Yoga Ramar Temple, Nedungunam

Rajagopuram of Nedungunam Yoga Ramar Temple

Nedungunam is about 55 kms from Tiruvannamalai and about 24 kms from Arani. The Yoga Ramar temple is situated on the Vandavasi - Chetpet bus route. The uniqueness about this temple is that here Rama is found sitting with eyes closed without any weapons ( his Kothandam) and his hand placed on his heart in Chin mudra as he listens to Hanuman reading out the scriptures to him.

The five tier Rajagopuram painted with bright hues with the words Rama Rama is very welcoming. To the left of the Rajagopuram, was the temple tank. To my dismay, I found it needed cleaning up. In fact it looked quite pathetic in comparison to the magnificiently painted Rajagopuram.

Sad plight of the temple tank

My disappointment quickly changed to surprise when I stepped into the Rajagopuram and found an equally magnificient gopuram inside which is called the " Kili Gopuram".

The beautiful Kili Gopuram with the Dwajasthamba in front

Legend:

Sukabrahma Maharishi ( Sage with a parrot's head) had been meditating here, asking for the darshan of Sri Rama. Rama, pleased with his penance, came here during his return from Srilankaand spent one day with the Rishi on his request. Since Rama was returning after the war, he does not have any weapons with him. He is flanked by Lakshmana,( with bow to protect his brother and sister in law) and Sita while Hanuman is seen in front of Rama in a totally unusual posture with manuscript in hand, reading out the "Brahma Sutra" . Rama is seen with eyes closed, hand held in chin mutra on the heart listening to Hanuman. 

The second gopuram is called Kili Gopuram in honour of Sukabrahma Maharishi (Kili means Parrot in tamil) who stands as a hill next to the temple. This hill is called Dheergachala (long hill) and looks like the head of a parrot from an angle. According to Badri Bhattar, the archaka at the temple, Sri Padham of Lord Rama along with Sanku Chakram ( Conch and Discus) are found on the top of the hill, bearing testimony to the fact that Lord Rama had given darshan to Sukabrahma Maharishi here.

The Dheergachala Hill - Can you see the Parrot shape?

On crossing the kiligopuram one feels as if they are standing in a mini Hampi. The panels inside the gopuram have beautiful scenes from Ramayana and Dasavathara on them. There are two Vasantha mandapams(Halls) facing one another with intricate craftsmenship and architectural excellence.

Dasavatharam on the wall panel

We went further into the temple and paid our respects to Garudalwar. The bhattar was inside the main shrine cleaning it and the hall in front of the sanctum sanctorum was being moped. So we decided to go around and look at all the other sannadhis while the screen opened after cleaning.

The magnificient Dwarapalakas flanking the Yoga Ramar Sannadhi

There are several beautiful shrines around the main shrine, for Chakrathaazhwar, Kalyana Venkatesa perumal, Sanjeevi hanuman, Azhwars etc. There is a seperate sannadhi for Vykanasachaaryar who originated the Vykaanasa Agama.

Beautiful Chakrathaazhwar

Kalyanavenkatesa Perumal

Sanjeevi Hanuman Can you see the
Two hanumans one over another?

Vaikanasacharyaar 

By now the main shrine was open and we stepped in. The sight of Sri Yoga Rama looking splendid caught our attention. The whole room vibrates with energy. We prayed with complete concentration. The statue of Rama looks so real - the aristocratic nose, the long eyes, and the Chinmudra held by him look too perfect to be man-made.

The Yoga Rama with Lakshmana and Sita Devi
(Photo Courtesy: Mahendran Karmayogi)

Bhadri Bhattar mentioned that Sri Krishnapremi Swamiji of Paranur, popularly known as Paranur Anna, had visited the shrine a few years ago while it was dilapidated and had mentioned that the main idols were infact swayambu and the temple could have been renovated during the times of Sri Krishnadevaraya. The Bhattar further pointed out that while the sanctum Sanctorum and the hall in front of it were small, the area outside it was large with several mandapams, which could probably mean that it was initially a small shrine which was developed subsequently by kings like Krishnadevaraya.

I cropped the previous picture to show a closeup picture of
Yoga Rama just to show how magnificient he looks!

I had by then introduced myself and the purpose of my visit and he was kind enough to allow us to step in one by one and look at Hanuman who is not visible from the front as he sits opposite to Sri Rama reading out the Brahma Sutra.We were able to see Hanuman from the side in an unusual posture as described above.

