Sri Sarveswarar Temple / a Non Existing and Saptamatrikas Panel at Mel / Keezhil Sirupakkam, Thiruvannamalai / Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

03^st August 2018.

This Saptamatrikas Panel at Mel Sirupakkam was the last stop of our heritage visit to Chengam Nadukarkal. Since the arrangements were made through Dr Arun Kumar Pankaj, we do not want to miss seeing that, even though it was very late for our lunch. The Saptamatrikas individual panels are kept in a row  ( but not in regular order ) in the sanctum of a Sri Kaliamman Temple of Mel Sirupakkam along with Veerabhadra on the left and Vinayagar on the right. It was said that these panels belong to the 9^th Century, Chozha Period. The Saptamatrikas are still under worship.

On the back of Kaliamman temple, we saw a Vinayagar and a Shiva temple ( the Shiva linga belongs to the Chozha period, but the temple was built in recent years ). It was told that an inscription stone is available, about 50 meters from the Shiva temple at Keezhil Sirupakkam. A road divides both Villages. The inscription stone was a Sulakkal, on one side Soolam and other side Kulothunga Chozha period inscriptions. The inscriptions speak about the donation of three lands measuring 1000 kuzhi, to the Sri Sarveshwara Shiva Temple, till the Sun and Moon exist. It is very sad to see the inscription stone, the only evidence that the Shiva temple exists in this  Keezhil Sirupakkam Village is dumped on the side of the street.

The Inscription stone details are…

ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ குலொத்துங்க சோழ தேவர்க்கு யாண்டு ௰ ஆவது கீழைச் சிறுபாக்கத்து நாயனார் உடையார் சர்வேச்வரமுடைய நாயனார்க்குத் தேவதானமாக மலைய நரசிங்க பன்மனான இராச கெம்பீர ஆடையூர் நாடாழ்வானேன் கீழைச் சிறுபாக்கத்து நிலத்திலண்ணானுந் திருவாய்பாடியும் புளியஞ் செறுவுங் கரிக்குண்டிலும் புளிய்ந்தனையுமா(ங்...குண்டில் மூன்றும் ஆக ஆயி…(ரம்) குழியுஞ் சந்திராதித்தர் வரை செல்வதாக விட்டேன்.

The remains of Shiva Linga, Saptamatrikas panel, and the inscription stone, remind a 9th-century Shiva Temple might have existed in this Kizhl Sirupakkam village.

Thanks to Dr Arun Kumar Pankaj for providing the details.

The present Vinayagar and Shiva temple 

The  Kulothunga Chozha period inscription Stone 

Veerabhadra

Brahmi

Maheshwari

Indrani

Vaishnavi

Varahi

Kaumari

Samundi / Chamundi

 Vinayagar

Children's handwork on clay
 ---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---