beautiful fresco murals that have not been the dated yet. While
it is dated as built in the 15th century A.D, there is unfortunately no clear
evidence with regard to the patron who had it built.
A Thanjavur Nayaka King, Sevappan, built the Northern
Gopura. This Gopura is constructed using granite blocks up to the base
level but does not have any sculptures on it. On the second level off this
Gopura, there are figurines of this King and the manager of the temple of that
time. Sevappan has left some inscriptional record on this Gopura. Apart
from this exterior perimeter wall, the inner sanctum of the temple has two
other concentric squares of perimeter walls that separate it from the busy
streets outside.
Two Gopurams on the first inner wall and another,
smaller one on the second inner wall beautify the temple. Successive
kingdoms that added these grand entryways to the sanctum have done so keeping
in mind the overall aesthetics of the temple and have ensured that their
contributions have enhanced the breathtaking impact of the entire
complex. Muthu Kaviarasar in his drama on the Deity and Manuneethi Cholan,
Thiyagesar Kuravanjiyam describes the tall Gopuram that reaches with a
crescendo of energy into the eastern sky.
“Marainangum Gopuramai
Vann Kizhakkum Vasalithu”
As we enter the outer walls and proceed towards the
Sanctum, the Eastern Gopura that opens into the second compound belonging to an
earlier Chola period stands stark, without any distinguishing or significant
artistic sculpture. The corresponding Western Gopura on the same
wall appears to have been constructed with granite blocks. It was re-built
during the time of Vijayanagara King Devaraya II (1422-1446 A.D.).
Tamil and Kannada inscriptions on this Gopura say that a
man called Nagarajar built it under the patronage of Dakshina Samudradipathi
Lakkana Thanna Nayaka who was a feudal king of the Vijayanagar Empire. The
innermost wall and final barrier to the sanctum has only one entrance and the
Gopura on this entrance was from an earlier Chola period. This Gopura has been
upgraded many times by different kings; the artistic additions belong to many
emperors.