Temples in Gudimallam

The Siva temple at Gudimallam in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh derives its importance from the antiquity of the linga of the central shrine. T.A. Gopinatha Rao has expressed the view that this linga has Scythian features and is the earliest extant linga in South India (Satavahana period: 2nd century B.C.). C. Sivaramamurti, in his Nataraja (p. 169), describes it as “Siva as Agnirudra and Yajamana as against Siva shown trampling on Apasmara”.

Parasuramesvara temple

We are concerned here with the architectural features of this temple, locally called the Parasuramesvara temple.

On the west side of the base of the central shrine of the temple, there is a dated inscription of the days of Vikrama Chola, which refers to the foundation of the temple. It reads as follows:

SvastiSri: Poomadupunarap puvimaduvalara ruiamaadu vilanga.... kopparakesaripanmarana chakravarti sri Vikramasoladevarkku yandu 9 -avadu Jayangondasolamandalattu Perumbanappadi kkottattu Silainattu Tiruvirpirampettu Mahadevar Parasuramisvara-mudaiyarkku Naranadevan Kulottungasolak-karuppurudaiyaarkku nan-raaga ittirukkarrali eduppittu or tirunundamlakkum... ippadi silalekhai pannikkudutten Naranadeva Pudolaraisanana Vikkirama-solak-karuppurudaiyaanen iddanmam rakshippaan sri padam en talaimelena

From this record we learn that one Vikramasolakkaruppur-udaiyan constructed the stone temple in the ninth year ofVikrama Chola and made endowments to it for the merit of his father Nara-yana deva Pudola-araisan alias Kulottungasola Karuppurudaiy an. From a record of the previous year (eighth regnal year), we gather that the temple was under erection and that an image of the god Chandesvara was set up (ARE 213 of 1903).

There are a large number of Rajarajadeva inscriptions both on the walls of the central shrine and on those of the mandapa in front. They belong to the reigns of Rajaraja II and Rajaraja III.

One of them (ARE 204 of 1903) found on the south wall of the central shrine dated in the 15th year of Rajaraja deva mentions the name of the deity as Parasuramisuramudaiya Nayanar; in the same year are made a gift of gold for a lamp (ARE 205 of 1903) and another gift of gold and paddy (ARE 206 of 1903 found on the west wall of the central shrine). A ninth year record of Rajarajadeva (III) mentions a gift of land by Chalukki Narayana Yadavaraya alias Ghattiyadeva (ARE 210 of 1903).

On a slab set up in front of the central shrine is a fourth year inscription of a Rajakesarivarman, recording a gift of land for offerings to an image set up by Madurantakan Gandaradittar (ARE 222 of 1903). On similar detached stones, we have an inscription dated in Saka 820 (A.D.898) of Vijayaditya Mahabali Banaraya, making a gift of gold for a lamp (ARE 223 of 1903), and another of the same ruler in Saka 827 (a.d. 905) mentioning a similar gift for a lamp; we have similarly a 32nd year inscription of Madiraikonda Parakesari and one of Vijayadanti Vikkirama-varman of his 49th year (when “Vijayaditya Mahavali Banaraya was ruling the earth”) (ARE 226 of 1903). There is again an inscription of the 24th year of Nripatunga, recording a grant made while Vanavidyadhara Mahabali Vanarayar was governing the country to the ‘west of the Telugu Road’ (ARE 228 of 1903); and finally a 23rd year record of Pallava Naadippottaraiyar records a gift of land made while Vikramaditya Mavali Vanarayar was governing the country to the ‘west of the Telugu Road’ (ARE 229 of 1903).

Thus this temple had been in existence even from the days of the Bana ruler Mahabali Banaraya and had the benefactions of Pallava Nandippottaraiyar and later of Madiraikonda Parake-sarivarman Parantaka I. It is not clear if the temple was then of brick and stone. The temple, however, was converted into a stone shrine in the first decade of Vikrama Chola’s rule.