6 months ago
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On the near broadside of the entranceway to the sanctum sanctorum of the Nageswaran Temple successful Kumbakonam of Thanjavur territory stands an antithetic statue of Pillaiyar (Lord Vinayagar), adorned with a serpent worn arsenic a ineffable thread. Worshipped as Gangaikonda Vinayagar, the idol was brought to the Nageswaran Temple — known as Kudanathi Keezhkottam — by the Chola king Rajendra I pursuing his conquest of Bengal.
“The deity, depicted successful a lasting posture, is simply a instauration of the Pala dynasty, which ruled successful Bihar and Bengal from the eighth to the twelfth century. It is 1 of the galore warfare trophies brought to Tamil Nadu by Rajendra Chola,” notes Kudavayil Balasubramanian successful his book Rajendra Cholan – Victories, Capital, Temples. Stone inscriptions and literate works grounds the artefacts and sculptures brought by Chola kings from assorted countries aft their conquests.
The Vinayagar successful the Nageswaran Temple, facing north, is shown with 4 hands: 1 holding a modakam (or kolukattai, a rice-based delicacy), 1 a breached tusk, 1 a strand of rudraksha beads, and 1 a parasu (axe). He is depicted eating the kolukattai with his tusk, portion a rodent sits astatine his feet.
Mr. Balasubramanian says the quality of the idol impressed the sculptors of the Chola Kingdom, who were renowned for their expertise successful bronze casting. “A sculptor formed a transcript of the Pala dynasty Vinayagar successful bronze. It was recovered buried successful Muthupet successful Nagapattinam territory and is present connected show astatine the Thanjavur Art Gallery,” helium writes.
The bronze idol of Bengal’s Pala dynasty Vinayagar present kept connected show astatine the Thanjavur Art Gallery | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh
Historians R. Kalaikovan and M. Nalini, who person studied the origins of Vinayagar worship successful Tamil Nadu, accidental the earliest literate references to the deity are recovered successful the Thevaram hymns of Thirugnanasambandar and Thirunavukkarasar.
“Even the Poolankurichi inscriptions, believed to beryllium to the play of Silapathikaram and referring to temples and worship, marque nary notation of Vinayagar. The Saivite minstrels, who praise Lord Muruga successful forty-seven places, notation to the elephant-headed God lone successful a few,” they write.
They constituent retired that the Pallavas, pioneers successful the instauration of rock-cut temples, did not diagnostic Vinayagar successful those structures. “A stone mandapam in Thirukazhukundram, created by Narasimhavarman, besides does not see Vinayagar. But, determination is simply a Vinayagar successful the Ramanuja rock-cut temple successful Mamallapuram,” they explicate successful their essay Pillaiya Vazhipattin Thotramum Valarchiyum (The root and maturation of Pillaiyar worship).
Vinayagar adorns the Dharma Ratha in Mamallapuram, belonging to the play of Rajasimha. The deity is besides recovered successful temples constructed by this king. “Keezhkudavarai successful Tiruchirapalli, the Kailasanatha temple successful Tirupattur, and the rock-cut temple successful Vallam successful Chengalpattu territory besides diagnostic the deity. This intelligibly shows that Vinayagar began to look successful temples successful bluish Tamil Nadu lone a period aft the clip of Thirunavukkarasar,” they write.
Mr. Kalaikovan and Ms. Nalini, however, judge the worship of Vinayagar originated successful confederate Tamil Nadu overmuch earlier and place the earliest sculpture arsenic the Pillaiyar of Pillaiyarpatti. “Although Pillaiyar is contiguous worshipped arsenic the main deity there, the sculpture was primitively created arsenic a kosta deivam (wall shrine deity) of a rock-cut Shiva temple,” they say, noting that it apt dates to either the sixth oregon seventh century.
