The name Thanjavur will bring forth in our thoughts the gigantic Shri Brahadeeswara temple or Big temple as it is popularly known. It was built by the Chola dynasty King Shri Rajaraja Cholan. People who are familiar with Thanjavur will also remember the renowned temple of Shri Mariamman of Punnaiyanallur, which is situated six kilometers east of Thanjavur. People who follow Shri Vaishnava cult will remember the Shri Thivia Desam Shri Maamani koil where Shri Neelameka Perumal is the presiding deity and in whose praise Shri Thirumangai Azhvar had sung beautiful paasuras.
But it is unfortunate that people are unaware about another beautiful and ancient temple built during the reign of Maratha King Maharaja Shri Pradaap Singh (1739-63). Shri Kodhanda Rama Swami Temple in Punnaiyanallur is hardly two minutes walk away from Shri Marriamman Temple and had been bestowed the benevolence (Abimanam in Tamil) of Shri Maamani Temple.
According to the Vaishnava cult the temples where the Azhvars have sung in praise of the main deity is known as Divya Desam. There is a practice to award the benevolence of the Divya Desam to the nearby Vaishnava Temple by way of the utsava murthy of Divya Desam being presented during the Mahakumbahbhisekam of the latter temple. This Kodhanda Rama Swami temple is one such beneficiary of the Divya Desam Shri Maamani temple of Shri Neelameka Perumal.
This temple is located very near the Shri Mariamman temple in Punnaiyanallur. The five tier raja gopuram will welcome the devotee from the distance. Step up eleven steps to reach the enterance of temple. On entry through main raja gopuram, one can see the pillered open mandapam in which the bali peetam and flag post will be seen. Put all your ego in the bali peetam by making a namaskaram and enter the temple. You can see the main temple which is east facing, Alankara mandapam and sannadhi of Sri Anjaneya facing south, and sannadhi for Sri Sudharshan Alwar facing north. The main open mandapam has raised plateform on both the sides on the western end, on which neatly painted 'vahanas' of the temple are kept. Seek the permission of Sri Garudalwar next to the flage post and enter a fairly big closed mandapam . Then a 'mun mandapam' and then the 'Garbhagraham'.
After offering prayers to Lord Sri Rama and His parivar, take a paikrama of the main temple. First offer your prayer to Sri Sudharshan Alwar. Move further one could see the mandapam running along alone the boundry of south, west and north. The wall of this mandapam is adorn with the painting dipicting the tale of Sri Rama. It is a feast to the eye. The main vimanam adorning excellently curved figures dipicting many postures of Sri Vishnu in various avatharas is austonishing. At the end of the north prakara one can see Sri Rama padam under the 'sthala virksha', further the alankara mandapam of Sri Anjaneya.
Offer your prayers to the Lord here, get back to the flag post and bali peetam offer namaskarams you will see that Lord had vanquised your ego, and now take back home the Lords' blessings alone.
The main deities of this temple Shri Kodhanda Ramar, Sita, Lakshmana and Anjaneya Swami are made of Salagramam - a rare fossil stone, found normally in Nepal. The main deities are carved excellently in accordance with the Shilpa Sastras. Probably this is a rare temple where the main deities are carved in the Salagrama stone.
The uniqueness of this temple is one can see Sri Sugriva along with Sri Rama in the main Garbhagraham which is very rare.
If one feels that the main deities are beautiful, he has only wait to see the utsava murthis whose beauty is par-excellence. Shri Kodhanda Ramar, Janaki, Lakshmana are the three utsava murthis. The shilpa of Shri Rama is as per the vivid description given by Shri Anjaneya Swami in the Sundra kandam of Valmiki Ramayanam.
This temple is visited by many for worshiping the Shri Jaya Veera Anjaneya Swami. Apart from the Salagrama shilpa of Shri Anjaneya Swami in the main Gharbhagraha, this temple has excellently carved Anjaneya Swami shilpa in a separate Alankara Mantapa. He is known as Shri Jayaveera Anjaneya. His lankoolam (tail) is raised above the head as symbol of courage and His right hand raised giving the blessings to one and all who visit Him and in the left hand He holds a lotus flower - the symbol of victory [jaya]. Shri Anjaneya Swami meets Mata Shri Sita in Lanka tells her about Shri Ramachandra murthi and thus enables Sita to forget her sorrows. He returns to Shri Rama to narrate the presence of Mata Sita Devi in Lanka. Here, Lord Shri Anjaneya Swami is seen as a 'Jaya Veera' having victoriously accomplished the Sri Rama-kaingkarya.
The specialty of this temple - which cannot be seen in any other temple - is that the complete Rasi Mandalalm [the twelve houses of the various Grahas as generally represented in a birth chart] is depicted nicely on the inside of the roof housing the idol of Sri Anjaneya and corresponding exactly to these houses there is another chart down below on the floor with twelve houses in different color slabs with the colors relating to the respective Rasis depicted on the roof . It is believed that the wishes of the devotees will be fulfilled if they stand on the color slab relating to their Rasi while praying to Sri Anjaneya Murthy.
The Jaya Veera Anjaneya here will bless one and all who come to Him with devotion and bestow on them the victory in their mission which abides the Dharma.
For further details of this ancient temple you may kindly contact :
Shri C.Ventakesa Bhattar,
Sri Kodhanda Rama Swami Temple
Punnaiyanallur
Mariamman Kovil (P.O)
THANJAVUR - 613501
Let us visit this great ancient temple in Punnaiyanallur and seek His blessing, which
Lord Shri Jayaveera Anjaneya is waiting to bestow on us.
Let Anjaneya bless all.
Ed: earlier than July 2001
updates: Sept 2012, Sept 2019, June 2020
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