Temple car

Temple cars or Temple chariots are used to carry representations of Hindu gods around the streets of the temple on festival days. These chariots are generally manually pulled by the devotees of the deity.

As of 2004, Tamil Nadu had 515 wooden carts, 79 of which needed repairs. Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram Natarajar Temple are among the temples that possess these huge wooden chariots for regular processions.

The Natarajar Temple celebrates the chariot festival twice a year; once in the summer (Aani Thirumanjanam, which takes place between June and July) and another in winter (Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai, which takes place between December and January). Lord Krishna of Udupi has five temple cars, namely Brahma ratha (the largest), Madya ratha (medium), kinyo (small), and the silver and gold rathas.

The size of the largest temple cars inspired the Anglo-Indian term Juggernaut (from Jagannath), signifying a tremendous, virtually unstoppable force or phenomenon.

History

Temple cars are used during festivals called Ratha Yatra, a procession in a chariot accompanied by the public. It typically refers to a procession (journey) of deities, people dressed like deities, or simply religious saints and political leaders. The term appears in medieval texts of India such as the Puranas, which mention the Ratha Yatra of Surya (Sun god), of Devi (Mother goddess), and of Vishnu. These chariot journeys have elaborate celebrations where the individuals or the deities come out of a temple accompanied by the public journeying with them through the Ksetra (region, streets) to another temple or to the river or the sea. Sometimes the festivities include returning to the sacrosanctum of the temple.

Traveler Fa-Hien who visited India during 400 CE notes the way temple car festivals were celebrated in India.

Early photographs and lithography of temple chariots

Largest temple chariot

The procession of the Asia's largest and greatest temple car of Thiruvarur Thiyagarajar Temple in Tamil Nadu features prominently in an ancient festival held in the town. The annual chariot festival of the Thygarajaswamy temple is celebrated during April – May, corresponding to the Tamil month of Chitrai. The chariot is the largest of its kind in Asia and India weighing 300 tons with a height of 90 feet. The chariot comes around the four main streets surrounding the temple during the festival. The event is attended by lakhs of people from all over Tamil Nadu. 

The Aazhi Ther is the biggest temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. The 30-foot tall temple car, which originally weighed 220 tons, is raised to 96 feet with bamboo sticks and decorative clothes, taking its total weight to 350 tons. Mounted on the fully decorated temple car, the presiding deity – Lord Shiva – went around the four streets with the devotees pulling it using huge ropes. Two bulldozers were engaged to provide the required thrust so that devotees could move the chariot.

Gallery

List of places with traditional Temple cars

India

Tamil Nadu

 Alwarkurichi, Tenkasi 
 Aragalur
 Avinashi (Sri Avanashiappar Temple)
 Bhavani Kooduthoorai, Tamil Nadu (4 chariots)
 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (Koniamman Temple)
 Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu (Nataraja Temple)
 Dindigul (Abiramiyamman Kovil)
 Denkanikottai  (Betarayaswamy Kovil)
 Erode (Chennimalai, Sivagiri, Sivanmalai)
 Gobichettipalayam (Sri Kondathukalaimman Temple, Sri Balamurugan Temple and others)
 Kadayanallur
 Kallal Town (Somasundareswarer Kovil)
 Kanchipuram (Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ekambareswarar Temple  and others)
 Karuvalur (Shri Mariamman Kovil)
 Karamadai (Ranganathaswamy temple)
 Kumbakonam (Sri Saarangapani Temple and others)
 Lalgudi (Saptharishishwarar Temple)
 Madurai (Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple and others)
 Mannargudi (Sri vidhya Rajagopalaswamy temple)
 Minjur (Sri Ekambaranatha temple)
 Mylapore, Chennai (Kapaleeshwarar Temple)
 North Authoor (Sri Somanathar Somasundari Temple)
 Palani
 Perur (Patteewarar Temple)
 Sakkottai, Karaikudi
 Sankarankovil (Sankara Narayanasamy Temple)
 Srivaikuntam (Sri Srivaikuntanathan Permual Temple – Fourth largest temple car in Tamil Nadu)
 Suchindram (Thanumalayan Temple)
 Srivilliputtur (Sri Andal Temple - Second largest temple car in Tamil Nadu)
 Salem (Elampillai, Aranagalur, Rasipuram)
 Sholinghur Sri Lakshmi Narasimha  Swamy temple,Sholinghur.
 Srimushnam (Boovaraha Swami temple - Second largest temple car in Tamilnadu)
 Tiruchendur (Sri Subramanya Swami temple)
 Thirupathiripuliyur, Cuddalore (Padaleeswarar temple)
 Thiruvanthipuram, Cuddalore District (Devanathaswamy temple)
 Tirunelveli (Sri Nellaiappar Temple – Third largest temple car in Tamil Nadu)
 Tiruchengode (Sri Arthanareeswarar Temple - Fourth largest temple car in Tamil Nadu) 
 Tiruvannamalai (Annamalaiyar, unnamulai amman temple, 5 Chariots)
 Tirupattur (Aruilmigu Muthukumara Swamy Thirukkovil, God Shiva chariot)
 Thirthahalli
 Tiruvallur
 Tiruvidaimarudur (Mahalinga Swamy) Schariots 
 Thungapuram (Ariyalur-Perambalur)
 Thiruvarur (Thiyagarajar Temple - First largest temple car in Asia)
 Thiruthangal (Perumal Kovil)
 Thirukoshtiyur (Sri Sowmiya Narayana Perumal Kovil)
 Vickramasingapuram (Sivanthiappar Kovil)
 Virudhunagar
 Vasudevanallur (Sri Cinthamani Nathar temple (arthanathiswarar temple)

