| SAPTHAGIRI - April 2003 | ||
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Sri Kodandarama Swami Temple is situated in the middle of Tirupati Town, within a distance of about a kilometre from the Tirupati railway station. This is in good state of preservation. According to Varaha Purana, while returning from Lanka, Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita camped at Tirupati for a while. This temple commemorates Sri Rama's visit to Tirupati.
There are nearly twenty inscriptions which relate to this temple found inscribed on the walls of the Govindaraja temple at Tirupati and Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala. These inscriptions help us to trace the history of this temple. The earliest inscription dated in S. 1402 in the reign of the Vijayanagara King Saluva Narasimha, corresponding to 1480 AD is found inscribed on the north wall (inner side) of the front mandapa of Kurattalvar's shrine in the Govindaraja temple of Tirupati. It records the construction of the temple and the installation of the image of Raghunatha (Sri Rama or Kodandarama) by one Sathakopadasar Narasimharaya Mudaliar for the merit of the King (TTD Vol. II, No. 73). The temple itself contains only one epigraph. Dated in 1530 A.D. in the reign of the Vijayanagara King Achyutaraya, it registers the construction of a Wooden Chariot for Raghunatha by Kumara Ramanujayyangar for the merit of the king. (TTD I. Vol. IV. No. 1). The rest of the inscriptions refer to the endowments made by the devotees for celebrating festivals in the temple.
The Kodandaramaswami temple stands in the centre of a rectangular courtyard surrounded by a compound wall and faces the west. The only entrance to the courtyard is in the West and is surmounted by a gopuram.
The adhisthana of the gopuram is 4'—6" high and contains from bottom upwards upana, two pattikas, broad patta, tripatta, gala, another patta, gala, padma and alingapattika. The wall above the adhisthana is decorated with pilasters having Vijayanagara capitals. The superstructure which was renovated in the year 1951 is of brick and contains three talas, each with the kuta series. The crowning member is oblong and contains seven kalasas above. The Vijayanagara embles (i.e. boar and an inverted sword) is found carved on the right door jamb wall (inner side) of the gopuram.
Passing through the above stated gopuram one enters the courtyard. A few yards to the east of the gopuram are found Balipita and Dhvaja sthamba.
On the axis, the temple consists of the Garbhagriha, antarala surrounded by a Pradak-shina, mukhamandapa and maha-mandapa.
The foremost member on the axis is the Mahamandapa. It is 60' square and contains four rows of five pillars each. Each of the pillars consists of two rectangular blocks, one square block and two octagonal shafts in between. The capitals of the pillars are in the Vijayanagara style. The square and rectangular blocks of the pillars contain fine sculptures of Lakshmi, Vishnu, Krishna, Narasimha, Parasurama and Venugopala. On the wall, on either side of entrance leading into the interior of the Mahamandapa is found carved the Vijayanagara emblem.
This shrine is situated in the centre of the western side of the Mahamandapa and houses two-armed standing Garuda with his hands in anjali pose.
This mandapa contains four pillars. Each pillar has three square blocks with two octagonal shafts in between. The capitals are in the Vijayanagara style. There are interesting sculptures on the square blocks of the pillars. Of them, mention may be made of the following :
1. Lakshmi Narayana, 2. Vishnu, 3. Yoga-Narasimha and 4. Krishna as Govardhanagiridhari.
These two shrines are located to the south and north of the Mukhamandapa respectively.
The antarala and garbhagriha of the main shrine of Kodandarama are at a higher level than the Mukhamandapa. They stand on an 5'—6" high adhisthana which contains from bottom upwards - Upana, patta, padma, broad patta, tripatta, gala cut into compartments, another patta, gala, padma and alingapattika. The Garbhagriha is a square 20-—9" side, while the antarala is 15'+9" long in the front. The walls of the Garbhagriha and antarala are embellished with pilasters and salakostas. These pilasters have Vijayanagara capitals. There is a Kapota above the wall with its outer surface decorated with garbles.
The Vimana above the Garbhagriha is of dvitala type containing the series - Kuta, panjara, sala, panjara and kuta. Above the second tala, there is a phalaka containing the figures of Garuda with hands in anjali in each of the four corners. The sikhara is round and belongs to the Vesara order. There is a single kalasa above the sikhara.
The Garbhagriha of the main shrine contains stone images of Sri Rama in the middle, Sita to his right and Lakshmana to his left side. There is also a set of processional images of Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita and Krishna inside the Garbhagriha. There are two dvarapalaka images on either side of the entrance of the antarala.
The pradakshina round the Garbhagriha and antarala contains six pillars on the north, two pillars on the east and six pillars on the south. The capitals of all these pillars are in the Vijayanagara style. There is about four feet wide space between the pradakshina wall and the adhisthana of garbhagriha and antarala. The outer surface of the pradakshina wall is plain and constructed with large blocks of granite stone. The Vijayanagara emblem is carved on the south of the pradakshina wall. The temple kitchen (Potu) is situated in the south west corner of the courtyard. There are two small four pillared mandapas in the south west and north west corners of the courtyard.
The following sculptures and icons found in this temple are of interest.
Vishnu: This sculpture of Vishnu is found carved on a pillar in the Mukha mandapa of the temple. Vishnu stands in samabhanga and has four hands, the upper right holding Chakra and the upper left holding Samkha. He keeps the lower right in abhaya and the lower kiritamakuta, and other ornaments. This sculpture of Vishnu comes under adhama bhoga sthanakamurthi image of Vishnu.
Lakshmi-Narayana: This sculpture is also found carved on a pillar in the Mukhamandapa of the temple. Seated in virasana, the god holds Chakra in the upper right hand, samkha in the upper left, keeps the lower right in abhaya and passes the lower left round the back of Lakshmi and rests it below her breast. He wears Kiritamakuta and many ornaments. Lakshmi is seated on the left thigh of the Deity with both her legs hanging. She passes her right arm round the back of the God and holds a lotus in the left hand. She is adorned with karanda makuta and other ornaments.
Parasurama: The sculpture of Parasurama is found on a pillar in the Mukhamandapa of the temple. Parasurama stands in dvibhanga and holds Parasu in the right hand and keeps the left hand in kati.
Krishna: The sculpture of Krishna is found on a pillar in the Mukhamandapa of the temple. Krishna lifts the mountain with the right hand and keeps the lower left hand hanging. There is a cow to the bottom right and left. There is another sculpture of Krishna on a pillar in the Mahamandapa. Here, standing in Vyastapada, Krishna holds the flute with his two hands and keeps it near the mouth.
Lakshmi: Sculpture of Lakshmi is found carved on a pillar in the Mahamandapa of the temple. Seated in Virasana, Lakshmi holds two lotuses in the two upper hands and keeps the lower right in abhaya and the lower left in Varada.
Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana: The images of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana installed in the Garbhagriha of the temple are of stone. Sri Rama stands in dvibhanga and holds arrow in the right hand and bow in the left hand and wears karandamakuta, makarakundalas, Yajnopavita, keyuras, graiveyakas, girdle with simhamukha buckle, purnoruka and manjiras. Standing in dvibhanga to the right of Rama, Sita holds nilotpala flower in the left hand and keeps the right hand hanging. She wears karandamakuta, and several ornaments. The image of Lakshmana is similar in every respect to that of Sri Rama. The content and hand positions of the images of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are in accordance with the requirement of the agamas.
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