VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Kolaramma Temple / Chamundeshwari Temple, also called as Pidari Temple, Kolar, Karnataka.

Monday, 3 September 2018

Sri Kolaramma Temple / Chamundeshwari Temple, also called as Pidari Temple, Kolar, Karnataka.

21^st August 2018.

The present Kolar was called Kolara or ancient Kuvalapura in the 3^rd Century and was ruled by the Gangas. Gangas were succeeded by the Chozhas, followed by Hoysala and Vijayanagara dynasty Kings.

The temple faces east with a gopura base with a well-carved doorway. A stone sthamba is immediately after the entrance. There is an open mandapa before entering the inner praharam. The open mandapa must be a reconstructed one since the pillars are not uniform. On the left and right of the mandapa, there are two Hero stones, which will be written separately. The Dwajasthambam and balipeeda are immediately after the mandapa entrance.

The L-shaped sanctum houses two shrines, one for Chamundeswari (Kolaramma) in the form of Mahishasuramardini with eight hands, and the demon Mahishan is under her feet, and the other for Saptamatrikas with a common ardha mandapa/ vestibule. The exact copies of stucco Saptamatrikas are in the north-facing shrine by the Chozhas. Scorpion images are found in the Chelamma shrine. It was said that if one prayed to Sri Chelamma, one would be free from scorpion bites. There is a six-foot Kala Bhairavi, but people used to call it Mukanacharamma owing to its nose having been broken. Originally the temple was a Pidari Amman temple for a Village deity. Later it was changed by the Chozhas.

ARCHITECTURE

The sanctum sanctorum was built in the Dravidian style of architecture, and the base was constructed with Jagathy, tripatta kumuda, and maha patti. The wall top is with booth gana, kapotam (with Nasi koodu), and Yazhivari. The Kolaramma Shrine facing east sanctum has the salakara vimana.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The outside wall has the pilasters inscribed with inscriptions. There are more than 21 inscriptions of which 18 are in Tamil and 3 are in Kannada. The period of inscriptions ran from 996 CE to 1538 CE. The majority of the Tamil inscriptions were inscribed during the Rajendra Chozha–I period (1012 to 1045 CE). The original brick temple by the Ganga was changed to a stone temple in 1033 CE by Rajendra Chozha-I. 1071 CE inscription speaks about the deities of the temple and poojas to be conducted.

This inscription (No. 131 of 1892) is engraved on the east wall of the Kolâramma temple at Kõlar in the Mysore State. In the Chôla inscriptions of the temple the goddess is called Pidari, and Kõlar itself Kuvalâlam. As the traditional capital of the Ganga family it is mentioned under the names of Kuvalálapura, Kõlalapura and Kõlâhalapura. According to the subjoined inscription (1.5) it belonged to Kuvalala-nadu, a district of Vijayarajendra-mandalam.

The historical introduction and the date of this inscription are identical with those of Nos. 61 and 65. The inscription records that an officer named Viraśikhâmani-Můvêndavélar inspected the temple and appointed a committee, which seems to have made allotments to various shrines included in the temple. The temple revenue had been originally paid by the temple villages in gold coins (mádai), but was subsequently converted into supplies of paddy. We learn that one madai corresponded to two kasu (1. 11) and that pre kažu purchased about 23 kalam of paddy (1. 11 f.). In the Tiruvallam inscription of Adhirajêndra, one kâšu corresponds to four kalum of paddy. The Tanjore inscriptions of Râjurâja I. and Rajendra-Chôla I.7 fix the interest per kašu at 3 kuruni of paddy or one eighth kasu, from which it follows that one kasu corresponded to 24 kuruni, i.e. 2 kalam at This dows shows that the prices of grain must have varied considerably either according to the locality or at different times.

The preserved portion of the inscription consists of 28 lines. At the end of each of the lines 1 to 7 a few syllables are lost; at the end of line 8 much more is lost; and from line 9 it is impossible to supply the missing portions of each line. To give a general idea of the contents of the inscription, I am publishing the text as far as line 13, but am quoting also from the unpublished portion in the following list of shrines to which allotments were made: - Virabhadradêva (1.12), Brahmânî, Îśvari (1. 13), Vaishnavi (l. 14), Indrani (1. 15), Ganapati (1.16), Châmundêsvarî of the chief shrine (mulasthana) (1. 17), Kshetrapâladêva, Mahāśastâ¹ (1.18), Sûryadêva (1.19), Yoginî and Yôgêśvara (11. 21 and 27). At the worship of the two last deities intoxicating drinks (madya-pâna) were consumed. *

Reference

South Indian Inscriptions Volume - III.