Rama Deva Raya (or Vira Rama Deva Raya) (reigned 1617–1632) ascended the throne after a gruesome war in 1617 as the Emperor of Vijaynagara. In 1614, his father Sriranga II, who was the preceding emperor, and his family were murdered by rival factions headed by Jagga Raya, who was one of their kins. Rama Deva himself was smuggled out of the prison by Yachama Naidu, a faithful commander and the viceroy of earlier emperor Venkata II.
Civil War Jagga Raya made a claim of a putative son of Venkata II's queens as the King, which was strongly challenged by Yachama Naidu, the leading general in the imperial army and the Nayak of Kalahasti, who claimed the throne for Rama Deva, the rightful heir. In a long-drawn battle between the two factions in which the whole of the kingdom took part, Jagga Raya would be slain and his Gobburi estates in south west of Nellore in present-day Chennai, Chengelpet seized by Yachama Naidu. *Battle of Toppur* The defeated Jagga Raya sought refuge in the jungle but bounced back and sought help from the Nayaks of Gingee and Madurai, both eager to get out of the Vijayanagara bond, to attack Yachama Naidu and Rama Deva. Yachama Naidu and Ramadeva sought support from the Tanjore Nayaks, who still treated the Vijayanagar as their authority. Armies Jagga Raya and his allies, the Nayaks of Madurai, Gingee and Chera ruler, chieftains of Madurai, and some Portuguese from the coast assembled a large army near Tiruchirapalli. Yachama led his forces from Vellore and was joined in midway by Tanjore forces headed by the Tanjore King Raghunatha Nayaka. Yachama – Tanjore forces were further strengthened by nobles from Karnataka and (according to some accounts) Dutch and Jaffna armies. Both the Armies met at the Toppur, at an open field on the northern banks of River Cauvery, between Tiruchirappalli and Grand Anicut in late months of 1616. Result In the Battle Jagga Raya's troops could not withstand the aggression generated by the imperial forces led by Yachama and Raghunatha, the generals of the Imperial camp. Jagga Raya was slain by Yachama, and his army took flight. Yethiraja, the brother of Jagga Raya, had to run for his life. The Nayaka chieftain of Madurai tried to escape, he was pursued by Yachama's general Rao Dama Nayani and captured near Tiruchirapalli. The Nayak of Gingee in the encounter lost all his forts except Gingee Fort and the putative son of Venkata II, the cause of all the trouble, was captured. The victory was celebrated by the imperial armies headed by Thanjavur Nayak and Yachamanedu, who planted pillars of victory and crowned Rama Deva as Rama Deva Raya, in early months of 1617. Rama Deva Raya was barely 15 years old when he ascended the throne. KR : why this history? Why Ramasamy? RAMA RAYAN AT 15 YEARS GOT BACK INTO THE THRONE WERE CELEBRATED SO HIGHLY THAT RAMA RAYA BUILT RAMA SAMY TEMPLE. Getting back Seetha was remembered in getting back the lost throne by Rāma Rayan. Kumbakonam Royer café etc. connected with Royars arise from history. Continued Hostilities [LATER] Yethiraja, the brother of Jagga Raya, after losing the Toppur Battle, aligned with the Gingee Nayak and attacked Tanjore, but was defeated with the later ending as captive. Yethiraja waged on, until he reconciled with Rama Deva Raya, after giving his daughter in marriage. Things settled for the king after the death of the putative son in 1619. Loss of Kurnool The Bijapur Sultan, taking advantage of the ravaging civil wars attacked Kurnool in 1620, but was defeated and sent back only to return in 1624 and taking that region completely. Yachama Yachama Naidu, now the military governor of the kingdom opposed the marriage of Rama Deva to Yethiraja's daughter. The king was reprimanded but he went on to marry the daughter of Yethiraja. Yachama felt the humiliation and requested Rama Deva to remove him from the royal service with the pretext of age. Yethiraja, now father-in-law of Rama Deva Raya broke into a conflict with Yachama when he demanded the Gobburi lands, and by 1629 with help from Tanjore and Gingee forces, Yachama's territories were attacked by the imperial army. Yachama's forces though inferior in number, put up a stiff fight. After a prolonged siege, Yachama agreed to return the Gobburi lands to Yethiraja. The regions of Pulicat, Chengalpattu and Maduranthakam was completely brought under control of Vellore. Yachama was allowed to rule Venkatagiri but he chose to spend his life in the protection of Udaiyarpalaiyam chieftain. K RAJARAM IRS 20925 On Sat, 20 Sept 2025 at 09:05, 'gopala krishnan' via Thatha_Patty < [email protected]> wrote: > *ARULMIGU SRI RAMASWAMY TEMPLE, KUMBAKONAM, THANJAVUR DISTRICT- TAMILNADU-* > *COMPILED* > > Dear friends, > > Arulmigu Sri Ramaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord > SriRama, an incarnation of Vishnu located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. > It is one of the prominent temples in the town and also one of the most > prominent temples dedicated to SriRama in India. This temple is also > counted as a temple located on the banks of river Kaveri. > > Today my posting is about this temple. Hope a divine reading. > > Gopalakrishnan 20-09-2025 > > Introduction > > At a distance of 2 Km from Kumbakonam Railway Station, Ramaswamy Temple is > an ancient Hindu temple located on the southeastern portion of the > Porthamarai Tank in Kumbakonam. This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, an > incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is regarded as one of the most prominent > places to visit in Kumbakonam. It is one of the five Vishnu temples > associated with the Mahamaham festival, which occurs every 12 years in > Kumbakonam. This Temple is one of the biggest Temples in India that is > dedicated to Lord Rama. It is no surprise that this huge Rama Temple is > also called as Southern Ayodhya or Ayodhya of South India. Since this > Temple happens to be located in Kumbakonam Town there is flurry of North > Indian Tourists visiting this Temple and chanting Jai Sree Ram. > > Legend > > As per the legend, Rama and Sita during their exile came to Kumbakonam. > After knowing the sanctity of the Mahamaham tank they took a bath. The > Amirtha kalasa / pot appeared from the tank with a divine voice. It said > that they are the incarnation of Mahavishnu and MahaLakshmi and will stay > at Kumbakonam as Ramaswamy and bless the Devotees. As per the divine voice > Rama and Sita were stationed in this temple after they returned from Sri > Lanka. > > In another legend, every year a Golden lotus will bloom in the tank, hence > the tank is called Potramarai kulam. It is believed that the Lotus is the > manifestation of Rama. It has not appeared in recent years. > > History > > The original temple may belong to the 8th to 9th Century . The temple was > re-built during the period of Thanjavur Nayaks king Achuthappa Nayak > (1560–1614) and completed during the reign of Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34). > Govinda Dikshitar, the prime minister of the Nayaks, constructed the > temple. He added a commercial corridor between his new temple and the older > Chakrapani temple. There are later contributions from *Thanjavur Maratha > kingdom.* > > On 9 September 2015, Ramaswamy temple's consecration (Maha kumbabhisekam) > took place > > Architecture > > The temple is enshrined within a huge granite wall and the complex > contains all the shrines and the water bodies of the temple. The Raja > gopuram (the main gateway) has five tiers. The temple comprises a Maha > Mandapam and a Sanctum Sanctorum. The Maha Mandapam is supported by 64 > intricately carved pillars, showcasing renowned stone sculptures depicting > Vamana Avatharam, Meenakshi Kalyanam, and Sugreeva Pattabishekam. Each > pillar is hewn from a single stone, highlighting the exquisite > craftsmanship. The outer Prakaram is adorned with 219 wall paintings that > narrate various events from the epic Ramayana. > > Ramayanam is depicted in pictorial format in three segments in the first > precinct. The paintings are believed to have emerged from the Thanjavur > Nayak period and were subsequently enhanced during the Thanjavur Maratha > kingdom. The paintings of Ramayana are considered one of the major > depictions of the epic in art form in India. > > *The temple faces North* with a 5-tier Rajagopuram. Balipeedam, Garudan, > and dwajasthambam are in the Mukha mandapam after the 1st level of > Rajagopuram. The second level Rajagopuram(Vimanam) is of 3 tiers. > > Chief Deities > > The central shrine houses the image of Rama in a seated posture with his > consort Sita. The other images are of his brothers Lakshmana, Bharatha and > Satruguna in standing posture and Hanuman in worship posture. > > *Sri Rama is found in the Sanctum Sanctorum with his coronation robes > along with Seetha*. Rama in the temple is depicted with Vyakarna Mudra. > > This Temple is very unique since Lord Rama is seen here along with His > brothers Lakshmana in a standing posture and armed with Bow and Arrows, > Bharathan holding an Umbrella and Sathrugnan holding a Hand-Held Fan. > Hanuman is seen depicting and playing a Veena in praise of Lord Rama. > Generally in all other Rama Temples Bharathan and Sathrugnan are not seen > in the Sanctum Sanctorum. The Urchavamoorthi Idols too are seen in the > Sanctum Sanctorum. > > Moolavar Ramar is about 6 feet tall with Sita in a sitting posture. Sri > Rama is holding shankha and chakra in the upper hands and lower hands in > vara hastham