Temples in Nagar

The village of Nagar is not far from Tirumangalam in the Lalgudy taluk of the Tiruchy district. We have already dealt with Tirumangalam in our Middle Chola Temples (a.d. 985-1070) (pp. 128-132).

Apratisvara (Piridivalichcharam Udaiyar) temple

The earliest inscription found in the temple of Apratisvara here is inscribed on the base and tiers of the south wall of the central shrine, and relates to the 6th regnal year of Rajadhiraja II (beginning with kadal sulnda paar elum). It records that the king granted as devadana iraiyili some land in Tiladakkudi in Nerkuppaikkandam for various services to Piruduvali Isvaram Udaiyar in Nagar in Kalaar kurram, at the instance of Akalanka Nadalvan^[1]. The details of the estimate of the yield of paddy from the land is also mentioned (ARE 692 of 1962—63). A record of a few years later, dated in the 11th year of Kulottunga III (a.d. 1189), begins with a Sanskrit verse stating that this record in the was issued by the Mahesvaras. It records a samaya bestowed by a congregation of the Sri rudra mahesvaras and Mahesvaras of the many mandalas and some other bodies at the Narppattennayiravan tirukkaavanam in the temple of Tayilunnallisvaram Udaiyar in Melaittiruvasal in Sri Mahesvaranallur in Mimalai nadu at the instance of the deity Chandesvara, granting some lands as silpa-achaarya-(silpin)kkani and also some honours and privileges of the samaya to Tillainayakan alias Tiruttavatturai Achariyan and his brother for their services to the said temple and to the samaya. Tillainayakan is said to have been the Taehchachaiyan of Manakkaal alias Virudaraja bhayankara chaturvedimangalam in the kilaimuri of Mala nadu (ARE 691 of 1962-63). There is an incomplete record (dated in the 13th year of Kulottunga III) engraved on the right of the entrance to the mandapa in front of the central shrine (east wall). It records the sale of land in Malavanur and Nagar by the perunguri mahasabha of Pelangaavur in Kulpi-laaru in Paachchir kurram to the temple of Piridivalichcharam Udaiyar in Nagar in Kalaar kurram in Rajaraja valanadu (ARE 688 of 1962-63). An image of Subrahmanya (Pillaiyar) would appear to have been set up at the same time as the temple was built (12th century) (ARE 694 of 1962-63).

From a Pandyan record found on the south wall of the mandapa (ARE 689 of 1962-63) and belonging to Maravarman Kula-sekhara, dated in his 29th year, we gather that the mahasabha of the village made a vyavastha when it met at the mandapa in the temple, called here that of ‘Prithvi-vallisvaram-udaiyanayanar in Nagar, a hamlet of Posala Virasomisvara chaturvedi-mangalam, an agar am of Vikramapuram (note the changes in the names of the temple, nadu etc.), apparently exempting from taxes the lands granted by one Anantanarayana Bhattan of Gomadam and his brothers to the deity set up (as a in the prakara of the temple by the said Bhattan.

This temple could be attributed to the days of Rajadhiraja II ( circa a.d. 1172-73). It seems probable that Tachchacharya Tillai-Nayakan honoured in the days of Kulottunga III was associated with the construction of this temple.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This is the same Chief as referred to in Ch. 9, who took out an expedition against Kollimalai and was associated with the several benefactions to the Arapallisvarar temple.