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The size of the largest temple cars inspired the ] term ] (from ]), signifying a tremendous, virtually unstoppable force or phenomenon. The size of the largest temple cars inspired the ] term ] (from ]), signifying a tremendous, virtually unstoppable force or phenomenon.


==History==
{{Further information|Ratha Yatra}}
]
], India.]]
Temple cars are used during festivals called ''Ratha Yatra'', a procession in a chariot accompanied by the public. It typically refers to a procession (journey) of deities, people dressed like deities, or simply religious saints and political leaders.<ref name="Michaels1996p270">{{cite book|author1=Michaels|author2=Cornelia Vogelsanger|author3=Annette Wilke|title=Wild Goddesses in India and Nepal: Proceedings of an International Symposium, Berne and Zurich, November 1994|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1wbXAAAAMAAJ|year=1996|publisher=P. Lang|isbn=978-3-906756-04-2|pages=270–285}}</ref> The term appears in medieval texts of India such as the ], which mention the Ratha Yatra of ] (Sun god), of ] (Mother goddess), and of ]. These chariot journeys have elaborate celebrations where the individuals or the deities come out of a temple accompanied by the public journeying with them through the ''Ksetra'' (region, streets) to another temple or to the river or the sea. Sometimes the festivities include returning to the sacrosanctum of the temple.<ref name="Michaels1996p270"/><ref name="Banglapedia">{{cite book|last=Mandai|first=Paresh Chandra|title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh|publisher=]|year=2012|editor1-last=Islam|editor1-first=Sirajul|editor1-link=Sirajul Islam|edition=Second|chapter=Rathajatra|editor2-last=Jamal|editor2-first=Ahmed A.|chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Rathajatra}}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Traveler ] who visited India during 400 CE notes the way temple car festivals were celebrated in India.

{{Quote|The cities and towns of this country are the greatest of all in the Middle Kingdom . The inhabitants are rich and prosperous, and vie with one another in the practice of benevolence and righteousness. Every year on the eighth day of the second month they celebrate a procession of images. They make a four-wheeled car, and on it erect a structure of four storeys by means of bamboos tied together. This is supported by a king-post, with poles and lances slanting from it, and is rather more than twenty cubits high, having the shape of a tope. White and silk-like cloth of hair is wrapped all round it, which is then painted in various colours. They make figures of devas, with gold, silver, and lapis lazuli grandly blended and having silken streamers and canopies hung out over them. On the four sides are niches, with a Buddha seated in each, and a Bodhisattva standing in attendance on him. There may be twenty cars, all grand and imposing, but each one different from the others. On the day mentioned, the monks and laity within the borders all come together; they have singers and skillful musicians; they pay their devotion with flowers and incense. The Brahmans come and invite the Buddhas to enter the city. These do so in order, and remain two nights in it. All through the night they keep lamps burning, have skillful music, and present offerings. This is the practice in all the other kingdoms as well. The Heads of the Vaisya families in them establish in the cities houses for dispensing charity and medicines. All the poor and destitute in the country, orphans, widowers, and childless men, maimed people and cripples, and all who are diseased, go to those houses, and are provided with every kind of help, and doctors examine their diseases. They get the food and medicines which their cases require, and are made to feel at ease; and when they are better, they go away of themselves.|Faxian, c. 415 CE<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2124/2124-h/2124-h.htm |title=''A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms'' (Chapter XXVII: Pataliputra or Patna, In Magadha)|website=gutenberg.org |author=Fa-Hien|publication-date=415 |year=1875 |version=Translated}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>}}

==Early photographs and lithography of temple chariots==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=220px style="text-align:left" caption="Vintage Temple chariot procession pictures">
File:Car Procession In Bangalore.jpg|Someshwara Temple chariot in 1918.
File:Ratha Jatra optocht met versierde wagens ter ere van Jagannath in Madurai, RP-F-F80205.jpg|Chariot procession in Madurai in 1872.
File:Banashankari Car.jpg|Banashankari Temple (Badami) chariot in 1855.
File:Kurt boeck indien nepal 076B.jpg|Srirangam Temple chariot in the 1890s.
File:Juggernaut Car, Madras MET DT6337.jpg|Juggernaut Car, Madras, 1850.
File:The Kumari jatra. Three temple cars outside the Hanuman Dhoka, or Old Palace, Kathmandu - Oldfield collection (1850-1863) - BL WD 3279.jpg|Three temple cars outside the Hanuman Dhoka, or Old Palace, Kathmandu - Oldfield collection (1850-1863)
File:Juggernaut.jpeg|The Car of Juggernaut, as depicted in the 1851 ''Illustrated London Reading Book''
File:Juggernaut kar in het Ulsoor tempelcomplex te Bangalore in India, KITLV 92036.tiff|Tempel car in Bangalore, 1870
</gallery>

==Largest temple chariot==
], ].]]
The procession of the Asia's largest and greatest temple car of ] ] in Tamil Nadu features prominently in an ancient festival held in the town.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Official Website of Arulmigu Thiyagaraja Swamy Temple,Tiruvarur - Festival|url=http://thiyagarajaswamytemple.tnhrce.in/festival.html|access-date=2021-03-10|website=thiyagarajaswamytemple.tnhrce.in}}</ref> The annual chariot festival of the Thygarajaswamy temple is celebrated during April – May, corresponding to the Tamil month of Chitrai. The chariot is the largest of its kind in Asia and India weighing 300 tons with a height of 90 feet. The chariot comes around the four main streets surrounding the temple during the festival. The event is attended by lakhs of people from all over Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Festivals, Culture & Heritage {{!}} Tiruvarur District, Government of Tamil Nadu {{!}} India|url=https://tiruvarur.nic.in/tourism/festivals-culture-heritage/|access-date=2021-03-09|language=en-US}}</ref>

The Aazhi Ther is the biggest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. The 30-foot tall temple car, which originally weighed 220 tons, is raised to 96 feet with bamboo sticks and decorative clothes, taking its total weight to 350 tons. Mounted on the fully decorated temple car, the presiding deity – Lord Shiva – went around the four streets with the devotees pulling it using huge ropes. Two bulldozers were engaged to provide the required thrust so that devotees could move the chariot.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 16, 2016|first=K. Sambath|last=Kumar|title=Car festival held at Tiruvarur Thyagaraja Swamy Temple after a gap of six years|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/car-festival-held-at-tiruvarur-thyagaraja-swamy-temple-after-a-gap-of-six-years/articleshow/52777136.cms|access-date=2021-03-09|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>


== Gallery == == Gallery ==

Revision as of 17:23, 24 October 2023

Vehicle carrying representation of Hindu god(s)

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Temple car procession during Thanjavur Chariot festival, Tamil Nadu.

Temple cars or Temple chariots are used to carry representations of Hindu gods around the streets of the temple on festival days. These chariots are generally manually pulled by the devotees of the deity.

As of 2004, Tamil Nadu had 515 wooden carts, 79 of which needed repairs. Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram Natarajar Temple are among the temples that possess these huge wooden chariots for regular processions.

The Natarajar Temple celebrates the chariot festival twice a year; once in the summer (Aani Thirumanjanam, which takes place between June and July) and another in winter (Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai, which takes place between December and January). Lord Krishna of Udupi has five temple cars, namely Brahma ratha (the largest), Madya ratha (medium), kinyo (small), and the silver and gold rathas.

The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut (from Jagannath), signifying a tremendous, virtually unstoppable force or phenomenon.


Gallery

  • Taladhwaja, Darpadalana and Nandighosha in 2021 Ratha Jatra, Odisha, India. Taladhwaja, Darpadalana and Nandighosha in 2021 Ratha Jatra, Odisha, India.
  • Temple festival in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. Temple festival in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Tiruvarur temple car, the largest (chariot) temple car in the world, it weighing 300 tonnes (295 long tons; 331 short tons) with a height of 90 feet (27.43 m). Tiruvarur temple car, the largest (chariot) temple car in the world, it weighing 300 tonnes (295 long tons; 331 short tons) with a height of 90 feet (27.43 m).
  • Type of temple car called Theru from the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Kerala Type of temple car called Theru from the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Kerala
  • Type of temple car called Kuthira from the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Kerala Type of temple car called Kuthira from the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani, Kerala
  • Temple car (decorated), Udupi, Karnataka, India. Temple car (decorated), Udupi, Karnataka, India.
  • Bisket Jatra Chariot Bhaktapur, Nepal. Bisket Jatra Chariot Bhaktapur, Nepal.
  • Picture of Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple Golden car. Picture of Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple Golden car.
  • Picture of Alwarkurichi People pulling Sivasailanathaswamy Temple car. Picture of Alwarkurichi People pulling Sivasailanathaswamy Temple car.
  • Temple cars in front of Jagananth temple, 2021 Temple cars in front of Jagananth temple, 2021

List of places with traditional Temple cars

India

Tamil Nadu

Karnataka

Odisha

Kerala

Andhra Pradesh

Others

Malaysia

Sri Lanka

Germany

List of places with golden Temple cars

Andhra Pradesh

  • Lord Shiva temple
  • Narasimhaswami temple and tirumala Sri vari ratham

Karnataka

Puducherry

Tamil Nadu

  • Arulmigu Yoga Lakshmi Narasimar temple, Sholinghur, Ranipet district.
  • Arulmigu Vijayapuri Amman temple, Vijayamangalam,Erode

See also

References

  1. Rajarajan, R. K. K.; Rajukalidoss, Parthiban. "Nāyaka Chefs-d'oeuvre: Structure and Iconography of the Śrīvilliputtūr Tēr". Acta Orientalia.
  2. Rajarajan, R. K. K. "Iconographic Programme in Temple Cars: A Case Study of Kūṭal Alakar tēr". East and West, Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO), Rome.
  3. "Government of Tamil Nadu Welcomes You". tn.gov.in. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012.
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