Gramam Sivalokanathasvamin Temple-Tiruvennainallur Taluk-Viluppuram District.

            The Village of Gramam , has an old Siva Temple rebuilt by Vellangumaran , a Keralite general of Rajaditya, in the 36th year of Parantka (A.D. 943). Earlier inscriptions, ranging from the 23rd to the 29th year of Parantaka, seem to have re-engraved.
The Vimana , with its lightly projecting bhadra, has a Padabandha adhisthana with galapadas showing miniature reliefs. Slit niches on the bhadras instead of devakosthas contain Dakshinamurti (South), Visnu (west), and Brahma (north); the first is probably late. The ardhamandapa niches contain Ganesa (south) and Durga (north). For this age , the temple is quite disappointing.

The gramam inscriptions mention a number of gifts by the Kerala general of Rajaditya and his retinue. He is called Vellan Kumaran , and he is said to have been native of Puttur on the banks of the river Nandi (Nandikarai Puttur) in Malianadu. He is called a Chamu-nayaka ( Leader of the army or General) in the sanskrit portion of an inscription (755 of 1905:dated A.D.943) and Perum-padai nayakan ( Great General)  of Rajaditya and the Mula-bhritya (the first servent) of the Cholas in the Tamil part thereof. HE WAS THE BUILDER OF THE GRAMAM TEMPLE.
There is an interesting inscription of Kannara-Deva (Rashtrakuta King III) found at Solapuram.It is dated in three different ways , mentioning 
(i) merely the year 2
(ii) the saka year 871 and 
(iii) the year in which the Emperor Kannara-deva enetered Tondaimandalam.
Hultzsch has rightly identified the 'Year 2' of the record with the 2nd Year of the accession of Rajaditya as crown prince, and it should have been in that year that Kannar-deva invaded and entered Tondaimandalam after defeating Rajaditya and causing his death at the battle of Takkolam by Butuga  II, the ally of Krishna III, and that he was rewarded for his services by a gift of a 'number of Villages. This is reinforced by a Viragal inscription found at Neralige on the borders of the Mysore State. The Larger Leyden grant states that Rajaditya "went to the world of heroes,having pierced in the heart while seated on his elephant". Hence Rajaditya is refered to ANAI-MERRUNJINA-DEVAR in later times.
An apartment of royal ladies at the palace of Tanjavur was called Kilar Velam after the name of  "Udaiya Pirattiyar Kilanadigal, the mother of the Chola Prince Anaimerrunjinar" 
(226 of 1911) This Kilanadigal is identical with KOK-KILANADIGAL, the queen of Parantaka I and mother of Rajaditya alias Mummadi Chola. One of the Rajaditya's queens, called Irayiravan Devi Ammanar, makes in the 8th year of Parakesarivarman perhaps Parantaka I a gift to the shrine of Sri Krishna and Rukmani at Tiruvellarai (212 of 1911)
There are on the walls of this temple a number of inscriptions of Parantka I ranging  from his 23rd to his 41st year. In the 23rd and again in the 29th year of his reign, Vellan Kumaran, the general of Rajaditya, makes a gift of a lamp to the deity of this temple called Mulasthana Mahadevar of the temple of Arruttali at Tiru-Mudiyur. But the most important inscription of the days of Parantka I is the one already mentioned, that refers to the consecration of the Linga of Arruttali Mahadevar at Mouligramam. The arlier gifts to the old temple(perhaps of brick) should have been re-engraved on the walls of the newly-built stone temple.
The conquest of this reign by Krishna III is attested by three inscriptions of his on the walls of this temple (of his 20th, 22nd and 25th Years) . The conquerors did not disturb the even tenor of life in respect of religious  and charitable institutions; indeed , sometimes thet even mad their own additions to  enrich them.


   

Taken in: India / Tamil Nadu / Gramam (show map)

Taken on: July 17, 2016

Tags:

Nikon

2016

KALAINKOYIL

Gramam

Village

Tiruvennainallur

Taluk

Tirunavalur

Villuppuram

District

Sivalokanathasvamin

Tirumundisvaram

Mouli-Gramam

Arruttali

Mahadevar

Mulasthana

ArruttaliTiru-Mudiyur

Parantaka

A.D.943

TOKINA

11-16MM

18-140MM

Tamilnadu

SouthindianTemple

Architecture

Appar

Saint « less

Sets appears in: • Colas of Tanjavur: Phase I c. A.D. 800-1000

Camera: Nikon D5200, f/8.0, 1/400 sec, 11mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D5200
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	11mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.6 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 4,330 views

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: