Dharmapuram Adheenam inspecting the unearthed supplies
Among the bronze idols unearthed not too long ago in the Sattainathar or Thoniappar temple in Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district are the copper plates with Thevaram hymns inscribed on them.
This is the first-time copper plates with Thevaram hymns are found in Tamil Nadu they usually have proved to be a testomony to stone inscriptions in the Chidambaram temple that talks concerning the apply of inscribing Thevaram hymns on copper plates.
It just isn’t clear whether or not these plates are literally from Chidambaram, which have been shifted to Sirkazhi in a time of disaster, or a distinct set of plates ready solely for the Sirkazhi temple.
“This is absolutely a humongous collection. A total of 413 plates are in good shape. Around 80 to 90 plates are broken. I read the hymns of Thirunavukkarasar while others had read hymns by Thirugnanasambandar before me. We cannot read them quickly because the plates are not clear because it was covered with a green mass. I assume the collection will also contain hymns of Sundarar,” mentioned Madhusudanan Kalaichelvan, a historian, epigraphist, and heritage fanatic, who was invited by the top of the Dharmapuram Adheenam to research the invention.
All necessary Siva temples in Tamil Nadu had a assortment of manuscripts of Thevaram hymns and particular pujas have been carried out for them. “Special grants had been given for the worship which was known as ‘Thevara Nayagam’. The practice of performing pujas for the manuscripts is still followed,” defined Mr. Kalaichelvan.
The apply of inscribing Thevaram hymns on copper plates is understood by way of the inscriptions of Naralokavira, who was the commander-in-chief beneath Chola emperors Kulotunga I and his son Vikrama Chola. He had contributed immensely to many temples, particularly the temple at Chidambaram, the place he arrange some steel photographs.
“He constructed a beautiful mandapam for reciting Thevaram of Thirugnanasambandar and inscribed the hymns of all the three Saivite minstrels —Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundarar,” mentioned R. Kalaikovan, director, Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research Centre.
He is the son of Dr. Rajamanikkanar, who in his e book Periyapurana Ararichi (Research on Periyapuranam), has rendered into easy Tamil the inscriptions of Naralokavira, which element his contributions to the Chidambaram temple. The first half is in Sanskrit and the second is in Tamil.
Legend has it that Nambiandar Nambi, a Tamil scholar who lived in the interval of Raja Raja I, compiled all the assortment of Thevaram hymns that remained uncared-for on the Chidambaram temple.
Dr. Kalaikovan mentioned the Nambiandar Nambi was an apocryphal story for the reason that apply of singing Thevaram hymns dated again to the interval of Pallavas. “There are inscriptions in many temples which talk about the practice of singing them during temple rituals to the accompaniment of musical instruments,” he mentioned.
He additionally rejected the speculation that these plates may very well be from the Chidambaram temple. “There is absolutely no basis for it because the Sirkazhi temple is under the control of the Dharmapuram Adheenam. Authorities would have never allowed shifting of the plates from Chidambaram,” he mentioned.
