Vaishnavism in Ancient Tamilakam
Major Hindu tradition that reveres Vishnu as the Supreme Being / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vaishnavism in Tamil Nadu is documented in ancient Tamil Sangam literature dating back to the 5th century BCE. Maha Vishnu, also known as Perumal, is notably the most frequently mentioned deity in Sangam Literature.[1] Some of the earliest known mentions of Perumal, and the Tamil devotional poems ascribed to him, are found in Paripāṭal – the Sangam era poetic anthology.[2][3] He is a popular Hindu deity, particularly among Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora, as well as in Vaishnava temples.[4] One of the richest and largest Hindu temples complexes is dedicated to Perumal in South India. [where? citation needed]
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The Padmanabhaswamy Temple, located in Thiruvananthapuram, is considered one of the wealthiest temples in the world. It is dedicated to a form of Lord Vishnu known as Padmanabhaswamy Perumal.[5] Several extant Hindu texts including the Vishnu Purana,[6] Brahma Purana,[7] Matsya Purana,[8] Varaha Purana,[8] Skanda Purana,[7] Padma Purana,[7] Vayu Purana and Bhagavata Purana mention the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.[7] In addition, the temple has several references in Sangam period literature.[9] Several historians and scholars believe that the name "The Golden Temple" attributed to the temple might reflect its immense wealth during the early Sangam period.[10][11][9] Many extant pieces of Sangam Tamil literature and poetry as well as later works of the 9th century of Tamil poet–such as saint Nammalwar refer to the temple and the city as having walls of pure gold.[12] Both the temple and the entire city are often eulogised as being made of gold, and the temple as heaven.[12][13] The temple is one of the 108 principal Divya Desams ("Holy Abodes") in Vaishnavism according to existing Tamil hymns from the fifth and eighth centuries C.E and is glorified in the Divya Prabandha.
The Biggest temple in India and the "Worlds largest functioning temple" is also dedicated to a Form of Maha Vishnu popularly known as the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Perumal Temple.[14]: 456 This temple is considered First among the 108 principal Divya Desams ("Holy Abodes") in Vaishnavism according to existing Tamil hymns from the fifth and eighth centuries C.E and is glorified in the Divya Prabandha and sung by all the 12 Alvars. The temple at Srirangam is mentioned in Tamil literature of the Sangam era (6th century BCE to the 2nd century CE[15]), including the epic Silapadikaram (book 11, lines 35–40):[16]
ஆயிரம் விரித்தெழு தலையுடை அருந்திறற் பாயற் பள்ளிப் பலர்தொழு தேத்த விரிதிரைக் காவிரி வியன்பெருந் துருத்தித் திருவமர் மார்பன் கிடந்த வண்ணமும்
āyiram viritteḻu talaiyuṭai aruntiṟaṟ pāyaṟ paḷḷip palartoḻu tētta viritiraik kāviri viyaṉperu turuttit tiruvamar mārpaṉ kiṭanta vaṇṇamum
On a magnificent cot having a thousand heads spread out, worshipped and praised by many, in an islet surrounded by Kaveri with billowing waves, is the lying posture of the one who has Lakshmi sitting in his chest
Silapadikaram (book 11, lines 35–40)
The temple was initially constructed by the Chola ruler, Dharmavarma. The Kaveri river flood destroyed the temple vimanam, and later, the early Cholas King Killivalavan rebuilt the temple complex as is present today. Beyond ancient textual history, archaeological evidence such as inscriptions refer to this temple, but these stone inscriptions are from late 1st millennium CE.[17] The inscriptions in the temple belong to the Chola, Pandya, Hoysala and Vijayanagara dynasties who ruled over the region. These inscriptions range between the 9th and 16th centuries.[18]
During the period of invasion and plunder by the Alauddin Khilji's Muslim general Malik Kafur and his Delhi Sultanate forces in 1311, the Arabic texts of the period state that he raided a "golden temple" on river "Kanobari" (Kaveri), destroyed the temple and took the plunder with the golden icon of the deity to Delhi. According to Steven P. Hopkins, this is believed to be the Ranganathaswamy Temple.[19]
The most visited temple (where?) is also dedicated to Perumal which is Venkateshvara temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.[20]
Other significant institutions include Kanchipuram's Varadaraja Perumal temple, and Sri Vidhya Rajagopalaswamy Perumal Temple, Mannargudi.The temple is called Dakshina Dvaraka (Southern Dvaraka) along with Guruvayoor by Hindus.[21][22] The deity Perumal is identified with Mayon, literally meaning, "the dark-complexioned one", who is first referenced in the texts Purananuru and Pattupattu. Regarded to be the Tamil equivalent of Krishna, poetry from this period compares his dark skin to the ocean.[23] Originally a folk deity, he was syncretised with Krishna and Vishnu, gaining popularity in the Sri Vaishnava tradition.[24] His consort is Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, beauty, and prosperity, appearing in even the earliest strata of Tamil poetry.[25]
Mayon is indicated to be the deity associated with the mullai tiṇai (pastoral landscape) in the Tolkappiyam.[26][27] He is regarded to be the only deity who enjoyed the status of Paramporul (achieving oneness with Paramatma) during the Sangam age. He is also known as Māyavan, Māmiyon, Netiyōn, and Māl in Sangam literature.[1]