How epigraphist S. Rajavelu used inscriptions to unearth temples in Tamil Nadu

Archaeologist and epigraphist S. Rajavelu has spent a beingness studying the past done fractured stones and fading scripts, rescuing it from silence. He has discovered and copied much than 1,565 inscriptions. Over the years, helium has written astir 1,500 articles for the Tamil Encyclopaedia and authored much than 100 probe papers, making a sustained effort to link disparate humanities strands. A beardown advocator of the technological dating of the Tamili (Tamil-Brahmi) script, Rajavelu argued that it whitethorn predate Ashokan Brahmi. During his tenure with the ASI, his survey of onshore and offshore remains astatine Mamallapuram added caller grounds to discussions astir the legendary Seven Pagodas. In designation of his probe successful galore areas, a felicitation volume, which has articles by galore epigraphists and archaeologists, was released successful April this year. The measurement was edited by eminent epigraphist Y. Subbarayalu. After the event, Rajavelu reflected connected the milestones that person shaped his agelong and exacting engagement with history.

In 2004, Rajavelu recovered an inscription, engraved connected a boulder, adjacent the Tiger Cave astatine Saluvankuppam, a hamlet of Mamallapuram. The inscription, dated to the 4th regnal twelvemonth of Rashtrakuta king Krishna III (939 to 967 CE), records a onshore assistance to a Subrahmanya temple successful Tiruvilichil colony (old sanction of Saluvankuppam). “Usually, an inscription signaling a donation is located successful the vicinity of the onshore donated, oregon adjacent the temple receiving the donation. In this case, Saluvankuppam could not person been donated land, due to the fact that nary 1 would person donated infertile, coastal onshore to a temple. That meant determination indispensable person been a Subrahmanya temple there,” says Rajavelu. Further exploring the area, helium recovered a mound adjacent the inscription and immoderate remnants of a temple astatine the aboveground level. The Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle, was informed, and they carried retired excavations, successful which Rajavelu participated. To his surprise, helium recovered a ruined Pallava chromatic structure, predating Krishna III.

Digging deeper, helium recovered remnants of a ceramic temple, connected apical of which the Pallava operation had been built. “The bricks were akin successful size to those recovered successful Arikkamedu, Kaveripoompattinam, Uraiyur, Mangulam and Keezhadi. There were 21 rows of bricks,” says Rajavelu. A terracotta plaque of the Sangam play was found, which showed 5 women holding hands and dancing kuravai koothu. Tholkappiyam describes veriyattu and kuravai koothu, which are ritual dances performed for Murugan. The plaque confirmed that determination was a Murugan temple successful Saluvankuppam during the Sangam period. So far, this is the lone Sangam-era temple unearthed successful a coastal area.

Manimekalai says that a deluge submerged Kaveripoompattinam. This oversea surge astir the 6th period CE indispensable person affected the full East coast, submerging the Saluvankuppam temple also. “From the inscriptions 1 tin infer that the chromatic temple was built successful the clip of Nandivarman II (731–796 CE) and received donations from succeeding Pallava kings — Kampavarman and Nripatungavarman. From the inscriptions of Kampavarman we larn that women from Manayil (near Thiruvallur) came to this temple to behaviour festivals. If radical came from that far, past the Subrahmanya temple indispensable person been fashionable successful the Pallava period. An inscription of Kulottunga III (1178 to 1218 CE) shows that the temple continued to beryllium worshipped adjacent erstwhile Chola powerfulness was connected the wane,” explains Rajavelu.

Rajavelu’s focused hunt helped him place a Rashtrakuta temple. Rashtrakuta king Krishna III marched against the Cholas and acceptable up a subject campy successful Melpadi, adjacent Vellore. Krishna’s Karhad copper plates notation that helium built 3 temples successful Tamil Nadu — Kaalapriyam, Gandaramarthandam and Krishneshwaram. At the Sundaravarada Perumal temple successful Kaveripakkam, an inscription dated to the 6th regnal twelvemonth of Sundara Chola, records that Kumara Chetti’s lad Sampakkan, who was associated with the Kaalapriya market, located successful the metropolis of Kirthimarthandam, donated 90 sheep to the Kaalapriyadeva temple. On this basis, immoderate scholars concluded that the Rashtrakuta temple indispensable person been built successful Kaveripakkam. But since nary specified temple was recovered there, Rajavelu began to look for the temple successful places nearby.

In Tirumalaicheri, 5 kms from Walajah, connected the Northern slope of the Palar, helium recovered a ruined temple. A Kannada inscription here, which talks of a donation to the Kaalapriya temple, and astir changes successful the taxation strategy successful Tondai Nadu, confirmed that this was the Kaalapriya temple built by Krishna, successful a metropolis called Kirtimarthandam Kaalapriyam, established by him. Although the temple was reconstructed successful Raja Raja I’s period, galore portions of the earlier temple were retained. These see the Rashtrakuta-style pillars, ornate Karnataka-style archways, Gajalakshmi bas alleviation and quadrate linga successful the sanctum. There is simply a bas alleviation depicting galore radical successful a procession, with 1 of them carrying a linga connected his caput to the accompaniment of philharmonic instruments. An umbrella is held supra the caput of this fig and the linga. “It could beryllium Krishna himself carrying the linga for consecration.”

A damaged five-foot-tall Mahesha idol with 5 heads and 10 hands, discovered successful a sugarcane tract adjacent the Tirumalaicheri temple, provides further impervious of the Rashtrakuta root of the temple. “This Mahesha was akin to the 1 successful Ellora, which is besides of the Rashtrakuta period,” says Rajavelu. He told the villagers to defender the invaluable idol. A fewer months later, erstwhile helium returned to Tirumalaicheri, helium recovered that the colony elders had sold the idol, hoping to reconstruct the temple with the money. “Since outgo had been made by cheque, the purchaser could beryllium traced, and a lawsuit was registered against him by the Idol Wing. When the lawsuit came up successful court, the prosecution did not bring successful experts who knew the value and rarity of the sculpture. The lawsuit was lost, and the idol went backmost to the buyer. It has ne'er been seen nor heard of again. Only a representation taken by maine survives,” says Rajavelu, who mentions different temple successful Sathambakkam, 3 kilometres from Tirumalaicheri. “There were nary inscriptions, but it had Rashtrakuta features. This could beryllium 1 of the different 2 temples built by Krishna.”

The Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology of Tamil University, Thanjavur, organised the Mantiripattinam excavation nether the guidance of Rajavelu. Based connected the findings there, helium believes that Mantiripattinam indispensable person been a insignificant larboard successful the Sangam era. Rajavelu’s enactment shows that adjacent a chromatic volition speak, if you cognize however to perceive to it.