Hanuman as seen through a mirror (Photo Courtesy: Mahendran Karmayogi)

Yet another significant feature of the temple is that the circumambulatory path is below the sanctum sanctorium. One has to step down a few feet into a chamber and then perform a circumambulation. The architecture here exhibits the ancientness of this temple. 

The circumambulatory path

By this time, some more people started come into the temple. Two ladies, Mrs. Kanaga Devi and Mrs. Renuka Devi, sisters and natives of the village started chatting with us. They were kind enough to take us around the temple and show us various things and narrated several incidents about the temple.
Mrs. Renuka took us to the Dwarapalakas and narrated an incident she had heard when she was a small girl. A little girl had been accidently left behind in the temple and the doors had been shut for the day. According to temple tradition, the doors once closed can only be opened at the appropriate time the next morning. The parents and relatives of the child were extremely worried about the child. While this happened, the child who was alone in the temple in darkness and hunger, did not know what to do. It toddled up to the Dwarapalaka and started suckling on the big toe. The next morning, when the doors were opened the anxious relatives ran in to find the state of the child. The child was sleeping safely below the feet of the Dwarapalakas.She showed us the chewed up portion of the big toe of the Dwarapalaka.While the autheticity of this story is to be established, it was extremely amazing to actually find only the toes of the huge statue damaged!

Chewed up portion of the Dwarapalaka's big toe!

Mrs. Kanaka took us to the two mandapams that we had seen on either side while entering the temple. One of them is called Kili Mandapam ( Parrot Hall). This is called Kili Mandapam again in honour of Sage Sukabrahma Maharishi. The roof of the mandapam has a beautiful structure to depict its name.

I have turned the picture around so that the parrot is clearly visible!

The Square structure represents a pond, the lotus is in full bloom within the pond, and a parrot can be seen sitting on the lotus. It is a hanging lotus flower from the top with the inverted parrot sitting on it! Beautiful indeed! She also pointed out that it was only in this mandap that a miniature prototype of the Yoga Rama was available.

A prototype of the Moolavar in the Kili Mandapam

She then took us to the Panels of the Gopuram. As I had mentioned earlier, several scenes pertaining to Ramayana and Dasavathara are found in the panels. She showed us Vali and Sugreeva fighting on one side and right across that was Rama shooting through seven trees to kill Vali.

Vali and Sugreeva fighting

Rama shooting at Vali

Our next stop was at the Muthu Mandapam. According to inscriptions, Muthu was the Devaradiyar of the temple and she spent her life, singing the praises of the Lord Rama, and dancing during the various festivals at the temple.  Appreciating her devotion and excellence in performance, the temple gave her the title of "Vijayaraghava Manickam" and three "Kaanis"of land in Thotrampattu in 1614. Prior to that, this mandapam had been known as "Periannan Mandapam" 

The beautiful Dance Hall

We then moved towards the Thaayar shrine. The goddess here is enshrined seperately and bears the name of Senkamalavalli Thaayar. That shrine is equally beautiful with lovely dwarapalakis in front. She is connected to the Utsavar, Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal.

Senkamalavalli Thaayar

In front of the Sanctum Sanctorum, is a hall with lovely architecture. Mrs. Kanaka pointed out a pillar with Krishnadevaraya standing humbly with folded hands.

Krishnadevaraya

Other inscriptions at the temple from Achuthadeva Maharaya's time talk about the village of Thandarampattu given to this temple as Thiruvidaiyaatam (grant) through which the Thiruvadhyayanam of 12 Srivaishnavas was commemorated. An inscription from the time of Raghunatha Nayaka, speaks about the appointment of Margasahaya Panditha,  a Vaidyar (doctor) to the village by giving him 6 panams per month and 150 kuzhis of land at Arasampatti.  Yet another inscription speaks about the title of Ramachandra Manickam being bestowed on another devadasi of the temple and three kaanis of land were given to her on the occasion by Sonadri Ayyan, the secretary of Ariyappa Ayyan.

Ms. Kanaka and Renuka who were very helpful in
showing us around and telling us various tales
about the temple

We took one last look at Yoga Rama - his presence seemed to fill us with peace and serenity. A must visit place if you happen to be passing by this side. For further information, please visit www.nedungunamramar.com or contact Badhri Bhattar at 94452 15776

Lakshmana's Bow now visible