कमलाम्बा नवावरणं -kamalAmbA navAvaraNam-Tamil meaning by Sri.Vid.Dr.Godavenkateswara Sastri

Part-3
कमलाम्बा नवावरणं -kamalAmbA navAvaraNam-Tamil meaning by Sri.Vid.Dr.Godavenkateswara Sastri
The set of compositions, popularly known as ''KamalAmbA
NavAvaraNam'' is a series of eleven kIrtanam-s composed by the
illustrious composer, ShrI MuttusvAmi DIkShitar, in praise
of Goddess KamalAmbA of the mammoth temple at TiruvArUr. This
work is one of the peaks of his creativity. Be it the meaning,
the rAga or the structure, each one of the kritis is a gem.
In this intellectual project, the composer is at his best,
the lyrics are superb and steeped in devotion, the theme is
lofty, and everything is indeed 'par excellence'!!
TiruvArUr is a small town in the south Indian district of
Ta~njAvUr, about 35 miles east of the town of Ta~njAvUr,
situated as a railway junction between NAgapaTTaNam and
Ta~njAvur, as well as between MayilAdutturai and KAraikkuDi,
in the KAveri river delta. This is the location of the
vast temple complex dedicated to Lord TyAgarAja (Shiva).
Seven temples in the vicinity of TiruvArUr are designated as
'sapta viTa~Nka kShetram'-s of TyAgarAja (somAskanda), and
the foremost among them is the 'vIthI viTa~Nka' TyAgarAja of
the majestic TiruvArUr temple. The massive structure of this
temple is enclosed in a huge quadrangle that measures 846 feet
in length, and 666 feet in breadth. There are four gopurams
(temple towers) on the four sides, and three smaller ones
inside the complex. The eastern entrance is vast and spacious
(110 feet by 60 feet), and has the huge rAja gopuram (main
temple tower) 120 feet tall. It is a gigantic five-tiered
structure topped with 11 'kalasham'-s (sacred pots), and has
the unique and unusual feature that it abruptly diminishes in
size as it rises. There are three prAkArams (complex walls,
circumambulatory paths) in this temple, and numerous shrines
too many to count, big and small, are scattered throughout.
The TyAgarAja shrine is located in the innermost prAkAram,
to the south of the ValmIkanAtha (pRRithvI li~Ngam or ValmIka
li~Ngam-ant-hill)) shrine within the same prAkAram. Both
share a common mukha maNDapam. Four other important shrines,
HATakeshvara, Acaleshvara, SiddhIshvara, Anandeshvara are
located at the four cardinal points (southewest, southeast,
northeast, and northwest, respectively) of the middle
prAkAram. The consort of TyAgarAja is NIlotpalAmbA, the
goddess of blue lotus. In TevAram songs, she is affectionately
addressed in tamil as ``alliyankotai''. Her shrine is located in
the second prAkAram on the right side. The unique feature is
that here, nIlotpalAmbA is depicted as blessing her second son,
skanda (subrahmaNya) with her hand on his forehead.
The KamalAmbA shrine is in the northwest corner of the outermost
prAkAram, well away from the main shrines, with its own MaNDapam
and circumambulatory passages that makes an angle with the
prAkAram wall. This shrine is traditionally and ritually
unconnected with the main shrine of TyAgarAja. Here, the
Goddess is depicted in a meditating posture. While NIlotpalAmbA
is supposed to represent the ``bhoga shakti'' of Lord Shiva,
KamalAmbA represents the ``yoga shakti''. It is to be observed
that muttusvAmi dIkShitar never associated kamalAmbA with
TyAgarAja, and considered only NIlotpalAmbA as the consort
of the deity. All the eleven kIrtanams of the KamalAmbA
NavavAvaraNam series are engraved in marble slabs on the walls
at the entrance to the main sanctorum of Goddess KamalAmbA.
The huge tank, kamalAlayam is located on the western side
of the temple complex. and covers an enormous area of 25
acres (compared to only 20 acres area of the temple complex).
There is a shrine dedicated to nAganAthasvAmi in the middle of
the tank, approached only by boat. The grand float festival
that takes place in this tank is indeed very magnificent.