Kambathadi Mandapam (Sree Meenakshi Temple)
Perhaps the most beautiful places of architecture of Sree Meenakhi Temple are found in teh kambathadi mandapam in the outer prakaram in front of the idol of Lord Sundareswarar,Each one of these pieces is so fine that one cannot but appreciate it,The artistic heart will simply merge with these master pieces.
The various features of God are graphically ,depicted on the eight black stone pillars around the Nandhi mandapam ,Bali peedam (alter for offerings a Thiruvatchi frame of lamps)and the Golden flag post.
Sree Meenakhi's wedding scene is found on one of these pillar.The majestic appearance of the bridegroom (Lord Siva) the shyness and the sweet smile expressed in the eyes and lips of the bride (sree Meenakshi)and the manner in which Lord Vishnu give away the bride are very realistic.
On all the four sides of each pillar we find admirable artistic work,on the pillar having the wedding scene the figures of Lord Siva is standing in a chariot about to kill the giants who are represented in the opposite pillar.Siva assumed this form to kill three demons of Tripura and to destroy their magic cities,During this campaign the earth is said to have served as the chariot ,the sun and the moon as its wheels ,the four vedas as the horses and the Upanishads as the guiding rein,the right legs is firmly placed on the pedestal and the left is bent in an attitude 'expressive of great energy' and of Lord Somasundarar find a place.
To the right of this pillar,there is another ,having the scene in which Lord Siva kill the God of death for saving His devotee Markandeya.Ther is also the figure of Suga Asanar on this pillar.
On the third pillar we see dancing pose of Lord Siva (Natarajar)and Kamadhaganar the Lord's burning of the god of passion
On the fourth the scences of Lord Siva riding on hot bull,Ravana lifting Kailas(The Himalayas),the mot artistic conception in stone is to be seen where Siva and Parvathi are neither abode the Kailas Mountain.This fine conception indicates that once Ravana ,the king of Lanka had a desire to decorate his capital with Mount Kailas without realising the mountain on his shoulders.All knowing siva knew what was happening at the bottom and pressed his toe so that entire weight of the mountain fell on the shoulder of Ravana .Ravana realised his folly and prayed to Lord Siva ,with his veena(harp)for mercy and the figures of chandrasekar (lord siva wearing moon)and also seen that siva appears as coming out from a Lingam (Lingodhbavamurthi)and brahma has taken the form of swan and Vishnu that of a boar boring the earth.The Lingapurana narrates the story connected with this fine carving as follows.
Once Brahma and Vishnu got into a dispute regerding their respective greatness .As they could not decide the point they referred the matter to siva .Siva as the umpire put them to a test and said that he who could find out the top and bottom of the Jyothirlingam of Siva would be greater of the two .Brahma immediately got on his swan and went upwards to see the top while vishnu took the form of a boar and bored down wards to find the bottom.Centuries passed ,but the neither returned .At last Brahma could find a petal of ketaka flower thrown centuries back from the crest of Siva and claimed to have seen the top the Jyothirlingam. But the omniscient Lord Siva knew the truth behind it and cursed Brahma .never to be worshipped by anybody in any temple and debarred the ketaka flower which abetted the false hood of Brahma .As unfit thereafter for worship of Siva .Till now it is doubtful whether Brahma has got any temple of his own .The Ketaka flower is not used in the worship of Siva.
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