Maratha kings of Thanjavur

The Maratha kings of Thanjavur were known for the welfare of their subjects, other visitors, and the pilgrims who came to their kingdom. They had not only catered to the needs of the pilgrims by providing night stay and food but also provided medical aid. They had a separate administrative wing for this purpose. Most of the administration of these welfare schemes was headed, and handled by the wives of the king.

They had built Chatram every twenty miles in the route of pilgrimage which will take care of the needs of the pilgrims. To know more on this about how it was functioning and the welfare programs of the Maratha kings of Thanjavur kindly read 'Chatrams, Chavadis and thaneer pandal' in our web page “Hanumar Temple, Mothirappa Chavadi, Thanjavur”.

Needamangalam

Needamangalam is one of those places where the Maratha king Sri Pradhapa Simhan built a chatram. This chatram was administrated by Yammunambal, one of his many wives. Even today there exists a building ‘Yammunambal Chatram’ in this town. [It is another story that such a wonderful monumental building is maintained as ruins by the local Government machinery.

Needamangalam is a town and Taluk headquarters in Thiruvarur District of Tamilnadu, situated between Thanjavur and Tiruvarur.

Yamunambal and Yamunambal kovil

Sri Prathapa Simhan was a Maratha ruler of Thanjavur from 1739 to 1763. He had built a palace and chatram for one of his wives Yamunambal and named the township in her name ‘Yamunambalpuram’ presently known as Needamangalam. Since she had no son through the king, she was advised to pray to Sri Rama as Santhana Raman. Accordingly, she built a temple for Sri Rama to worship Him as Santhana Raman. On a designated day she and Sri Prathapa Simhan took a bath in the temple tank and started worshiping Sri Santhana Raman.

The temple tank is known as ‘Saketha Pushkarini’. Even today childless couples come and take a bath in this holy Saketha Pushkarini and pray to Sri Santhana Raman for a child.

Yamunambal was loved by one and all of this place. People had built a temple for her after her demise. Even today pregnant ladies come to this temple and offer prayer for easy and safe delivery of the child.

Santhana Ramaswamy Temple

The temple is east-facing and faces the ‘Saketha Pushkarini’. The temple car is also seen on the south-east corner of the pushkarini. The entrance to the temple is through an archway with Sri Rama Darbar figures decorating the top of the archway. Temple has a three-tier rajagopuram after this.

Sri Santhana Rama gives darshan to devotees at the Gharbhagraham with Sita Ma on His right and Lakshmana on His left. Utsava Santhana Rama is seen as Kothanda Raman with the arrow in his right hand and bow in his left hand along with Sita Ma, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya. It is fascinating to see these wonderful moorthis. In this temple of Rama, there is no separate sannidhi for Sri Sita Devi since Sri Sita Devi bestows the blessing to the devotees along Santhana Raman in the main Gharbhagraham itself.

When you come to the prakaram, you can have Darshan of Tumbaikai Alwar (Vinayak), Pakshirajan, and Vishnu Durgai. In Vagana mandapam you can see horse vahana, elephant vahana, and surya prabha. What attracts us the most is the sacred vehicle of this temple, Sri Hanumath Vahanam. Maruti is presented as realistic as a vahanam of Sri Rama here. One hundred and eight names of Rama are also displayed here. There is also Vasantha mandapam.

In the mandapam in front of the Rama sannidhi, there are mortar mold sculptures [stucco figure] of Ksheeraptinathan, Seethakalyanam, Pattabiramar, Sethubandanam, and Agalya Sapa Vimosanam. In the sannidhi vimanam Sri Narasimha [south], Pattabiraman [west], and Parampadanathan [north] mortar figures are seen.

It is a practice that the couple praying for a child ties a cradle in this temple.

Sri Anjaneya temple

There is a temple for Sri Anjaneya under the administrative control of the Sri Santhana Rama Devasthanam on the north-east corner of the pushkarini. Temple was adjacent to the Yamunambal chatram then. Although presently, these two seem distinct, they should have been a part of chatram then. Normally sannidhi for Sri Anjaneya in ‘anjali-hasthan’ posture is found alongside the temple car. Looking at the posture of Sri Anjaneya, it seems that His sannidhi was a part of the chatram.

The temple and Sri Anjaneya are facing west. The temple has been protected with a compound wall. The Temple hall roof is typically Thanjavur-style cylindrical converged at the end in shape. There are two halls of this style one running east-west and the other north-south. The garbhagraham is in the north-south hall. Devotees can darshan of Sri Anjaneya from the main road itself.

Sri Anjaneya

The idol of Sri Anjaneya made of granite is sculpted in embossed form. Although it seems embossed the ‘moorthi’ is more near to the full sculpt.

Sri Anjaneya is seen walking southwards with His left foot forward. His right foot seems ready for the next step. Anklets [thandai] are seen in both lotus feet. He is wearing dothi in kacham style. In His raised left hand ‘sanjeeivi parvat’ is seen. The raised right hand in ‘abhaya mudra’ is showering blessings on devotees. He is wearing kankanam in both hands. Ornaments are seen in His bosom. The tail goes above His head and takes a curve at the end. The small bell at the end of the tail adds beauty to the ‘langoolam’. His slightly upward-looking face adds to His majesty. His slightly puffed-up cheeks enhance the beauty of the eyes of the Lord. Kundalam is seen in the ears of the Lord. His kesam is combed neatly, plaited, and held tightly by a knot.

 

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SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST
THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE

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Ed [Aug 2022]
Updates: [15.09.2022,Jan 2025]

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