VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Kailaasanaathar Temple/ கையிலாசநாதர் கோயில், உடையாளூர்/Udaiyalur, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu.

Sunday, 20 April 2025

Kailaasanaathar Temple/ கையிலாசநாதர் கோயில், உடையாளூர்/Udaiyalur, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to the Sri Kailasanathar Temple at Udaiyalur, Kumbakonam, was a part of the Shiva and Vishnu temples visit on 08^th March 2025, the previous day of the “Sembiyan Mahadeviyar Temples Heritage Tour” organized by கும்பகோணம் வட்டார வரலாற்று ஆய்வு சங்கம், on 09^th March 2025.

Moolavar : Sri Kailasanathar

Consort : Sri Sankara Parvati

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces east, with an entrance arch on the south side. Stucco images of Vinayagar and Murugan are on both sides of Shiva & Parvati as Rishabaroodar. Balipeedam and Rishabam are in front of the main temple. Small Vinayagar and Murugan sannidhis are at the entrance of the maha mandapam. Dwarapalakas, Adiyars, and Jadabaram worship Shiva on both sides of the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum. (The left side is believed to be Kulothunga Chozha with his Queen.) Moolavar in the sanctum on a round avudaiyar. In koshtam Dakshinamurthy, Pichadanar, Rajayoga Agasthiyar, Dhakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durgai.

In the praharam Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Loose sculptures of saptamatrikas, Murugan, Dakshinamurthy, Shiva Lingas, Ananda Ganapathi, Agni, Pancha Lingas, Chandikeswarar, Sundareswarar, Meenakshi, Gajalakshmi, Saraswati, Saptakannis, Rudra Lingam, Vishnu Lingam, Brahma Lingam, Saniswarar, Pancha Bairavars, Suryan, Chandran, Nalvar, the Chozha king Rajaraja-I, worshipping a Shiva Lingam, and Navagrahas.

Ambal Sri Sankara Parvati is in a separate temple facing south with sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and vavval nethi mukha mandapam. Painting of Kanchipuram Kanchi Mutt, Maha Periyava, is on the front wall of the Ambal temple. The ceiling has various forms of Shiva and Parvati.

This place once had many temples, and the Shiva Lingas on the northwest corner might have belonged to those temples.

Agni

ARCHITECTURE

The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, and maha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a prati bandha adhistanam with jagathy, vrudha kumudam, and yazhivari. The Bhitti starts with vedikai. The pilasters are of Vishnu kantha pilasters with square bases, kalasam, kudam, plain palakai, and tharanga pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi with bhuta ganas, kapotam with nasi kudus, and viyyalavari. From adhistanam to prastaram, the temple was constructed with stone. The one tala brick vimanam is above the prastaram. The sigaram is of the vesara style.

Stucco images of Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma, Ekapada Murthy, Gajasamhara Murthy, Sadasivamurthy, Kala Samharamurthy, Shiva & Parvati Marriage, Natarajar, Pichadanar, and Ashtadikpalakas are on the tala and greeva koshtas.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple belongs to the 12th-century Kulothunga Chozha-I period, and the same was reconstructed during the Nayaka/Maratha period. There are 33 inscriptions recorded from this temple. These inscriptions belong to Kulothunga Chozha-I, Vikrama Chozha, Rajaraja Chozha-II, Kulothunga Chozha-II, Rajaraja Chozha-III, and Pandya Kinga Sadayavarman Sundarapandyan.

Dharasuram Temple was constructed by the Chola King Rajaraja-II, and he was called Rajakambeeran. The inscription on the compound wall mentions that “இந்நாட்டுபள்ளிப்படை ராஜராஜ கம்பீரேசுவரமுடைய மகாதேவர்கு..”. From this, it may be presumed that the Udaiyalur Pallipadai may belong to Rajaraja-II and not Rajaraja-I. Experts and Historians believe that further evidence, like archaeological, is required to prove the same.

As per the inscriptions, this place was called Arimozhideva valanattu Sivapadasekara Mangalam, and Shiva was called Sivapadasekara Eswaramudaiyar from Kulothunga Chozha’s inscription, Sri Maheswaraththanam from Vikrama Chozha’s inscription (ARE 303 of 1927), Kulothunga Soliswararmudaiya Mahadevar (ARE 305 of 1927), etc.

The inscriptions record the establishment of images of Rajapuranthara Eswaramudaiyar, Udaiyar, and Devakanayagar.

A dhabasi called Vidhya Siva Pandithar established an Abhimukthan Mutt.

The Queen Ulagamuzhuthudaiyal established an endowment for the continuation of the poojas and maintenance.

A gift of money for purchasing... velis of land was made by one Araiyan Ulagudaiyan.

Vikrama Chozha’s 6^th reign year (1126 CE) inscription (ARE 305 1927) starts with his meikeerthi and records a gift of one kasu by Panchanadivanan Parantaka Devan alias Kulothungasola Kongarayan of Kuruchchi in Vennik kootram for burning a twilight lamp in the temple of Kulothunga Soliswararmudaiya Mahadevar at Sivapada Sekara Mangalam.

Kulothunga Chozha-III’s 25^th reign year inscription (ARE 313 of 1927) on the north wall of the mandapa records that Devanayakan alias Rajarajadevan alias Solendrasinga Pichchan of Sivapada Sekara Mangalam consecrated a new Shrine to Lord Devanayaka Iswaram Udaiyar, and two individuals made a gift of lands for worship.

Kulothunga Chozha-III’s 25^th reign year, another inscription (ARE 314 of 1927), records the gift of three velis of land (in pieces) and gifted images of nayanmars in the temple.

Rajaraja-III’s 5^th reign year, inscription (ARE 309 of 1927), records that some temple documents were lost, and replacements thereof made, in his fifth year.

Rajaraja-III’s sixth-year inscription (ARE 308 of 1927) mentions the pilferage of some jewels and vessels belonging to the temple and the penalties imposed on the guilty parties. (ARE 309 and 308 of 1927).

Rajaraja-III’s 24th reign year inscription mentions that the accountant of the temple was removed and later reinstated, and another of the same year mentions a grant of land to him (ARE 304 and 307 of 1927).

Rajaraja-III’s 30^th reign year inscription (ARE 310 of 1927) records the recitation of Thirupadiyam hymns in the Rajaraja Chathuralaya mandapam, and provisions are made.

Ref:

1. Mr. Sridharan Krishnappa’s article in Dinamani, on 05^th May 2019.

2. Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy Year 1927.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam was conducted in 2005.

Misplaced during renovations
Misplaced during renovations

LEGENDS

As per the legend, while Shiva was explaining the meaning of “Brahma thathuva,”. Muruga came to the spot without intimation. So, Shiva cursed Muruga to be born on the earth. Muruga came to Kongeyapuram and did penance under the bilva tree. As per the divine voice, he created the Temple tank called Kumara Theertham and worshipped Shiva, and was relieved from the curse.

In another legend, the king Ajamaharaj was suffering from leprosy. Vasishta Maharishi advised the king to take a dip in the “Kumara Theertha” and worship Sri Kailasanathar of this temple. The king came to this place, Kangeyapuram, and prayed to Kamadhenu to pour the milk in the Kumara Theertha. The King took a bath and worshipped Shiva in this temple. Shiva blessed the king and relieved him of the disease. Then he came to Vasishta Maharishi and got blessings.