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....
Temples in Allur
We have discussed in detail the Fanchanadesvara temple situated in Allur, 10 km. west of Tiruchy on the main road to Karur running south of the Kaveri, in my Early Chola Temples, A.D. 907-985 (pp. 11-32).
Dharmasamvardhini (Devi) shrine
We are here concerned only with the Amman shrine in the campus of the temple. Today, the deity goes under the name of Dharmasamvardhini.
On the west side of the base of the Amman shrine, which is located in the second prakara of this temple, there is an inscription, attributable to the days of Kulottunga III, which reads as follows:
“Svasti sri: Tribhuvawchakravartigal Maduraiyum Ilamum Pasdiyan mudittalaiyum kondu virabhiskekamum visaiyabhi...... yandu 38-vadu.... Tenkarai Irasagambhira valanattu Uraiyur kunattu Tiru-vadakudi Udaiyar Devargal Sundaranayamr....... kaikolaril Avattukkattaan........ ndampirakaarattu elundarulivitta tirukkamak-kottam udaiya Nachchiyarkku tiruvamuduppadik kudalaa.... devadamm tirunamattuk kaniyai 'nilattup punpayir seya... (land is described)---- kuliyaal pattuma ttilam taanum tamtura-vumuraiyarum langal somittu aalkooli yatti pasaan mudal tiruttal nilam tirut....... kadamai ittampirattiyar si-bhandaaratti nindrum kaasu purappattu irukkakkadavadaagavum............. kku ittampirattiyar tirukka......”
(ARE 372 of 1903; SII, VIII, No. 685).
Panchanadesvara temple
From this record we learn that in the 38th regnal year of Kulottunga III the shrine for Amman (tiruk-kamak-kottattu-nachchiyat) was set up in the second prakara of the local Siva temple dedicated to Panchanadisvara by Tiruvadagudi Udaiyar Devargal Sundaranayanar (evidently) of Tiruvadagudi in Uraiyur kurram, in Tenkarai Rajagambhira valanadu. The inscription mentions certain gifts of land made by the builder of the shrine in favour of the Consort of the Lord, for food offerings to the deity (amudu-padi). The district south of the Kaveri lying between Tiruchy and Karur went under the name of Tenkarai Rajagambhira valanadu, after a surname of Rajaraja II.
Thus the Amman shrine is a foundation of the days of Kulottunga III datable in his thirty-eighth year (corresponding to a.d. 1216). (Pls. 350-1).