Temples in Kovilur (Usattanam)

Kovilur is in the Pattukkottai taluk of the Tanjavur district. There is a Siva temple here called that of Mantrapurisvara. In the past, the place was named Usattanam and the presiding deity of this temple was called Usattanam Udaiya Nayanar.

Mantrapurisvara (Usattanam Udaiya Nayanar) temple, Amman shrine

There are forty-seven inscriptions in this temple, engraved on the walls of the mandapa in front of the central shrine, the verandah and the inner gopuram. They belong to the days of three of the Later Cholas, viz., Vikrama Chola, Rajaraja III, Rajendra Chola III, and of the Later Pandyas. None of them is recorded on the walls of the central shrine. It has to be presumed that all the early records before the days of Vikrama Chola suffered destruction at the time of its renovation.

The earliest inscription is one of the fifth year of Tribhuvana-chakravartin Vikrama Chola found on the north wall of the mandapa in front of the central shrine (ARE 194 of1908). Itmentions a gift of land to the Lord of Sakkanam (a mistake for Sattanam or Usattanam) alias Kerala-kulasani chaturvedimangalam (Kerala kulasani being a title of Rajaraja I, a.d. 985-1014). It is a pity that all the early records of this temple in the southern border of Chola desa have been destroyed during its renovation.

Another, later, unfinished, record gives the "boundaries of certain rent-free lands belonging to the temple and incidentally mentions the name of Periya devar Vikrama Chola devar (ARE 200 of 1908).

There are two inscriptions of the 25th year of ‘Kulottunga Chola devar who took Madurai, Ilam and the Pandyan head’, viz., Kulottunga III. The first (ARE 181 of 1908) mentions a gift of a servant to the temple of Usattanam Udaiya Nayanar by a native of Salgalur in Idaikka nadu, a subdivision of Rajendrasola valanadu. The other (ARE 183 of 1908), built in at the end, records a gift of land to the temple of Usattanam Udaiya Nayanar at Usattanam, a brahmadeya in Purangarambai nadu, a subdivision of Rajendrasola valanadu.

There are seven inscriptions which could be assigned to the days of Rajaraja III (a.d. 1216-46). One, of his eighth year (a.d. 1223), which is found on the walls of the Ghandesvara shrine (ARE 215 of 1908), records a gift of land for offerings to the image of Pallavanisvaram Udaiya Nayanar set up in the temple by Pichchan Pallavarayan, a native of Poiyyur. An inscription of his tenth year (on the north wall of the mandapa, ARE 197 of 1908) mentions that the local Assembly of Usattanam assigned for temple repairs certain taxes collected on temple lands upto the tenth year.

The next inscription is important. It relates to the 20th year of Rajaraja III, equal to a.d. 1237 (ARE 195 of 1908). It records a gift of land by the Assembly of Peruvalvutanda chaturvedi-mangalam (modern Peruvalandan) in Purangarambai nadu of Rajendrasola valanadu for offerings to the shrine of Tirukkamak-kottam Udaiya Periya Nachchiyar (the Amman shrine) set up by Prince Purosaikkudaiyar. The gift was made for the health of the king and for the victory of Prince Perungolar, evidently, a local Chola feudatory. The date of this Amman temple is thus well attested (built in or about a.d. 1237).

The next record which is dated in the 21st year (ARE 196 of 1908) refers to a gift of land to this Amman shrine by the Assembly of Suttamalli chaturvedimangalam, which was in charge of the village duties (grama katyam), for the health of the king and for the victory of (the same) prince Perungolar, the local Chief mentioned in the earlier inscription.

A record of the 26th year mentions a gift of land in Sundara-solapuram to the temple by the order of Villupadarayan, a native of Sirrarrukkadu in Pandyakulasani valanadu (ARE 182 of 1908). Another, of the 30th year (ARE 193 of 1908), registers a gift of land to the shrine of Subrahmanyar (Parimra devata?) by the Assembly of Peruvalandan perumal chaturvedimangalam (modern Peruvalandan) in Purangarambai nadu, a part of Rajendrasola valanadu. (Pis. 361, 62).

Surya Devar shrine

An inscription (ARE 198 of 1908) of the llth regnal year of Rajaraja III (i.e., a.d. 1227) records a gift of land for offerings ^ to the shrine of Surya devar in the temple of Usattanam Udaiyar by the residents of Vikramabharanapuram in Ambar nadu. In the 31st year of this king, another gift of land was made to this deity by the residents of Parantakapuram in Ambar nadu (ARE 199 of 1908).

The construction of an independent Amman shrine in the temple premises and the setting up of a shrine for Subrahmanyar and the installation of an image of Surya devar in this temple are of great importance. (We shall deal with further developments in this temple under ‘Temples ofRajendra III’s Time’, Chapter 16).