Temples in Madhurantakam (Kadapperi)

The town of Madhurantakam is in the Chingleput district, not far from the district headquarters. The Svetaranyesvara temple is situated close to, and to the west of, the Madhurantakam railway station on the Madras-Villupuram section of the Southern Railway. Its foundation goes back to the days of Parantaka I (see my Early Chola Temples, pp. 100-1).

Svetaranyesvara (Tiruvenkadu Udaiya Mahadevar) temple

On the north, west and south walls of the central shrine in this temple, there is an inscription of the 15th year of Kulottunga I, from which we learn that the temple was built during the early years of this ruler by a Sengeni Chief who bore the name of Sengeni Sattan Solan alias Senapati (General) Vanaraiyar.

The relevant portions of the inscription read as follows:

“Svasti Sri: pugalsulndapunari agalsulndapuviyal... Bhuvanamulududaiyalodum virrirundaruliya kovirajakesaripanmarana IJdaiyar Sri Kulotlungasola devarkku yandu 16 avadu naal 165, Jayangonda solamandalattu Kalattur kottattu laniyur, Sri Madhurantaka chaturvedimangalattu perungurisabhaiyom innaalaal... Sembiyan Maha-devi perumandapattu.... (cha)turvedimangalalluppalli Sengeni Sattan Solanana Senapatigal Vaanaraiyar nammur eduppitta tirukkarrali tiruvenkadudaiya Mahadevarkku havisale archchanaikkum archchanahomattukkum ullittuch cheyyavendum nivandangalukku naangal kudutta uravadu engalur tenpidagai viracholappereri kil.........” (ARE 138 of 1896; SII, V, 1003).

Thus we may conclude that this temple was built by the General, Vanaraiyar, before the 16th regnal year of Kulottunga I (a.d. 1086); he is given the alternate name of Sattan Virasolan alias Vanaraiyar, further down in the same inscription. This inscription gives us the names of the members of the Perunguri sabhai of the taniyur, who approved the arrangements for granting to the temple the revenue receipts from the lands of the village which were in lieu of two thousand kasus received from the same ctonor; from this inscription, we also gather the names of a number of wards of Madhurantaka chaturvedimangalam; they are: Madhurantakach-cheri; Sri Irumudichcholach-cheri; Singalantakach-cheri; Virasolach-cheri; Sri Kodandaramach-cheri; Sri Purakesarich-cheri; Sri Rajase... cheri; SriSurasulamanich-cheri; and Tribhuvana-mahadevich-cheri. There might have been others.

On the east wall of the central shrine, there is another inscription erf the days of Kulottunga I, dated in his 29th year, beginning with the introduction “pugal madu vilanga jayamadu virumba”; it relates to a gift of ninety sheep for the purpose of burning a perpetual lamp before the deity of the temple (ARE 135 of 1896). A similar gift of ninety sheep was given, according to another inscription beginning with the same introduction; this is dated in the 35th year and says that one Periyal, daughter of Puliyumattu Velar, set up a perpetual lamp in the temple and gifted the sheep for the maintenance of the lamp (ARE 137 of 1896).

On the outer side of the east wall of the second prakara of the temple, there is an inscription dated in the ninth year ofRajaraja II; it begins with the introduction ‘piirumadum puvimadum jayamadum naamaruviya kalai madum\ This inscription deals with the celebration of the utsavam (festival) when the processional deity called Madurai-Nayaka-devar was taken out in procession on Saturdays (sani-bhavani), by one Udayapalan Tiruchchir-rambalam Udaiyan, belonging to Kiranur, in Tiruvalundur nadu, in Rajanarayana valanadu, in Chola mandalam (ARE 132 of 1896).

There is an inscription whose date is lost belonging to the reign of Rajadhiraja II, whose introduction begins with “Kadal sulnda paarmadarum pumadaxum!; this is found on the same wall as the preceding and mentions the grant of 300 old kasus (palan-kasu) to arrange for the supply of lirumerpuchch for the deity of Tiruven-kadu Udaiyar. The place is described as the taniyur of Sri Madhurantaka chaturvedimangalam in Kalattur kottam in Jayangondasola mandalam; we get to know the names of different types of temple servants or agencies: (i) Sri Mahesvara kankaniyar; (ii) Devakanmis; (iii) Srikaryam seyvar; and (iv) Koyil-kamkkan (ARE 129 of 18%).

Besides these, there is a fragmentary inscription of the days of Kulottunga III; a few inscriptions belonging to the Pandya and Vijayanagara rulers are also found here.

Thus, this temple is an old one of Parantaka I’s age reconstructed in the days of Kulottunga I. The second prakara was perhaps added during the days of Kulottunga II alias Anapaya.