MAIDEN STONE

Synonym : Kumari Kal

                   Valour stone

• A round stone which were used to test the raw strength of competitors 
• Persons who seek the hand of a girl or who want to enter the armed forces have to lift the stone

CONDITIONS

• The stone is lifted from the ground at one stroke
• Stone is lifted above the head and dropped behind
• More the times - the better it is

The stone balls are kept as show piece items on either side of the road bridge over the river Cauvery, connecting Tiruchirappalli with Srirangam.

VALOUR STONE

It is erected in memory of the slain soldiers in the war front.

The panel depicts portrait of the soldiers, their dress, ornaments, weapons used, etc.

The widow of the soldiers, consider the stone being alive and behave like a married woman. Others also treat her like a married woman.

Their children and descendants worship as their family deity.

Illustration was observed near Hanuman temple close to Manthralayam.

WEIGHT BEARING SLAB

Akkaraipatti near Samayapuram, Trichy

• If a pregnant lady dies without delivering the foetus, the slab is erected. 
• The slab will be on the road side adjacent to the water body. 
• The travellers can keep the head load & rest for a while.
• In this illustration, the lady and her family members also got interned.

SIVA PURI

Sivapuri is a beautiful village near Chidambaram, nearly 4kms from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.

In Sivapuri two ancient siva temples exist. One is replaced from river Kollidam estuary – called Thirukazhipalai and other is a Siva temple native to Sivapuri.                                                                                           

The Siva temple at Sivapuri (native one) is a well maintained temple.

SIVA : UJJEEVANATHA SWAMI

CONSORT : KANAGAMBIGAI

POOJARI : GOPAL

The ancient name of sivapuri is Thirunel Vayil.

In this place 12,000 devotees who were proceeding to saiva saint Thirugana Sambandhar marriage to be held at Achalpuram near kollidam town. The devotees were well fed before leaving the place. Here the belief is that anybody who worships here will never starve for want of food for the rest of their life.

Sivalingam is placed on a square Avudyar.

Anybody who worships here gets the same blessings as if from Kasi & Rameswaram Siva temples.

Ujjevanatha Swamy & Kanagambigai are supposed to remove any obstacles in education and marriage.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Ganesha with his mount

 Murga sits on peacock

Parvathi on Kali after the Siva thandavam

Sivathandavam, siva putting his rear rings back.

 Nandhi and Brahma Watching.

Maha Vishnu holding conch in the folded hands

Appar with Rudraksham beads garland in folded hands

Brahmahathi

Floral design

Annam – a celestial bird

Brahmahathi depicted on the elephant head

Cow performing milk Abishekam on Sivalingam

Sukasanam

Peacock with snake in the beak

Appar in Namaskara Muthrai

Kamadhenu under kalpaviruksham

Embryo

Ornamental panels depicting various icons

Saraswathi with veena - kachabi

Musical conch

Ornamental pillars & panels

Dhakshinamoorthy, Siva as teacher

Raja Asanam with various mudras like namaaskara in one hand and chin mudra in one hand.

Padmasana with chin mudra

Narthana Ganapathi (Ganapathi dancing on his mount)

Nadi

Brahman

Cobra Snake with spread out hood

 

Nadi depicted in the form of serpent coiling each other.

A miniature snake – depicted as a link between two panels

Ornamental miniature panel

knot

Adhikara Nandhi

(To note the weapon systems)