hAlAsyapurANa and hAlAsyarahasya

[N. Ganesan]

 >Dear Dr. Ganesan,
 >Is it possible to know the time of the year when the annual vaZhuvUr
 >festival of Shiva and the elephant is performed?  Thank you for the
 >information in advance.
 >Gautama

Dear Dr. Vajracharya,

The 8 temples spread in Tanjore, South Arcot districts where
'Siva performed 8 different heroic deeds have a) special bronzes,
b) specific 'Siva dances, c) festivals on different days of the year,
and d) the way the idol of 'Siva is carried in the procession
are splendid and belong to atleast, say, 1300-1400 year tradition.

According to the Vazhuvuur (in Maayuuram/MayilADuthuRai taluk)
Devasthanam publication, (R. Panchanadam Pillai,
vazhuvuur aalaya varalaaRu, 1950) this Gajasamhara dance
happens in February of each year. In the Tamil month Maasi,
magha nakshatram, on the full moon day.

Lord Thyagaraja performs ajaba dance in Thiruvaaruur,
I am sure the different dances of 'Siva are dealt ably in the
excellent work by Rajeshwari.
Rajeshwari Ghose, The Tyagaraja cult in Tiruvarur: a study
in conflict and accomodation, M. Banarsidass, 1996, 414 p.
Pl. check and tell us more.

I forgot to mention earlier: There are beautiful Chola
bronzes in vazhuvuur. Still unpublished to my knowledge
(many Chola bronzes remain that way).
1) Bhikshaadana 2) Mohanamba 3) Parvati, the consort
of Gajasamharamurti is standing on the side with
little fear and shyness. She is holing the baby Skanda in the
right side of her hip. The infant Murukan (skanda) points
his finger to Gajasamhara. This Gajasamhara alone is published
in S. R. Balasubrahmanyam, Middle Chola temples and
C. Sivaramamurti, Nataraja in art, thought, literature.
The vazhuvuur, famous for Bharatanatyam gurus of many
film stars and Mrinalini Sarabhai, daughter of Ammu Swaminathan,
folks say the beauty of Gajasamharamurti is in the
sole of his foot being visible.

Regards,
N. Ganesan



 >Dr. M. Rabe hoped:
 > >prompting me to hope you can tell me whether or not any of the
 > >various recitations of Ziva's games in Madurai include reference
 >to slaying an elephant demon.  Approaching the question from another
 > >direction, are there any sthala puranic explanations for how the
 > >mountain Anaimalai, just northeast of the city, came to have this
 > >name?
 >
 >  Slaying of the elephant took place at a place called "vazhuvUr"
 >in Tanjore dt. Tamil textual tradition is unanimous in that;
 >I have read and heard from Ki. Vaa. Jagannathan, editor of Kalaimakal
 >and the prime disciple of UVS, that UVS said "vazhuvUr"
 >comes from "vazhuvaiyUr" where vazhuvai = elephant.
 >Michael, you must be familiar with the famous Chola gajasamharamurti
 >from vazhuvUr. Technically very complex and difficult to create
 >than Natarajas. In this G. bronze from vazhuvur, gaNas
 >are playing cymbols, With an elephant being slayed and kept upside
 >down, 'Siva extricates himself out of the carcass in a
 >spiralling fashion and while dancing. This event is celebrated
 >in vazhuvuur as an annual festival. There is a huge, hollow elephant
 >made out of reeds, bamboo, leaves etc., This elephant is
 >carried in a "uurvalam" from the opposite side of the temple,
 >The famous Gajasamhara, all decorated and in splendour, comes only
 >on this day out of the temple.  Around 10 P.M, the utsavamUrti
 >enters the belly of the man-made elephant. That is the climax,
 >all lights go out for 10 minutes or so, crackers explode: all due to
 >'Siva fighting the demon. After that an elaborate puja and
 >feasting. van Buitenan has an one or two page article on
 >gajasamhara in Kalidasa. Tevaram has 100s of references,
 >"panaikkai mummata vEzam urittavan, anaittum vETamaam
 >ampalak kUttan" -appar (7th century CE). Traditionally
 >'Siva has performed 8 heroic acts, supposed to have
 >taken place at 8 places. aTTa vIraTTam in Tamil,
 >to perform each heroic act, he performs a specific dance
 >at each site. These different dances performed once a year
 >at that particular vIraTTam, the sculptures associated with
 >them, tamil/sanskrit relevant passages must be the subject of
 >a good research topic.
 >
 >On the other hand:
 >Madurai's Anai malai has NO connection to the gajasamhara
 >legend. Cellinakar PerumpaRRap PuliyUr Nampi (fl. 1228 CE,
 >acc. to UVS) wrote the first tiruviLaiyADal (NT).
 >Nampi's tiruviLaiyADal (NT) episode number 36:
 >The refers to the naming of Madurai because 'Siva converted the
 >river of poison from a giant cobra into sweet nectar.
 >The poison was let upon the city by the magic of Jainas.
 >NT episode no. 26:
 >The Jaina heretics sent an elephant against the City.
 >Sundaresvarar petrified the beast as Anaimalai hill.
 >
 >This 13th century legend of explaining the name Anaimalai
 >is the earliest I could find so far. I think
 >Anaimalai is so named because it resembles a lying
 >elephant.



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