and kadi hastham. > > Other sannadhis > > Srinivasa Perumal Sannadhi, Gopalan Sannadhi are the most important sub > deities. In kostam, Vinayagar, Murugan on Elephant vahana, Varahar, Sapta > Rishis, Sugreeva's coronation, Thiruvikrama idols are also in the prakaram. > > Poojas > > The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. > *The > temple follows Pancharatra Agama and Vadakalai tradition*. The temple > priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. > Like other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Brahmin > Vaishnavite sect, which is dedicated to Vishnu. The temple rituals are > performed six times a day; Tiruvanandal at 8:00 a.m., Kala santhi at 9:00 > a.m., Uchikalam at 12:30 p.m., Ntiyanusandhanam at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam > at 7:30 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises three > steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa > aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Sarangapani and Thayar. The food > offering during the six times are *curd rice, Ven pongal, spiced rice, > dosa, Ven pongal and sugar pongal* respectively. There are weekly, > fortnightly and monthly rituals > > Festivals > > Twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The major festival in the temple > is *Rama Navami* during the Tamil month of Panguni (March–April). Sri > Rama Navami stands out as the principal festival celebrated at the > Ramaswamy Temple. This occasion marks the birth of Lord Rama and takes > place during the Tamil month of Panguni, which occurs between March and > April. Furthermore, the temple hosts an annual event known as the Float > Festival, celebrated with great enthusiasm from February to March. > Additionally, the significant Mahamaham Festival, held every 12 years, is > also observed with grandeur at this temple, which is one of the five Vishnu > temples linked to the Mahamaham Festival. > > Vaikunta Ekadasi, Thai Pongal, Masi Magam Theerthavari, Gokulashtami, > Navaratri, Pavitra Utsavam are other festivals in this temple. > > Religious importance > > The temple is counted as one of the temples built on the banks of River > Kaveri. Five temples of Vishnu are connected with the Mahamaham festival > which happens once every 12 years in Kumbakonam. These five temples > together make one of the 108 Vishnu temples, Divya Desam. They are > Sarangapani Temple, Chakrapani Temple, Ramaswamy Temple, Rajagopalaswamy > Temple, and Varahaperumal Temple. > > Dress Code & Other Restrictions of Ramaswamy Temple > > When planning a visit to the Ramaswamy Temple in Kumbakonam, it is > recommended to adhere to modest clothing that covers your upper arms and > legs as a sign of respect. Men are encouraged to wear a dhoti or pajama > paired with an upper garment, as well as formal trousers and shirts. Women > may opt for a saree, half saree, or churidhars. *It is advisable to > refrain from wearing contemporary attire such as mini-skirts, low-waist > jeans, shorts, and sleeveless tops while on the temple grounds.* > > Non-Hindus are welcome to explore the temple complex and appreciate its > architectural beauty; however, access to the sanctum sanctorum may be > restricted. > > Ramaswamy Temple Timings > > 6 AM - 12:30 PM & 4 PM - 9 PM > > Temple Phone Numbers: > > 0435 - 2401788 and 79471 14117 > > How to Reach the Temple > > Trichy Airport is the nearest airport, situated about 95 kilometres from > Kumbakonam. > > The Kumbakonam Railway Station provides comprehensive train services to > numerous cities. > > Bus services connect Kumbakonam with all parts of Tamil Nadu. Travelers > can utilize bus services or opt for a cab or auto-rickshaw to reach > Ramaswamy Temple. > > . Beyond the Rajagopuram is a Dwajasthambam and a Bali Peedam facing the > Sanctum Sanctorum. In one of the pillars an eye captivating sculpture of > Anjaneya Swamy is embedded and it is so heartwarming to see each and every > Devotee standing here and Praying before this Rama Dhoodhan*. There are > many Gateways leading to the Moolasthanam and at the threshold of each > Gateway there is a pair of Dwara Baalakas on either side standing guard to > the Presiding Deity*. In the 64 Pillared Mandapam where the life history > of Lord Rama is portrayed with several images. There are around 219 wall > paintings with showcases all intricate details about our great Epic > Ramayana. > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Thatha_Patty" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/409823992.3666619.1758339175557%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/409823992.3666619.1758339175557%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoo-T3sUOBDwwAVzA1bFFZ8FCdhUN1M61Bb-BpCPues4Xw%40mail.gmail.com.
