Navakandam Sculptures & Bas Reliefs – நவகண்டம் /அரிகண்டம் சிலையும் சிற்பமும். At Sukreeswarar Temple, Sarkar Periyapalayam and Avinashi Lingeswarar Temple, Avinashi, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu.

12^th October 2019.

The practice of erecting a Hero stone / Sati stone / Navakanda stone are followed widely in south India, since Kings rule. This is in remembrance of the hero who sacrifice himself for various reasons in front of Kotravai / Kali. The country’s victory is said to be one of the reasons for these Navakanda statues. It was told that Navakanda statues will be more in the regions or the places where the wars happened, during kings rule. This was practiced till 17^th to 18^th Century as per the historians. Some of the Hero stones has the inscriptions too, which records the details of the incidence.

During our Kongu heritage happened to see a Navakanda statue installed in the artha mandapam of the 6^th to 7^th Century Sri Sukreeswarar Temple at Sarkar Periyapalayam near Tiruppur. The hero is standing in samabhanga posture cutting his head with right hand. He wears ornaments on his neck and a half dress below his waist. Looking at the style of the tuft and big mustache, this navakanda statue may belongs to 17^th to 18^th Century Nayak period. Apart from Pulikuthi hero stones, Vijayamangalam, Thingalur and Chennimalai of Kongu region has the Navakanda statues also. These Navakanda statues usually erected, at the place where the Navakandam took place. This Navakandam might have been practiced in the temple or this may be brought and installed from elsewhere.    

At Avinashi,  Avinashi Lingeswarar Temple, we happened to see a bas-relief of Navakandam / Arikandam on a pillar of the 16^th to 18^th Century Vijayanagara Nayaks period dwajasthambam mandapa. The hero is shown in tribhanga posture with head looking front, holding a sword on his right hand and holding his tuft in left hand. Wearing a half dress below his waist. It was told that, this Navakanda bas-relief signifies that Navakandam was practiced in this Shiva Temple also.

Sarkar Periyapalayam ( left )  --- Avinashi ( Right ) 
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---