a mani mandapa temple at orikkai

7/29/2019 A Mani Mandapa Temple at Orikkai

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A Mani Mandapa Temple at Orikkai

Dr.R.Nagaswamy

Former Director of Archaeology

&Former Vice Chancellor of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya

(SCSVMV University)

A great temple for PujyasriChandrasekharendra SaraswathiSwamiji, 68th Shankaracharya ofSri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam,built at Orikkai, a suburb ofKanchi about five km fromKanchi is to be consecrated this28th J an, 2011.

The temple is unique in manyways that embodies the age oldtradition combined with modernaspirations. The temple fallsunder the categoryofsuddha variety, meaningentirely built of one material,namely stone. There are othertemples built of mixed materialslike stone, bricks, wood, metaland mortar, that arecalled misravimanas but whenbuilt of one material alone, as inthe case of the Great Temple of

Thanjavur, it comes to be calledShuddha Vimana, generally builtby Emperors.

Secondly, the main temple is about one hundred feet in height, symbolizing the life span of HisHoliness who lived amidst us for nearly one hundred years. All ancient temples were built,reflecting certain basic philosophies and this follows those traditional concepts. Thesuperstructure called the Sikhara is about 56 feet and the height is one and three fourth, thewidth that is 1: 1.3/4 proportions bears a particular name indicating happiness (Ananda vimana),

according to the sthapati.


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This was built by GanapathiSthapati, one of the foremosttraditional Sthapatis of

Tamilnadu, who comes in thefamily of the builders of the

Thanjavur temple. He wasably assisted by his son andbrothers. His other cousinbrother also namedGanapathi is the famous onewho designed the ValluvarStatue and the ValluvarKottam. Both the Ganapathisbelonged to the villagePillaiyar patti near Karaikkudiin Tamilnadu and bear thename of Ganesa of thatplace. Both are distinguishedmasters of architecture andsculpture.

The white granite stones forthis temple have come from avillage named Pattimalaikuppam about 50 miles fromKanchipuram. The templeconsists of two parts, themain vimana with sikhara andsecond thefrontmandapa with one

hundred pillars.


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The main sikhara is built on a high upapitha and with the traditional with several musings.The sikhara is built in five storeys topped by the stupika also made of stone. The sikhara isbeautified with rows of corner kutas, intermediate shalas, and the central Projections (bhadras)provided with windows (jalas) for lighting and ventilation.


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The inner sanctum is not the usual garbhagraha type but is a mandapa with raised pithika withfour pillars at the corner. There is passage to go around and another concentric passage whichis spacious to go around. Thus, there are two concentric passages around with mandapa in thecentre where a Portrait of His Holiness will be enshrined. In front of His portrait is to beconsecrated HisPadukas (sandals) made of sandal wood and covered with gold plate.

Essentially, it is a Mandapa and hence called Paduka Mani mandapa. The Architecturaltreatises call this type of structures as Mandapika Prasadas.

Such structures are known from early times. A typical example comes from Srinagar , inKashmir where the famous Sankaracharya temple is built as Mandapika prasada. Originally,the Sankaracharya temple had circular garbha graham and is a very ancient temple. Around1644, a Hindu King named Gopadeva added the central Vedika of the sanctum supported byfour pillars. There are many such pillared sanctums built in the time of the Gupta kings in thefourth and fifth centuries. For example, such pillars temples are in Vidisa in Madhya Pradesh.Also, there is a fine temple in northern Karnataka near Badami (the ancient Vatapi). Suchtemples were not only built in India but also in ancient Cambodia. One of the most ancienttemples at Sambhor Prai Kuk, in North Eastern Cambodia, assigned to 4th cent is also built in

this form. In fact, most other temples in Cambodia are built in the mandapika style with amandapa in the centre of the sanctum to enshrine the deity. Mahaswamiji was a great admirerand keen lover of the history of Cambodia and it really seems to be a divine coincidence thatthis mandap dedicated to him recalls this tradition.


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Guru Parampara Shiva Tandava

Another significant feature of this temple is two significant sculptures introduced for the first timeportraying two well known dhyana slokas in Sanskrit. The sculpture on the south wall of themain temple portrays the Guru Parampara - Narayana, Brahma, Vasishta, Sakti, Parasara,

Vyasa, Sukha followed by Gaudapada, Govinda yogindra, and (Adi) Sankaracharya and Hisdisciples. This is an illustrious sculpture that would enable the visitor to correlate the dhyanasloka recited by all with the sculpture and is certainly a fine way of introducing art of sculpture tothe devotees.


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(Sri Adi Sankara and His Disciples)

Similar is the sculpture on the northern wall that depicts the Pradosha Tandava of Siva basedon a sculpture from Badami 6th cent. Visitors to the temple who know this verse of Sandhyatandava would welcome the portrayal.


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P r a d o s h a T a n d a v a o f S h i v a

There is another sculpture on the southern wall of the temple representing a Ganesa. It is abeautiful sculpture that would attract the attention of art lovers. The entrance to the sanctumalso has some interesting sculptures. Sculptures of both Ganga and Yamuna are portrayed atboth the door jambs of the entrances. In addition, the creeper designs here portray 16 forms of

the Guru at the outer door jambs while the inner entrance depicts the twelve J yotir lingas.


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The front mandapa built of one hundred pillars is conceived in the form of a cosmic chariotdrawn by horse (under carving). Built in five bays, the central ceiling carries a mandala of the12 rasis symbolically indicated by Mesha, Rishabha, Mithuna etc. The mandapa has a very welllaid out stepped entrances on three sides. The steps are decorated with caparisoned elephants.

The porch in the front has wheel with spokes symbolically depicting the twelve rasis the twelvemonths. Once the horse sculptures are ready and fitted, it would resemble celestial horsesdrawing the chariot of cosmic time and space in which the devotees are likely to move throughthe cosmic presence. The huge nandi in front is a huge monolith and after finishing touchesare given, it would be one of the great nandis in Tamilnadu.

The temple it must be understood is the tallest and traditionally well laid outphysical space in Tamilnadu that has been undertaken in this century.


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The author can be contacted at [email protected]

a mani mandapa temple at orikkai

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