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A Tour of Ambal Temples in
South India
A brief analysis of selected compositions of Muthuswamy Deekshitar (18th century
CE)
A Templenet Special Feature in conjunction with Navaratri 1999
Text: Vidya Jayaram
Images: Jayashree Kannikeswaran
Kalikaambaal (Kamakshi) at the Kaalikambaal Temple, Thambu Chetty Street, Chennai
Muthuswamy Deekshitar, the revered Carnatic Music Composer has sung the glory of
several temples all over India. In this feature, we shall look at four temples of
Tamilnadu, known for their shrines to Devi - Parvati.
Jambukeswaram
Jambukeswaram, is located in Srirangam, an island in the course of the river Kaveri, near
the city of Tiruchirappalli. There stands Akhilaandeshwari, literally the Lady who rules
this universe, at Jambukeshwaram or Thiruvaanaikka.The oft heard Dwijaavanthi song
seems to waft in the air.
Legend says that this Akhilaandeshwari was an ugra(fierce) aspect of the Shakthi. Aadi
Sankara, the shanmatha sthaapaka who cleansed the savage forms that haunted Hinduism
installed the thaatankas(ear-rings) with the shivachakra and shriichakra
engraved.Dikshithar has mentioned this in the Begada krithi as "Shrii maathah
Shivavaamaange, Shriichakraroopathaatanke". To further calm down the fury of the
Goddess,Shankara installed the idols of Ganapathy and Subrahmanya.The Shakthi was
transformed into a benign mother looking upon her sons and this world with
love.Dikshithar says this as "Lambodhara guruguha poojithe".ie worshipped
by Vinaayaka (Lambodhara)
and Guruguha,in the song "Akhilaandeshwari".The padma puraana contains
references to Indra getting rid as of the sin of killing a hero(viirahaththi). This is
also mentioned "Jambaari sambaavithe" (ie venerated by Indra,the enemy of
the demon Jamba).
Kamalaapuram (Tiruvarur)
Further South, is Tiruvarur, home to Kamalaamba,the deity  that inspired the brilliant navaavarana
krithis. Kamalaamba is the Goddess in penance ,seated in yogic posture,and the
married form of the Goddess there, is Niilothpalaamba. Kamalaambike (thodi),is the
entry-point to the most sublime of compositions.
The huge temple tank on the West of the temple with the temple of Naganatha swamy in the
middle beckons us as we enter the city.This tank is celebrated in the puranas as capable
of removing the 8 kinds of sins.Dikshithar says this as "Kamalaalaya tiirtha
vaibhave",Sporting in the tiirtha of kamalaalaya. Why is it called Kamalaalaya?
It is said that it was after Lakshmi who worshipped here.As in other krithis,
he lists the Gods who worshipped here as
"Kamalaasanaadhi poojitha" ie the Devi being worshipped by Kamalaasana -
Brahma who is
seated on a lotus.
Madurai
Further South is the temple city of Madurai. The Goddess here is Miinaakshi. One of
the most popular krithis on Madurai is "Miinaakshi me
mudham-(Gamakakriya).Inshakthi worship,the Goddess here is identified as
Rajamaathangi or mantrini ,the minister of
Lalithathripura sundari.Worship of this form confers on the devotee skill in
music.Rajamaathangi is adept in playing the vallaki and hence she is the creator of
the ten kinds of gamakas of the viina,"Viinaavaadhana dhashagamaka
kriye".According to legends, she came to the earth as the daughter of the
Pandya king Malayadhwaja.Dikshithar hails her as "Malayadhwaja Paandyaraaja
thanaye".The goddess here is greenish in colour ie
"marakathachaaaye".This kshetra is called kadamba vana - forest of the
kadamba trees.kadhamba is the sthala vrksha of this place.He says of this as
""kadhambavanvaasini" and the city as "madhuraapuri
nilaye".The Goddess dwells here with her consort Sundaresha,"Mahaadeva
Sundareshapriye".Her brother,Vishnu comes across Vaigai from the nearby temple of
Azhagarkoil.He is referred to in "madhumuraripu sodhari" , the sister of
the enemy of the demons Madhu and Mura ie Vishnu".
Kanchi
"Nagareshu Kanchi" - "The best among cities" ,goes the saying. T his ancient city is a
great
spiritual centre.It is the kaamakoti piita and it is said that Adi Shankara installed the
yogalinga here. The krithi "Kaamaakshii(Sumadhyuthi) welcomes us here.The name
kaamakoti
piita is mentioned here, as "Kaamakotiipiita vaasini". The signficance here is
that there is no garbhagriha for Devi in any of the nearby Shiva shrines.While blessing
Manmatha,Kamaakshi drew in all the shakthis there.Later on Brahma's request she
asured that other temples may have Devi shrines.The prtion of the city in which
Kamaakshi reigns is called "Kamakottam" or "Kamakoshta". Here too we
find Vishnu in Karigiri as Varadharaja close by, for Kaamaakshi is "Kamalesha
sodhari" - the sister of the
Lord of Lakshmi.
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