Ammaiyappan Sri Pallavandon Rajanarayana Sambuvarayan

Ammaiyappan Sri Pallavandon Rajanarayana Sambuvarayan was perhaps the contemporary Sambuvaraya Chieftain during the reign of Chola Rajaraja III. He ruled the Padaiveedu region including Munnur and Thondaimandalam. He made endowments to many temples including Adavalleswarar temple. It is attested by three inscriptions available in Adavalleswarar temple.^[1]

A Sambuvaraya first record^[2] is available in the northern side of Mahamandapa of the temple. It states a Royal Order to be implemented by Sri Pallavaandon Ethirili Chola Sambuvarayan. The record also mentions the principal deity as Adavallan. Taken into account this same expression Adavallan second time in the appearance of the principal deity name perhaps this record also issued during the time of Chola Rajadhiraja II. Further this record refers to a gift of a village Siruvadi alias Kulottunga Chola Nallur for the maintenance of the Adavalleswar temple and to conduct the daily pujas and daily a offerings of the principal deity. Moreover the village donation was given as a tax free gift to Munnjur Adavallan the Primal deity of the Adavalleswarar temple by the request of one Gangeyarayan and one Bangalarayon.^[3] Besides this Royal Order was also recorded by one Menavan Muvenda Vellalan^[4] an official called Thirumandira Olai he who received the Royal Order of the Cholas and the same was sent to other local officials for execution. From this it is clear that during the period of Chola Rajadhira II the Royal Orders after proclaimed by the ruler was received by one official and the same was sent to other officials for execution and recorded in the temple in a systematic manner.

The second record^[5] of Sambuvaraya issued in Rajaraja III’s 10^th regnal year (A.D.1227) is found on the eastern wall of the central shrine. The record refers to a gift of two ma of the land by Ammaiyappan Sri Pallavandan Rajanarayana Sambuvarayan, the chieftain. The denoted land was assigned on the eastern side of the village Munnjur called Vizhavur. Besides, the income of the two ma^[6] of dry land was used to conduct Thiruvettai the Annual festival in the month of Chitirai.^[7] Moreover the expenses of Thirukappu,^[8] Nan and other miscellaneous expenses of this Puja to be meet out by the income from the Thiruvettai lands.

Senkeni Ammaiya Rajaraja Sambuvarayan succeeded Ammaiyappan Sri Pallavandon, Rajanarayana Sambuvarayan was also contemporary of Chola Rajaraja III. This Rajaraja sambuvarayan also did considerable service to this temple. For instance the third epigraph^[9] of Sambuvaraya III in his 13^th regnal year (A.D.1230) is found on the west wall of the issued in the 13^th regnal year of Rajaraja III (A.D. 1230). Mahamandapa of the central shrine. The record resisters the income from various Tax sources to meet out the expenses incurred for the maintenance of a Nandavanam^[10] (Flower garden), the incense to be smeared on the principal idol while conducting the Pujas and parivattam^[11] covering the, the fresh cloths during the ritualistic worship by the Senkeni Ammaiyappa Rajaraja Samburavarayan. It also includes the oil supply for burning the perpetual lamps. The tax collections in the devadana^[12] lands were Padikkaval, Mapathakku and Kankani.^[13] Besides the taxes they have collected the Thirumandiravilagam viz., Thari Iray, Thatcuhar and Kollar, Mahazhmai. Apart from these taxes the other taxes to be collected was Kuyavarin the Irankolli and other Ur Mahazhmai^[14] were Varniyarper Vari, Kadai pattam and Chekku Kadamai.^[15]

The fourth record^[16] of Rajaraja III issued in his 13^th regnal year (A.D.1230) is found on the south side of the Mahamandapa of the Central shrine. The record states that one Ammaiyappan Ponthaman^[17] alias Narpathonnayiram who was a trader of Thakkolam alias Mudikonda Chola Puram purchased 224 Kuli^[18] land from the temple Brahmanas for seven Kazhanju^[19] of gold for laying a trader (Vaniyar) street on the west side of the temple. From this it is clear that the oil traders^[20] or Merchandile (Vaniyar) community lived in a separate street at Munnjur. These dwelling places for Vaniyars or Merchandile community settlement were established on the western side of the Adavalleswarar temple during the time of Rajaraja III. Perhaps this Merchandile community rendered the oil supply to the temple. Thus the temple acted as a employer or consumer of the public.

