Siddhi Vinayaga shrine

The earliest inscription^[1] of Adavalleswarar temple belong to Chola Kulottunga II (A.D. 1136-1150 A.D.) issued in his eleventh regnal year (A.D. 1146) is found on the eastern side of the Mahamandapa of Adavalleswarar temple. It records that the Meikirthi “Swasthi Sri Poomevu Rajakesari Tribhuvana Chakravarthi Sri Kulottunga Chola Deva” Which is identified with Kulottunga II. The record mentions that one Palakkannan who belonged to Iraiyur of Kunra Nadu comes under Urukattu Kottam of Jayankonda Cholamandalam built Udaya Pillaiyar sub-shrine in the prakara as parivaradevata of Sri Mulasthana mudaiya Mahadevar temple, Munnjur. It also refers to a gift of 1 1/2 ma land for the offerings of Udaya Pillaiyar^[2] sub-shrine in the prakara of the Sri Mulasthana mudaiya Mahadevar temple. From this it is clear that the temple extension^[3] was carried out by Kulottunga II. In this temple extension work, Kulottunga II was responsible for erection and the establishment of Parivara-devata in Munnjur temple and the present Siddhi Vinayaga sub-shrine of the temple premise was his own contribution.

The record also mentions that the donor donated one ma and half kani land. This was purchased by the amount of 12 kasu. More over the same land was entrusted to temple authorities. In order to get good amount of yield from the donated lands the temple Sabhaiyar also donated two ma of land for getting irrigation. The record also states that the income from these lands was used for the daily offerings to the newly built Pillaiyar sub-shine in the prakara of this temple.

The record further tells that the income from land was also to be used for food offerings to the newly built sub-shrine Udaya Pillaiyar viz., plain rice, vegetable rice and curd rice. For these food offerings on every occasions of each day on the fourth nazhi, the rice was provided by the temple Sthanathars. On special occasion namely new moon day in addition to the above mentioned rice one kuruni was given as excess.

Rajaraja III (A.D.1218-1256 A.D.) who succeeded Kulottunga III ruled with the title Rajakesari^[4]. He did considerable service to this temple. The importance given to Munnjur Adavalleswarar temple is attested his inscriptions. A Mutilated record^[5] of Rajaraja III issued in his 2^nd regnal year (A.D.1219) is found on the inner southern side of the outer wall of the Adavalleswarar temple. The epigraph states that a separate sub-shrine was built to Periya Vinayaga Pillaiyar^[6] sub-shrine on the Prakara of the temple as a Parivara Devata. The record also registers food offerings to the Pillayar deity.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A.R.E., 65 of 1919.

[2]:

Ibid.,

[3]:

K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, The Colas, Madras, 1955, p. 365.

[4]:

A.R.E., 81 of 1919.

[5]:

Ibid.,

[6]:

Ibid.,