[q] Seeking information on "hiraNyagarbha" ceremony

[N. Ganesan]

>Could someone please help me with references to "hiraNyagarbha"
>ceremony, where the rulers were inserted into a large womb-like
>gold vessel, subsequently emerged "reborn," and thus became
>possessed of _kshatriya_ status.

Dear Sreenivas,

Pl. see:
Princess Gouri Lakshmi Bayi,
Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple,
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1995, 407 p.

The Princess Amma is a great art historian, often she
writes in The Hindu on Kerala temples very well.

Marthandavarma did a hiranyagarbha ceremony where
a huge gold vessel was donated off to the brahmins.
There is a large mural in the Royal palace of Trivandram
which is published in color in the BVB book.
The ceremony is detailed there, I think.

PathiRRup pattu, the history of Chera kings and other
sangam Tamil texts describe how the Tamil kings
sponsored several yagnas.

Regards
N. Ganesan



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