Later Chola Temples

by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam | 1979 | 143,852 words

This volume of Chola Temples covers Kulottunga I to Rajendra III in the timeframe A.D. 1070-1280. The Cholas of Southern India left a remarkable stamp in the history of Indian architecture and sculpture. Besides that, the Chola dynasty was a successful ruling dynasty even conquering overseas regions....

Ghilakalanerpu is a village in the Sidlaghata taluk in the Kolar district (of Karnataka State). In the ancient days, when this region was under the control of the Cholas, there was a temple here known as Gangaikondasolisvaram Udaiyar temple.

Gangaikondasolisvaram Udaiya Devar temple

While we are unable to establish the identity of the temple, on a virakkal near Errakunte in Kambam dinne there is an inscription in Tamil and Grantha characters which commences with the introduction ‘svasti sri tiruk-kala-nirppa erum.. na pudava.....’ and mentions a number of generations of a Setti family; Kannara Setti’s son Maarama Setti, his son Jangi Setti, his son Sola Setti, his son Ketta Setti, his son Paalaiyan Setti who bore the alternate name of Gangaikondasola Gamundan, his sons, Samundaiyan, Gangaikondasola Gamundan, Kettayan alias Kulottungasola Gamundan and their brother Vimaiya Gamundan; the last mentioned brother was wounded in a bear hunt and died; their father raised a temple called Gangai-konda-sola-isvaram-udaiya-mahadevar koyil and a hero’s stone (virakkal) was erected in front of that temple. The brothers also granted certain lands as kudangai to one Ochchikondan Kaaviyasari for doing the stone work (82, Sidlaghata, Kolar, Epi. Car.). There is another record at the same place in Grantha and Tamil characters, relating to the 39th year of Kovirajakesarivanmar alias the emperor Sri Kulottungasola devar, corresponding to a.d. 1108. It mentions that in that year some individual (the name is lost in the inscription) erected a mandapam in front of the temple of Gangaikondasola-isvaram-udaiya devar; and adds that Samundaiyan alias Gangajkonda-sola Gamundan and Ketiyan alias Kulottungasola Gamundan, both sons of Ketiyan Paapaiyan alias Gangaikondasola Gamundan, and their sons Periya (senior) Paalaiyan and Siriya (junior) Paalaiyan, granted as devadana for offerings of rice for the God Gangai-kondasola-isvaram-udaiya Mahadevar, an oil-mill for a perpetual lamp and certain lands whose details are specified (83 ibid.).

This temple is thus a foundation of the days of Kulottunga I, and named after one of the local chiefs.

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