Karnataka
 Banavasi

 Bengaluru (Someshwara Temple)

 Bantwal
 Gokarna (Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple)
 Hampi (Immovable stone chariot built by Vijayanagara Kings)
 Karinjeshwara
 Kateel (Shri Durga Parameshwari Temple)
 Kollur, Udupi (Mookambika Temple)
 Mangalore (Shri Venkataraman temple)
 Nanjangud (Srikanteshwara Temple)
 Mulki (Shree Venkataramana Temple) 
 Mulki (Shree Kalikamba Temple)
 Mulki (Shri Bappanadu Temple)
 Mysuru (Chamundeshwari Temple)
 Puttur, (Shri Maha Lingeshsara Temple)
 Suratkal
 Udupi

Odisha

 Bhubaneswar
 Puri

Kerala
 Chettikulangara, (Chettikulangara Devi Temple)
 Cherai
 Palakkad, Kerala (Many temples in settlements of Palakkad)

Andhra Pradesh
 Kadiri (Sri Khadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Temple)
 Koduru

Others

 Manali New Town (Aiyya Temple)
 Yanam

Malaysia

 George Town (Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple)
 Kuala lumpur (Seri Maha Mariamman Temple Devasthanam)
 Teluk Intan (Nagarathaar Sri Thendayuthapani)

Sri Lanka

 Colombo
 Trincomalee (Koneswaram temple)

Germany
 Hamm, Germany (Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple)

List of places with golden Temple cars

Andhra Pradesh 
 Lord Shiva temple
 Narasimhaswami temple and tirumala Sri vari ratham

Karnataka 

 Gokarna (Shri Mahabaleshwar temple)
 Kateel (Shri Durga Parameshwari temple)
 Kollur (Mookambika Temple)
 Konchady, Mangalore (Mahalasa Narayani Temple)
 Udupi  (Sri Krishna matha)

Puducherry 

 Sri Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar, Pondicherry, Puducherry

Tamil Nadu 

 Arulmigu Maruntheeswar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai
 Arulmigu Devi Karumariamman, Thiruverkadu, Chennai
 Arulmigu Vadapalani Andavar, Vadapalani, Chennai
 Arulmigu Kamatchiamman, Mangadu, Chennai
 Arulmigu Kanthaswamy, Parktown, Chennai
 Arulmigu Mundakakanniamman, Mylapore, Chennai
 Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar, Mylapore, Chennai
 Maruthamalai, Coimbatore (Subramanya Swamy Temple)
 Coimbatore (Eachanari Vinayagar Temple) 
 Coimbatore (Thandu Mariamman Temple) 
 Arulmigu MeenakshiSundareswarar, Madurai
 Arulmigu Solaimalai Murugan, Pazhamudircholai, Alagarkovil Madurai
 Arulmigu Jambukeswarar, Thiruvanaikkaval, Trichy
 Arulmigu Nellaiappar Temple, Tirunelveli
 Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy, Rameswaram
 Arulmigu Subramaniaswamy, Thiruchendur
 Arulmigu Kamatchiamman, Kanchipuram
 Arulmigu Dandayuthapaniswamy, Palani
 Arulmigu Swaminathaswamy, Swamimalai
 Arulmigu Subramanyaswamy, Thiruttani
 Arulmigu Anjaneyaswamy, Namakkal
 Arulmigu Pachaimalai Murugan, Gobichettipalayam
 Arulmigu Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman, Gobichettipalayam
 Arulmigu Mariamman, Bannari, Erode
 Arulmigu Velayuthaswamy, Thindalmalai, Erode
 Arulmigu Arthanareeswarar, Tiruchengode
 Arulmigu Subramaniyaswamy, Sivanmalai, Tirupur
 Arulmigu Kottaimariamman, Dindigul
 Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar, Thiruvannamalai
 Arulmigu Vaidhyanathaswamy, Vaitheeswaran Kovil
 Arulmigu Mahalinga Swamy Temple, Thiruvidaimarudur (SILVER CHARIOT)
 Arulmigu SankaraNarayanaswamy, Sankarankovil
 Nanguneri (Arulmigu Vanamamalai Perumal) 
 Arulmigu Balamurugan, Raththinagiri
 Arulmigu Mariamman, Samayapuram
 Arulmigu Masaniamman, Anamalai
 Arulmigu Mathurakaliyamman, Siruvachur, Perambalur District
 Arulmigu Angalaparameshwari Amman, Melmalayanur, Villupuram District
 Arulmigu Natarajar Temple, Chidambaram, Cuddalore District - the chariot for Pichandavar on the eighth day of 10-day long festival

 Arulmigu Yoga Lakshmi Narasimar temple, Sholinghur, Ranipet district.
 Arulmigu Vijayapuri Amman temple, Vijayamangalam,Erode

See also 
 Ratha
 Carroccio
 Carriage

References 

Chariots
Tamil culture