Ramaswamy Temple - ePrarthana.com

Ragunatha Naickar, who filled the Muka mandapa with more than 62 massive sculptures, all-illustrating Dasavathara episodes, built this temple. The prakaras in the inside are adorned with paintings of Ramayana. In Thillai Valagam and Vaduvur, we can see beautiful images of Rama, and in the festival idol of Rama here, one can see the beauties of the above two images in this one. The sanctum is built in accordance with the Ramapanchayadana Sampradaya. Within the sanctum two, the idols installed are peculiar. Anjeneya is seen as if singing the Ramayana in veena.

Ramaswamy temple is almost in the centre of the town and faces north. A grand Rajagopura admits us and on entering a big mandapa with huge columns all supporting artistic images. Each pillar is a masterpiece of art. If the outer mandapam excels in sculpture, the inner prakara carry paintings on the walls. A cicumambulation of the prakara will show us the entire Rama story in brilliant colors. Last painting is embedded with colored stones, which sparkle.

Rama and Sita installed in a single pedestal only in this sthala. Bharata is holding the parasol; Satrukana is waving the Chamara (Fan) while Lakshmana is awaiting the orders of Rama in Anjali - hasta pose. Hanuman with a veena in his hand is reciting the hymns of Ramayana. The majesty of Rama, the merciful looks of Sita, the obedience of brothers and the devotion of Hanuman are faithfully recorded. The pillars have been numbered and labeled to facilitate the pilgrim to understand the episodes.

This is not a Mandapa where one can rush through in haste, but should be studied at leisure and enjoyed. Varadaraja, Kothandarama, Vishnu, Chakrapani, Radhakrishnan, Narasimha, Parasurama, Krishna, Gajendra Moksha, Krishna Lila, Krishna Kalinga vadha, Asvamedtham, Vamana avatar, Krishna, Manmatha, Garuda sevai, Sesha sayana, wedding of Sita and Rama, coronation of Vibhisana, coronation of Sugriva, Rama, Laxmi Narayana, Laxmana and Guha in boat, Trivikrama, Hanuman are some of sculptures that have no parallel in any other temple. The paintings in the inner prakara are in Tanjore style. The walls of the sanctum too carry sculptures like Indra on his elephant Iravadam, Narasimha, Ragunatha Naicker, Chakrapani, Sugriva, Vishnu on Hanuman etc