வேறு எங்கும் காண முடியாத ஒரு திருக்கோலம் . ஆனந்த சயன ராமர். இந்த ஆலயம் 1400 ஆண்டுகள் மிகப் பழமையான ஆலயமாகும் . இராமபிரான் ஆதிசேஷன் மீது சயனித்திருக்கிறார் உடன் சீதா தேவியும் இருக்கிறார் அவரது திருவடியின் அருகில் மாருதியும் அருளபாளிகிறார் . அமைவிடம் : கடலூர் மாவட்டம். குருஞ்சிப்பாடி தாலுகாவில் இருந்து 8 கி.மீ தொலைவில் இந்த ஆலயம் உள்ளது
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The Vengadampettai temple is unique in many aspects such as Lord Rama in a reclining posture and Garuda in Padmasana.
The car driver was clueless about the Vengadampettai
temple. He said he had passed by the village many times and had even
seen a run-down gopuram, but he didn’t know anything about the temple.
When we arrived, we found only the priest there. Later a couple of
village children joined us. Entry into the temple is not through the
seven-tiered rajagopuram, for there is the possibility that it might
collapse on some hapless devotee.
The temple is
believed to have been built by a woman named Venkatamma, who was the
sister of a ruler of Gingee, who hailed from this village. One of the
Mac Kenzie manuscripts says that Venkatapathi, who ruled Gingee about
1478 A.D., was from the village of Vengadampettai. So maybe Venkatammal
was his sister. The earliest inscription in the temple is dated 1776
A.D. It talks of the building of a rest house by Muthu Vijaya
Anandaranga Thiruvengada Pillai of Puducherry.
Although
the presiding deity is Venugopalan, there is also a sannidhi for a
19-feet long Lord Rama, in a reclining pose, with a reposeful smile.
Around 200 years ago, this idol was discovered in a pond called
Senkuttai, which is to the West of the temple, and the Rama idol was
also installed in the temple. Here Rama is seen reclining on a seven
hooded snake, with Sita and Veera Anjaneya at His feet.
Unique Garuda
The
Garuda in this temple is unique, as he is seen seated in Padmasana
pose, with a snake draped around his left arm, its stretched hood
resting on his thigh.
Opposite the temple entrance is
the unjal madapam, which has 16 pillars, each 50 ft high. It is
dangerous to get too close to this mandapam, because it is in danger of
disintegration. Besides, the path to it is blocked by bushes.
A
little away from this unjal mandapam is the huge temple tank, which is
about an acre in extent. The sthapathy, who designed and built the
temple, was buried close to this tank, and a small mandapam marks the
place. There is also a shed that was once used for the temple elephants -
there were three or four once upon a time. The temple chariot has
disintegrated due to lack of attention, but plans are afoot to have one
built again and to celebrate all the festivals once again with the same
fervour. The ‘ther mutti,’ and the shed of the chariot can still be
salvaged. A huge wall - 236 ft in length and 129 ft in breadth runs
around the temple. This is yet to be repaired.
The
main temple has been repaired, and the collapsed walls reconstructed
painstakingly. Plans are afoot to restore the unjal mandapam and the
rajagopuram too. The temple is under the control of the HR and CE, but
repair work has been largely through the initiative of Arumuga Bhaskara
Gurukkal, of the Kamakshi temple in Germany. That the period look of the
temple has not in any way been spoilt is a feather in the cap of those
who have taken up the restoration work. But village children, despite
exhortations to them not to spoil the spruced up walls, insist on
putting down their names and hall ticket numbers on the walls! This only
goes to show, that for conservation efforts to succeed, we need to
educate the public on the value of heritage, and that such education
should begin in schools.
How to get there: If
you are travelling from Panruti, proceed towards the Neyveli arch gate.
Vengadampettai is five kms from there. If you are travelling from
Chidambaram, take the Cuddalore–Vridhachalam road, and ask for
Kurinjippadi town, from where Vengadampettai is three kms.
