Middle Chola Temples

by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam | 1975 | 141,178 words

This volume of Chola Temples covers Rajaraja I to Kulottunga I in the timeframe A.D. 985-1070. 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 Tirukkoyilur

Tirukkoyilur is the headquarteis of a taluk of that name in the South Arcot district, and is on the southern bank of the Pen-nai, about 25 miles (40.23 kms) from Villupuram. Held sacred by both the Vaishnavites and the Saivites, it was formerly known as Tirukkovalur; it was the home of the Malayaman Chiefs (famous from the days of the Tamil Sangam) who held sway in the region around it—then known as Maladu (or Miladu) of 2,000 villages, with Koval (short for Kovalur) as their capital. It is also closely associated with the early Vaishnavite saints Poygai Alvar, Bhutattalvar and Pey Alvar. There is an ancient Vishnu temple here, in the western side of the town. The presiding deity is called Trivikrama Perumal now. Tirumangai Alvar calls Him “Tiru Idaikkali Alvar at Kovalur”.

Trivikrama Perumal (Tiru Idaikkali Alvar)

The temple contains a large number of inscriptions. The most important is a record of the 6th year of Rajendra deva II (with the tirumagal maruviya introduction). According to it, the central shrine of the temple of Tiruvidaikkali Alvar at Tirukkovalur alias Madhurantaka c which had been built partly of brick, had become old and had cracked; one Ranakesari Raman alias Narasimhavarman, “who belonged to the Bhargava race,” and said to be the governor of the area of the Miladu-2,000 province, had the old building pulled down, and rebuilt the central shrine and the mandapa entirely of “fine” black granite, set up five stupis and also built the enclosing verandah and a mandapa in front of the temple. He is also said to have presented to the central deity a canopy of pearls. What is of particular interest to us is that he got re-engraved on the walls of the new central shrine, true copies of records found on the walls of the earlier structure (ARE 123 of 1900).

A number of inscriptions relate to the construction of the temple. An undated record mentions that a Chief named Raman Narasingan (same as above?) put up a gold stupi (ARE 118 of 1900). Another undated record states that the central shrine was built for the merit of “Narasingavarman, Lord of Miladu” (ARE 120 of 1900). There is no reference to the construction during the Chola days either of the outer wall (tirumadil) or of any gopuram, but, from a much later record, one of Saluva Narasimhadeva Maharaja, found on the north wall of the central shrine and dated in Saka 1393, we learn that the outer y/all and a gopuram had collapsed and were repaired by a certain Annama-rasa (ARE 1 of 1905).

We have referred to the re-engraving of the older records at the time of reconstruction. One such record, of the twenty-third year of Rajaraja I, refers to a sale of land; so does another, of the tweny-fourth year of Rajendra I (ARE 128 of 1900)..

There are a number of Later Chola records also. A sixth year record of Kulottunga I refers to the conquest of the Ratta country and states that the Sab ha of Tirukkovalur recorded on stone the boundaries of the villages granted to the Tiruvidaikkali Alvar temple (ARE 125 of 1900). A Sanskrit verse in honour of the Trivikrama avatara is found above this inscription. There are records of the tenth, thirty-first and thirty-second years of this ruler, all pertaining to gifts (ARE 121, 122 and 130 of 1900). An interesting record of the period of one Chola-Kerala deva (Kulottunga III?) makes provision for the recitation of 77m- nedm-tandagam in the temple (ARE 126 of 1900). The reference obviously is to the hymns composed by Tirumangai Alvar and included in the Nalayira divya Prabandham. We learn incidentally from the inscription that the village and its neighbourhood were included in the district then called Vanagopadi alias Madhurantaka valanadu. A Vikrama Pandya record of the eighth year refers to his, victory over the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati and a gift of two lamps to the temple (ARE 116 of 1900). An undated inscription of a later date (tire name of the king is also not mentioned) calls this temple Chitrameli Vinnagar alias Tiruvidaikkali (ARE 117 of 1900).

This temple may have come into existence even in tire days of Parantaka I (as a structure partially of brick), since the village in which it is situated has throughout been known a Madhuran-taka chaturvedimangalam in the inscriptions. It received patronage during the days of Rajaraja I and Rajendra I and was reconstructed of stone in the days of Rajendra deva II.

(Also see pp. 85-89 of Early Chola Temples for an account of Tirukkoyilur and the Siva temple of Virattanesvara there.)

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