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If it is temples, it has to be Tamil Nadu. True. If it is art, it has to be Cholas or Pallavas or Pandyas. Who said so? The artistic history of Tamil Nadu is not only confined to the Pallavas, Cholas and the Pandyas. There was another sect of rulers known as Adiamans, who of course were not as legendary as the rest. Namakkal, a temple devoted to Anjaneya can be attributed to a successor of the Adiaman clan.
Namakkal is a sacred place that contains both charm and history. The fort of Namakkal is guarded by a giant Anjaneya. The idol is so famous that it has been known as Namakkal Hanuman. There is also another Anjaneya on the banks of the tank, Kamalalaya. The difference between both the idols is that while the former is massive the latter is a wonderful piece of art.
The offering made by devotees to this temple is mainly garlands of cakes made of gram or the vadai malais. The striking attribute of this temple is that there is no roof above the God. The sun dries Him and the rain drenches Him. But He stands there, tall and commanding. There is also a bell on His tail and a sword on His hips.
 Also spotted is a Narasimha temple opposite to Hanuman. It looks as if Hanuman is under the direct praise of Narasimha. The Narasimha is eight armed holding a prayoga charka, a sword, a conch and a bow. Hiranyakashipu is seen on His lap being torn into pieces. Hiranya can be seen helpless before the claws of Narasimha. There is also another exquisite piece of art in the temple. It is that of Lakshmi Narayana. This sculpture has been very elaborately carved and even the conch and the discus look outstanding.
 In this temple, Mahavishnu is not resting on the Adisesha but seated. On either side are Brahma and Narasimha. There is also a place for Lord Shiva in the temple, symbolising the Shiva-Vishnu unity.
The story behind the origins of this temple goes as follows. When Mahavishnu slew Hiranyakashipu His rage did not subside. He was all hot with anger that even the Devas were petrified. They thought that if Vishnu were to remain angry forever, then the world would son come to an end.
They approached refuge at the feet of Lakshmi Narayana. In order to please the
Devas,
 the Lord took the form of both Narasimha and Lakshmi Narayana, the latter being a sober manifestation.
There is an eye-catching piece of art in this temple of both Shiva and Vishnu in the same idol. The left side of the idol has Vishnu from the summit to the toe while the right has Shiva. The uniqueness of this idol is that Shiva holds a snake in His forehand. This sight is very rare as there is no other temple which exhibits this wonder. A blend of art, history and divinity - that’s Namakkal for you.
S Sowmya
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