Visited in the last 3 weeks a few temples based on some leads but could not find anything related to Ramayanam. Last week our member Mr Santhakumar was in Chennai and we planned a short trip and tried to explore Tirutani Virateswara temple.
This temple is just to your left when you enter Tirutani - a few meter before the Tirupathi Bypass.
There are 2 temples - A Vishnu temple dated to Parantaga period which was closed and we could not see and the other the famous ( to historians)Virateswarar temple.
This temple was built in stone ( That means the lingam was present even before that and must bea brick temple) in Aparajita Pallavas period and has 2 of his epigraphs. The town and the hill was called Tirutaniyal.
In RRC period the name changed to Jananatha Chaturvedi Mangalam. 2 epigraphs of RRC period speak about the food offered to travelers going to Tirumala Tirupathi and also while coming back.
Though a Ashta Parivara temple - nothing remains now. Must be a huge complex once.
As usual white washed.
The dwarapalakas, Saptamatrikas are inside the ardhamandapa. Goumari is holding a mala and guindy. Many Murugan images of Pallava territory also are worshipped in this form called brahma sastha. ( siruvapuri, kanchi Kandakkottam etc)
The dakshinamoorthi - In the Banyan tree a lizard is shown. A mouse or fox is found at the bottom.
He is wearing a Datura flower and moon. Wears a ear ring in left ear alone ( Karna Patram)
Holding a knife and books which is again a rarity. I was wondering whether Ganga image must also depicted in the hair.. Should have removed the chandanam and checked but missed. will do that while going to Tirupathi next.
There is a Umamaheswara in the Vimanam.
Real treat.
Coming to Ramayanam - has an image of 2 monkeys worshiping a lingam in boothamala. The same is also depicted above Dakshinamoorthy. We need to understand who they are. Vali Sugreeva or some other?
We need to explore more on this. Hope we may find the answer in some other temple.