Temples in Konerirajapuram (3rd year or earlier)

The deity of the temple of Umamahesvara was called Umaikkunallan —'Siva dear to Uma'. The old temple had been in existence in the seventh century a.d. as the Tamil saint Appar has sung hymns on this Lord. But, it should have been rebuilt of stone sometime before the third year of Uttama Chola as we have a record of a grant of land for a flower garden made in that year by Sembiyan Mahadevi. Further lavish gifts were made by the king at the request of his mother to this temple built in the sacred name of her husband the glorious Gandaraditya whose portrait-sculpture in the posture of his offering worship at the holy feet of the Lord of Tirunallam was set up by her on the south wall of the central shrine with an explanatory inscription below (Pis. 167-168 and also jacket).

There is also a portrait-sculpture of the builder of this stone temple one Sattan Ganabhattan alias Hara-Charana Sekharan of Alattur who, in appreciation of his services in the building of this temple, was honoured with the conferment of the title of Rajakesari Muvenda Velan. The portraits are not of high artistic merit.

The temple faces the west. The garbhagriha is a square 20 ft. (6.0 m.) side. There is the antarala (with a grille) between the garbhagriha and the ardhamandapa, which projects forward 20 ft. (6.0 m.). The plinth has plain mouldings. Thedevakoshtas have Agastya, Ganesa, Nataraja andDakshinamurti in the south, Lingodbhavar in the east, and Brahma, Bhikshatanar, Durga and Ardhanarisvara in the north.

There is a covered verandah, resting on stone pillars and running round the main temple. This is called in an inscription Tiru-nadai-maligai. There is a later mukhamandapa. Perhaps this is the Pugalabharana mandapa mentioned in an inscription of Kulottunga III. The sikhara is octagonal and curvilinear but it is a reconstruction of recent times following the original pattern.

This is the first of a new type of temples with the stamp of its builder Sembiyan Mahadevi impressed on it.

Provision is made for special worship of Tripura-Vijayam (Tripurantakamurti: PI. 171), nar and Ganapatiyar metal images set up by her in the temple in or before the 8th year of Uttama Chola. To this group of bronzes we may add Bhogesvari (Bhogasakti: PI. 173). These are a few important metals of the early Chola period belonging to the period of Uttama Chola. There are a few more metals of exquisite workmanship. The next important temple of this age is the Kailasanathasvamin temple built by Sembiyan Mahadevi in the new village created by her and named after her. Lavish gifts and endowments were made to this temple by all the members of the royal family. An account of the other temples built by her will be found in the section on the temples of Uttama Chola’s time.