Middle Chola Temples
by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam | 1975 | 141,178 words
This volume of Chola Temples covers Rajaraja I to Kulottunga I in the timeframe A.D. 985-1070. The Cholas of Southern India left a remarkable stamp in the history of Indian architecture and sculpture. Besides that, the Chola dynasty was a successful ruling dynasty even conquering overseas regions....
Temples in Tiruvakkarai
Tiruvakkarai lies on the banks of the Varaha (Ginjee) river about 19.31 kms (12 miles) from Villupuram on the Mailam-Ginjee road. There is an ancient temple here dedicated to Ghandramoulisvara; we have dealt with this temple which could be attributed to Aditya I’s age (Early Chola arts, I, pp. 193-5; Early Chola Temples, pp. 201-2).
Sivalokamudaiya Paramasvamin temple
It consists of the main central shrine of Chandramoulisvara, a mandapa in front of the shrine, an inner prakara, a second prakara with a gopuram, a 100-pillared mandapa in the second prakara (ARE 190 of 1904), a Siva shrine within the main temple complex called the Sivalokamudaiya Paramasvamin shrine and a shrine dedicated to Varadaraja Perumal, with a mandapa in front.
Here we are concerned only with the Siva shrine called that of Sivalokamudaiya Paramasvamin. On the south face of its base, there is an inscription of the 16th year of Rajaraja-Raja-kesarivarman (a.d. iooi) recording a gift to the stone temple of Sivalokamudaiya Paramasvamin, which was built by Udaiya-pirattiyar Sembiyan Mahadeviyar, queen of Gandaradittadevar who gave birth to Sri Uttama Chola devar. This further records many allotments for the various requirements of the temple. Unfortunately, this record is not complete (ARE 200 of 1904).
Thus this shrine is a foundation of Sembiyan Mahadevi in the days of Rajaraja I. She lived well into the reign of Rajaraja I the last record relating to her being dated as late as A.D. 1006.