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....

Agastisvaram temple (Tirumaalisvaram)

Magaral is in the Kanchipuram taluk of the Chingleput district. It is 16 km. south of Kanchipuram on the road to Uttara-merur which is 12 km. further south of Magaral. This village lies on the north bank of the Cheyyaru. At Magaral, there is a celebrated Siva temple called Agastisvaram and across the river is another well-known temple, of Kadambarkoyil. Sambandar has a hymn on the Lord of this place. It is believed that whoever worships the Lord will attain a permanent place in Sivalokam.

There is a saying current here:

Agni-tirthasnanam Agastyesvara darsanam;
Tamalokey bhayam nasti Sivalokey
nirantaram,”

meaning

‘a bath in the Agni-tirtha (the name of the sacred tank of the temple) and worship of Lord Agastisvara (at Magaral) mean permanent attainment of Sivaloka (Heaven) and the total absence of fear of the God of Death’.

During the Chola period, Magaral was a very prominent place and finds frequent mention in the records of the period.

The present temple seems to be a Later Chola structure. On the south wall of the central shrine, there is an inscription of the 11th year of Parakesarivarman alias Tribhuvana-chakravartin Kulottunga Chola deva, with the pu mevi valar introduction. It is to be attributed to Kulottunga II. We have no foundation inscription. How much earlier it was built, we do not know. It records a gift of land to Tiru-Agastyesvaram Udaiyar in Magaral nadu of Eyil kottam in Jayangondasola mandalam. It is stated that Periya Udaiyar (Kulottunga II) camping at the tirumaligai (palace) at Perumparrappuliyur (either Chidambaram or a local place named after it) listened to the Devaram hymns and gave to the temple as devadana iraiyili two villages, Kulottunga-sola-nallur and Sivapada-sekhara-nallur yielding 2925 and odd kalams of paddy (ARE 215 of 1901). Kulottunga II’s devotion to Saivism and patronage to Siva temples arc well-known. On the south wall of the mandapa in front of the central shrine there is an inscription of the tenth year of Parakesari Tribhuvana-chakravartin Rajaraja deva II (Kadalsulnda par madartm introduction). It registers a gift of land for a lamp by a number of persons in atonement for having caused the death of a person in an irrigation dispute (ARE 219 of 1901).

On the north wall of the mandapa, there is an inscription of the 32nd year and 356th dayof TribhuvanaVira deva (Kulottunga III). It records that, at the request of one Nandivarman, certain devadana lands which had previously belonged to the Agastyesvaram temple, were restored as devadana iraiyili (rent-free); the 77m- mandira-olai was Rajanarayana Muvendavelan (ARE 220 of 1901). A sale of land to the temple by the sabha of Ukkal alias Vikramabharana chaturvedimangalam is recorded in an inscription of the fifth year of Rajaraja III (ARE217 of 1901).

There are two inscriptions of the seventh year of Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I (acc. a.d. 1251). One of them records that a private person opened new streets and settled persons to reside in them.

The temple has in its recent renovation unfortunately lost all its old features.

There is a Vishnu temple in this place, built in the days of Rajaraja III with which we shall deal later.

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