Sthala purana
A sthala purana or sthala puranam (
Etymology
Sthala Purana comes from the Sanskrit terms Sthala, meaning, 'place', and Purana, meaning, 'history'. A Sthala Purana serves to offer information regarding the events associated with a given place, which is usually a temple.[3][4]
Description
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Sthala Puranas were historically transmitted orally, traditionally by the
Sthala Puranas are categorised along three main themes: tirtha (sacredness of a site), khestra (a geographic area or place), and daivata (deity).
Traditions
Sthala Puranas are found more often in South India, where the dominant Hindu traditions are Vaishnavism and Shaivism.[6] Accordingly, most of these chronicles offer veneration to Vishnu or Shiva in their contents. In Tamil Nadu, Sthala Puranas are rendered Tala Valaraṟu (Tamil: தல வரலாறு), and are generally transmitted in Tamil.[7]
Vaishnava Sthala Puranas are primarily associated with the Sri Vaishnava tradition, to which the twelve poet-saints, the Alvars, belonged to. Each of the Divya Desams, the 108 sacred abodes of Vishnu, scattered throughout India, has a Sthala Purana associated with it.[8] The Alvars are regarded to have visited and extolled these shrines,[9] their hymns compiled in the Sri Vaishnava canon, called the Naalayira Divya Prabandham.[10]
Shaiva chronicles of this genre tell of the origins and traditions of particular Tamil Shiva temples or shrines. There are numerous Sthala Puranas, most written in the vernacular, but some with Sanskrit versions as well. The 275 Shiva Sthalams of the continent have such Puranas for each, famously glorified in the Tamil literary work Tevaram. Some appear in Sanskrit versions in the Mahapuranas or Upapuranas. Some Tamil Sthala Puranas have been researched by David Dean Shulman.[11]
Examples
- The Sthala Purana of the Alagiya Manavalan Perumal temple in Uraiyur (Woraiyur), now part of Tiruchirappali, and known as Thirukkoli, describes the tale behind the existence of temple.[12]
- The Sthala Purana of the Srivilliputhur Andal temple is significant due to its influence on Ramanuja.[citation needed]
- The Sthala Purana of the region of Thiruvottiyur (Chennai), one of the oldest habitations by the sea, during the 16th century, describes it as one of the greener places in the region.[13]
- The Sthala Purana of Mumbai is believed to have been derived from goddess belonging to Koli community, Mumba devi, who are considered as the initial inhabitants of the islands in city.[14]
- The Sthala Purana of the Sthalasayana Perumal temple at Mamallapuram highlights the story of the lotus- offering to Vishnu in that place.[2]
- The Sthala Purana of the city of Kumbhakonam indicates the place as being surrounded by villages, which are jointly linked, with a legendary story relating to cosmogony.[15]
- The Sthala Purana of the
- The Sthala Purana of the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam Temple in Simhachalam relates the temple to the asura king known as Hiranyakashipu, and his son, Prahlada.[17]
- The Sthala Purana of the Yadagirigutta Narasimha Swamy temple is said to be dated back to the Treta Yugam.
- The Sthala Purana of places in Nalgonda gives ancient details of the Sri Meenakshi Agasteswara Swamy Temple.[18]
See also
References
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2018-03-30). "Sthalapurana, Sthalapurāṇa, Sthala-purana: 6 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ a b Saxena, Saurabh (12 August 2019). "Mamallapuram – Sthalapuranas". puratattva.in. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-8028-0739-7.
- ^ "Kakatiya-era Rama temple has rare door carvings". The Hindu. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4051-6021-6.
- ISBN 978-1-4613-8090-0.
- ^ Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India. The Society. 1984. p. 32.
- ISBN 978-0-7391-9002-9.
- ISBN 978-0-7914-1381-4.
- ISBN 978-0-87249-965-2.
- ^ Shulman 1980.
- ^ "Vishnu temple in an ancient Chola capital". The Indian Express. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "Traces of Thiruvottiyur in texts". newindianexpress. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "Story of Mumbai". talkingmyths.com. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "Holy Dham-Information about Holy places in India". Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "Sthala Purana and History of Meenakshi Amman Temple". Temple Diary. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "Sthala purana of The Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam Simhachalam Temple". Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "Places of Interest". nalgonda.telangana.gov.in. Retrieved 8 November 2021.