Sri Chandramouleeswarar Temple, Brahmadesam, ( NATTERI ) near Arcot, Thiruvannamalai / Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

17^th November 2018

I was very curious to see this temple since some people are referring to this temple at Brahmadesam, as a Pallipadai Temple of Rajendra Chozha-I (False claim and details are given below - Google map also mentions the same as Rajendra Chozha Temple). When I searched Google Maps for Brahmadesam, it showed 3 places, one near Esalam & Ennayiram, another one near Ambasamudram, and another one near Arcot. Two weeks before we had been to the Brahmadesam Brahmapureeswarar Temple near Ennayiram and Esalam. This week had the opportunity to visit this Brahmadesam near Arcot popularly known as Natteri Brahmadesam. This is the one which  I wished to visit.

Moolavar: Sri Chandramouleeswarar /Tiruppondai-Perumanadigal 

Some of the important features of this temple are…

The dilapidated temple was reconstructed by the Archaeological Survey of India (A S I). The details mentioned here are the present status of the temple. The Temple is facing east.  Rishabam is in the artha mandapam. 

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum consists of a sanctum, antarala, Artha mandapam, and an open mukha mandapam. An incomplete entrance to Rajagopuram is on the north side of the temple.

The Vimana over the sanctum is of 2 tiers  with images on 4 sides. The 2 tier Vimana is a mixture of Pallava and Ganga architecture.  Here Iraivan's name is mentioned Kuzhandhai Mahadevar. The Sanctum deva koshtas are empty now. The sanctum is of simple pada bandha adhisthana with 3 face kumudha. Boothavari with kapotam is above the koshtam. Square pilasters with kumbam, kalasam, palakai etc., are there on the side walls.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The sanctum walls have the Pallava & Chozha period inscriptions. Originally the temple was built by the Pallavas in the 9th century and later Chozhas ( Paranthagar-I, Paarthiventhiran, and Rajaraja Kulothunga-I) expanded the temple. The inscription proves that the temple was built during Vijaya Kampavarma Pallavan ( Son of Nandhivarman-III)  in the 9^th Century. The adhisthana stones are sandstones, which are a favorite feature in Pallava temples in and around Kanchipuram.

The Place Brahmadesam was called Rajamalla Chaturvedi Mangalam and later from Rajaraja-I’s period, this place was called Parakrama Chaturvedi Mangalam. This temple sanctum was built by the Pallavas during the 9^th Century and later extended by the Chozhas. There are 77 inscriptions in this temple belonging to Pallavas & Chozhas. The earliest inscription is the Kambavarman’s 20th-year Rule inscription. The rest belong to Parantaka-I, Kannaradevan, Parthiventhiran, Rajarajan-I, Rajendran, and Kulothungan. Rajarajan-I’s 31st-year rule inscription proves that he ruled for 31 years instead of 27 years as claimed by some Historians, Also Parthiventhiravarman’s title “Vira Pandyan Thalai Konda” inscription starts only from this temple.

It is a fact that Rajendra Chozha at the age of 80, lived in Brahmadesam and died. His wife Veera Mahadevi also ends her life by jumping into the funeral fire ( Sati). It was said that his brother-in-law had established charities in many places for distributing water ( Thanneer Pandal ) to the people in memory of Rajendra Chozha and his wife and the is inscribed in this temple. To prove the temple was built in the 9^th century by Pallavas, a sample inscription from South India inscriptions states...  

No. 107.

(A. R. No. 227 of 1915).

Brahmadesam, Cheyyar Taluk, North Arcot District.

It is stated in this record of Vijaya-Kampavarman, dated in the 20th year, that a member of the alum-ganattar of Kavadippakkam in Paduvur-kottam made a gift of 11 kalanju of gold for supplying, from the interest on this amount, water to the village may be identified with Brahmadesam itself where the present inscription is found. Since we find an inscription of the Ganga king Rajamalla, the grandson of Sripurusha at Vallimalai[3] not very far from Brahmadesam, Rajamalla-chaturvedimangalam, may have been called so after this Ganga king. It may be mentioned that in the region surrounding Brahmadesam, there are villages called Sripurushamangalam[4] and Ranavikrama chaturvedimangalam[5] which must have been named after the Ganga kings Sripurusha and Ranavikrama, the grandfather and father respectively of Rajamalla. The name of the god at Brahmadesam viz., Tiruppondai-Perumanadigal is uncommon in the Tamil country and it is probably to be traced to some Ganga or Western Chalukya[6] princess.

TEMPLE TIMINGS:

Since this temple is under the control of the Archaeological Survey Of India, kept open all the time.

HOW TO REACH:

Brahmadesam (Natteri) is in the middle of Arcot (27 KM) and Kanchipuram (26 KM)

Town bus facility is available from Kanchipuram No 4 and from Arcot route no 36.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

 The inner view of the entrance gopuram

A small shrine may be for Vinayagar

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---