On the west wall of the Mahamandapa of the central shrine the fifty epigraph^[21] which is issued by Chola Rajaraja III in his 15^th regnal year (A.D.1232) refers to gift of lands and gold coins^[22] from number of individual for performing daily pujas and food offerings^[23] to the Primal deity Jayankonda Cholamandalathu Devar. The record registers the gift of 4 ma^[24] of land which was entrusted to Kamalakara Bhattan^[25] the temple chief priest for daily pujas and gift of 1/2 ma of land for food offerings by one Uzhugai Bhattan and a gift of 27 gold coins^[26] for daily pujas and 1/2 ma of land for food offerings by one Thiruvandhi Satta Ullittor of Mangipuram and a gift of 13 gold coins for daily pujas and one kani^[27] of land for food offerings by one Sri Ranganatha Bhattan of Kundur. Besides the epigraph also mentioned that the temple Siva Brahmanas viz., Iswara Kuththadi Bhattan and Kankaniyar^[28] were responsible for burning the two santhi lamps upto Santhirathitham^[29] (9.00 p.m.) From this record it is clear that the individuals along with the Brahmins donated lands and gold coins for daily pujas and food offering to the Primal deity.

The sixty epigraph^[30] of Chola Rajaraja III issued in his 17^th regnal year (A.D.1234) is found on the south side wall of the Mahamandapa in front of the Central shrine. He did considerable service to this temple. The record refers to the gift of total land measuring 600 Kuli^[31] by one Thiruvaranga Devan and his wife Thiruvanal^[32] of Kurrur for burning the perpetual lamp and a santhi^[33] lamp to the main deity respectively. The gift was made by both husband and wife. This Karruran Kizhavan Thiruvaranga Devan^[34] of Kurrur perhaps might have served as a war General or Minister of Rajaraja III.^[35] This inscription clearly proves that it was an age of faith and everybody made endowments to the God of their own choice awarding to the degree of devotion and irrespective of gender. Beside it also stand as a testimonial for the women participation in the public life and religious activities on those days.

The importance given to Munnjur Adavalleswarar temple is also revealed by his seventh inscriptions found in Adavalleswarar temple. A record of Chola Rajaraja III^[36] issued in his 18^th regnal year (A.D.1235) is found on the southern side of the Mahamandapa of the Primal Shrine. The record also refers to three Devadasis viz., Devarandal Thavamseithal, Thaiya Mulavaithiyal and Nemali Semmukkal.^[37] These three Devadasis belong to Parikiraham of Dinasindhamani in the Nadu Nadu territorial subdivision donated three perpetual lamps for burning the same to the Presiding deity. Besides the burning of three lamps were entrusted to the priests by whom the rituals, the holy water Abhishekam and sacred grass Archana conducted to the Presiding deity and they were known as Thiruvannazhigai Sabhaiyar^[38]. From this it is clear that the Thiruvannazhigai Sabhaiyar were the special priests who performed the holy rituals by carrying the holy water from the temple tank and sacred grass to the Presiding deity of the temple.

It is a rare inscription from which we get rarely the liberal donations made by three Devadasis for burning the perpetual lamps. From this it is infer that the donations not only made by the rulers and official but also by the Devadasis who were served in the temples and it is a testimony that Devadasis were existed in the medieval society including Munnjur.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A.R.E., 73 of 1919.

[2]:

Ibid.,

[3]:

Ibid.,

[4]:

A.R.E., 52 of 1919.

[5]:

Ibid.,

[6]:

Ibid.,

[7]:

Ibid.,

[8]:

A.R.E., 57 of 1919.

[9]:

Ibid.,

[10]:

Ibid.,

[11]:

Ibid.,

[12]:

Ibid.,

[13]:

Ibid.,

[14]:

Ibid.,

[15]:

A.R.E., 59 of 1919.

[16]:

Ibid.,

[17]:

Ibid.,

[18]:

Ibid.,

[19]:

Ibid.,

[20]:

A.R.E., 74 of 1919.

[21]:

Ibid.,

[22]:

Ibid.

[23]:

Ibid.

[24]:

Ibid.

[25]:

Ibid.

[26]:

Ibid.,

[27]:

Ibid.,

[28]:

Ibid.,

[29]:

A.R.E., 58 of 1919.

[30]:

Ibid.,

[31]:

Ibid.,

[32]:

Ibid.,

[33]:

Ibid.,

[34]:

A.R.E., 55 of 1919.

[35]:

Ibid.,

[36]:

Ibid.,

[37]:

Ibid.,

[38]:

S.R. Balasubramaniyan, Kopperunjinga, Chennai, p. 7.