Temples in Chidambaram (Parakesarinallur)

Chidambaram, presently the headquarters of a taluk of the same name in the South Arcot district and known in ancient days as Perumbarrappuliyur or Tiruchchirrambalam, was a great temple city, which during the Chola period expanded in extent and importance enormously and covered a number of hamlets (pidagai) for miles in all directions. Parakesarinallur was one of these pidagais. To the north-west of the town of Chidambaram and about 3 km. from the Nataraja temple lies the comparatively obscure suburb now known as Singarattoppu. It has rich historical associations with the Nataraja temple. Umapati Siva-charya made this place his home and paid worship to Lord Tiruk-kalan-chedi Udaiyar here. From an 11th year inscription of Kop-perunjinga found on the south wall of the Brahmapurisvara temple in this suburb, we learn that the temple of Nayanar Tiruk-kalanchedi Udaiyar was located in Panangudich-cheri alias Parakesarinallur, a hamlet of Perumbarrappuliyur. From other inscriptions in this temple, we learn that there were also other temples in this suburb such as Arumolisvaram. The Tiruttondat-togai-isvaram referred to in these inscriptions has been identified with Tiruk-kalanchedi Udaiyar temple (i.e., the present day Brahmapurisvara temple) (vide The City of the Cosmic Dance by B. Natarajan, pp. 29,35,36 and 39).

Vikramasolisvaram Udaiyar temple

We learn from an inscription in the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram that a certain Edirilisolan alias Irungolan founded a temple called Vikramasolisvaram Udaiyar at Parakesarinallur, after having acquired land for the purpose from various people and after providing for houses for brahmanas and temple servants. Tribhuvana-chakravartin Kulottunga Chola, ‘who was pleased to take Madurai and the crowned head of the Pandya’ ordered in his 12th year, 125th day that the assessment of.this land be deducted from the revenue of the village, the same be entered in the temple accounts with the original documents preserved in the temple and that the whole transaction be engraved on the walls of the temple (ARE 309 of 1913). It is now found on the north wall of the second prakara of the Chidambaram temple.

This temple was a foundation of the period of Vikrama Chola, named after him. The record, however, relates to the period of Kulottunga III and is engraved on the walls of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.