Yoga Ramar Temple, Nedungunam, Vandavasi, Tiruvannamali District
I chose one of the driest periods in between South West Monsoon and the North East Monsoon, for a trip to Tiruvannamalai, preferring to avoid the rains. Road to Tiruvannamalai is generally bad and bumpy; rain would have added to the misery. Double checked with the Meteorology advices - both Government and Private. And..... you know what would have happened.... the day marked the first day of monsoon with uninterupted spells of rain ! Long Live Met Department.
On the way I wanted to cover another "Padal Petra Sthalam" at Cheyyaru (Vedhapureeswarar Temple : https://goo.gl/maps/B4y43rYaLgXCfD2m9) as it was only a small detour. Cheyyaru - Tiruvannamalai route took me through tiny unpolluted villages (yes...they do exist! ) with cows refusing to move away from the middle of the road or buffaloes taking a stroll in groups, in a road which is just as wide as your car.......
As the car just entered a relatively broader state road connecting Vandavasi with Chethupattu, I was stunned to see a very tall Gopuram in a non-descript village. The height of the Gopuram and the dimensions of the temple & the grandeur of place forced my leg to press the brake and that is how I happened to see this Unique Temple. How and Why unique ??? Let us see !
Tamil Nadu boasts of temples of phenomenal vintage and mega-sizes of both the Shaiva & Vaishnava beliefs. Srirangam temple for Vaishnavite temples, Tiruvannamalai for Shaivaite temples, Madurai for Saktha temples, Tiruchendur for Kaumara and Thiruvalanchuzhi for Ganapatya Temples readily come to our mind. All these temples have a vintage of 1500 plus years with a size of several footballs stadiums stitched together.
We have hundreds of temples for Vishnu but not heard of temples for Rama, an incarnation of Maha Vishnu, with the grandeur & vintage stated above. Some Rama temples have come up in the recent past (in the 20th & 21st Centuries) and some may come up in the futre (Ayodhya). Even the Vontimitta Kodandarama Temple near Kadapa, AP, was constructed in the 16th Century.
Nedungunam Yoga Ramar Temple is believed to have been constructed before the 7th century. Evidences exist depicting the existence of the temple from 7th century, though it could have actually come up even before that. This temple is believed to have been built by the Pallavas in the 7th Century in a grand scale (smaller structure could have existed earlier) and improved by the Vijayanagara Kings in the 16th Century.
Legend has it that Rama, on his way back to Ayodhya found Shuka Brahma Rishi meditating at this place, was pleased with the latter and offered him a pleasant surprise in the form of a Darshan. After descending at this place, Rama found this place worth meditating and meditated for a day and hence we get to see the Meditating Rama in a Yoga Posture with his right hand in Chin Mudra close to his chest.
Rama is not to be seen with his bow and arrows, in view of the meditating pose, which is undoubtedly unique as well.
Another uniqueness is that Hanuman is in the sitting posture, again different from the usual kneeling posture OR with his hands folded. While Rama is meditating, Hanuman is seen chanting Vedas.
I donot intend elaborating on the rituals at the temple, various sannidhis in the temple etc, as many committed bloggers have written about the temple (am sharing some of the links at the bottom).
I am very sure one day this temple will also get busy, that we may have to book weeks in advance for an express darshan. Before it goes that way, pack your luggage and head to this temple.
Google Map Coordinates: https://goo.gl/maps/yZQAMyN6UkBV31at5
Link to Articles about this temple:
- http://aalayamkanden.blogspot.com/2011/02/yoga-ramar-temple-nedungunam.html
- https://veludharan.blogspot.com/2019/12/yoga-ramar-temple-yoga-rama-temple.html
- https://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/nedungunam/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-D3SDS76t0
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSr74HX_sS8
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