VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Alandur, Chennai.

Saturday 26 January 2019

Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Alandur, Chennai.

15^th January 2019.

While I was grazing the Kanchipuram District Inscriptions, happened to see a Kamba Varman's period inscription in Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy temple at Alandur. Thought that the temple may belongs to Pallava period and decided to visit this temple on 15^th January 2019, Thai Pongal Day. It was not so hard to locate the temple and a disappointment too.

Presiding deity: Sri Siva Subramaniya Swamy

Some of the salient features of this temple are…

The temple is facing east with a Temple pond in front. The Rajagopuram is of 5 tiers. Balipeedam, Dwajasthambam and Peacock vahana are immediately after the Rajagopuram, under a concrete mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum consists of Sanctum for Sri Vinayagar, Sri Kasi Viswanathar, Sri Siva Subramaniar,Sri Visalakshi, constructed in U shape.

In the outer prakaram sannadhi for an Amman, Shiva lingam, Raghu, Kethu, Krishna with Radha & Rukmani, Bhaktha Anjaneyar, Bairavar, Veerabathirar. In the front Mandapa on 4 sides (top), stucco statues of Arupadai Veedu sthala puranam.

HISTORY & INSCRIPTIONS

Looking at the ardha mandapa, the temple may belongs to Vijayanagara Nayaks Period. But there is an inscription stone laid as a step stone of the Rajagopuram. Only a part is visible now and the major portion was worn out due to continuous walking on the inscriptions. The inscription message is ..

The inscription stone belongs to a Jain School called "Thiruvaraanthanam - திருவராந்தானம்" was existed during Kamba varman ( 875 CE ) 5^th year ( Chithirai month ) period at Mangadu Village. அருகன்தானம் ( அருஹத்ஸ்தானம் ). This word might have got corrupted to அராந்தானம். This word was mentioned as Araanthanam in Manimegalai ( 3:82, 5:23 ) and in Perungathai as அரா அந்தானம் ( 2:2:138, 2:6:161, 5:4:151). திரு was added with அராந்தானம், and became as thiruvaraawthaanam-திருவராந்தானம். The Arcot section ( kootram ) Paripandathurai Parisai, Village Headman’s daughter and the Jain’s school Teacher Ananda Veera Kuravar’s Student by name “ku..Adigal - கு... அடிகள்" ( குரத்தி அடிகள் ) donated 60 kaadi ( Kalam -கலம் ), one kuruni and 3 nazhi paddy for the AviHavis Padayal ( may be naivedyam ) called Avihavis - ( அவி(ஹவிஸ் )) and a plate weighing 30 palam. The further details of the endowment is not known since, the last lines are worned out completely.

The Arcot cootram mentioned in the inscription refers the place called Arcot near Kandiyur of Thanjavur District. This was recorded in the Thirupazhanam inscription as "Arcot Kootrathu ParivaNdathurai Parisai ..". The same place is mentioned in the Alandur inscription also. This inscription seems to be special one, since it mentions a Lady who belongs to Thanjavur area Chozha region, got educated in Pallava Region and gave donation. The original inscription reads as ...

ஶ்ரீ கோவிசைய கம்ப விக்கிரம வருமற்கு யாண்டைந்தாவதின் சித்திரை முதலாகப் புலியூர் கோட்டத்து மாங்காடு நாட்டு மாங்காட்டு திருவராந்தானத்துக்கு ( ஆர்க் )
காட்டுக் கூற்றத்து பரிபண்டத்துறை பரிசை கிழார் அமர் நிலையார் மகளார் இப்பள்ளி உடைய ஆநந்தவீரக்குரவர் மாணாக்கியார் கு...அடிகள் திருவமுதுக்கு வைத்த நெல்லறுபதின்
(குறுணி) முந்நாழி நெல்லால்விக்கட்டு வோமானோம் அவி சொரியுந்தால் முப்பதின் பலத்தாவிட்டார் இதுக்கு முட்டாமைச்.....

The Sadayavaraman's period ( 1256 CE ) inscription on the floor stone of Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple also refers the same "Mangattu Thiruvaraanthaanam".

How and when this 9^th Century inscription stone came here is not known. At the end of British period many temples in and around Chennai were constructed using other temple stones, for example, Thirisoolam/ Tirusulam temple's stones are used in Mylapore Kapaleeswarar Temple. This might have happened for this temple also. The inscription was identified by Mr K Sridharan and Mr Ramachandran, from Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department.

The Pallava period inscription stone used as a step stone

There is a history behind the Temple tank / pond also. The pond was dug during 1881. For excavating this pond the fund was aided by a British Major J.B. Taylor Cant. Magistrate of Mount. A Bore-well was also drilled by a Jain Lady K Kanchan Devi Jain & Rajan in 2009.