Kayar alias Kamalanarayana Chaturvedhimangalam

 

Inscriptions at Thirupporur speak of donations made by several villages over the centuries right from Chola times. Villages in India were once thriving entities, each with an administration and a population capable of generating revenues for prosperous living, making donations to temples, and to fund for education, defence and irrigation to ensure continued prosperity.

  It was interesting to find an inscription of the Chola Era at Thirupporur describing the donation of paddy by certain residents of Kayar, now a small village, for lamps and other temple requirements.  The village had been referred to as Kamalanarayana Chaturvedhimangalam.

On the East North and West walls of Deivanai Amman Shrine - Rajakesari Varman… 6^th year (AR No 122 / 1933-34)

“Stones Misplaced and some lost. Gift of paddy by certain residents to the assembly (Mahasabha) of the village of Kaayaaru alias Kamalanarayana Chaturvedhimangalam in Kumizhi nadu subdivision of Amoor Kottam in Jayamkonda Chola mandalam to provide for offerings and lamps and other requirements in the temple of Pillayaar Subramanya Deva at Thirupporiyur”

The name Chaturvedhimangalam indicates the presence of an establishment, in the name of Kamalanarayana Perumal to support people learning and reciting the four vedas in this village. As with other villages of Thondaimandalam, this village had also faced destructions during the turbulent years of invasions by alien forces.

The temple of Kamalanarayana Perumal is close to the bus stop. It is now a tiny modern multi-coloured temple; but it has two stones recorded by ASI in 1922 bearing inscriptions registering land donations.

v Stone near the image of Kamalanarayana Perumal - Rajakesarivarman …4^th year (AR No 444/1922)

Fragment. - Registers a gift of land for perpetual lamp for Urudaipperumal Thirumerralideva

v Another Stone near the image of Kamalanarayana Perumal - Rajakesarivarman …4^th year (AR No 445/1922)

Registers a gift of land for Sribali offering in the temple of Urudaipperumal Thirumerralideva by Anaichchur Kilavan Arinjoman of Thirunaraiyur nadu.

 The houses in the street are also now very different from the traditional structures and so are the residents of the current era.

We can probably find just one or two traditional homes in an abandoned state a few streets away.

Walking down the street, we reach the temple of Varadharaja Perumal. The temple does not seem to have inscriptions now. People living in the area speak of the time, when the murthies buried long ago to safeguard from the iconoclasts, were unearthed and consecrated. This beautiful temple stands overlooking a street, complete with a Garuda Sthambam.

On the Road from Mambakkam, the first temple that can be seen to our right, is the temple of Aderiswara. The antiquity of this temple is established with inscriptions from the era of Rajaraja Chola I. It can be stretched back to the Pallava Era with the sculpture of Jyeshtadevi known as Thavvai (தவ்வை) found along with several other sculptures, some mutilated during invasions under the Neem tree adjascent to the temple, close to the pond.

The path to the temple, through houses and cows looking at us from their sheds, takes us to a space with a huge banyan tree. Beneath the tree, the stones of the once destroyed temple are stacked in a neat line. An array of mid-sized pillars bearing inscriptions welcome us as we approach the temple.

Aderiswara Temple Pillar I - Rajaraja Chola I - 15th year (AR No 440/1922)

Begins with the introduction - thirumagal Pola…Registers the land of sale  by the assembly of Kaayaar in Kumili Nadu - Aamoor Kottam to /senneelathulaan Maaran Singan who set apart the land for burning the perpetual lamp to the God Aaderideva.

Aderiswara Temple Pillar II - Rajaraja Chola I - 3^rd year (AR No 441/1922)

Letters worn out in the middle. Seems to register a gift of land as Bhatta vritti

Aderiswara Temple Pillar III - Rajaraja Chola I – 23^rd year (AR No 442/1922)

Registers a gift of land by purchase for offerings, and for burning a lamp day and night to Kuttapperuman Adigal in the Aaderipidarar Temple by the resident of Vandalanjeri in Tenkarai naraiyur nadu.

 Aderiswara Temple Pillar IV - Rajarajadhirajadeva - 31st year (AR No 443/1922)

Begins with ThingalEr tharu…. Registers a sale of land by the assembly of Kayar in Kumili nadu, Amur kottam of Jayamkonda Chola Mandalam

The temple rebuilt at some point of time is now a simple structure with a Garbhagruham and an Ardha Mandapam. The Adhishtanam starts with an upanam, the short Jagathi is barely visible. Tripatta Kumudham, Kantam and Vedhika adorned with downward petals - adho Padmam, are also found.  The Bhitti or the walls have pillars and the Koshtam niches are empty. The prastharam is simple with minimal embellishments. The ceiling above seems to be concrete.

A Beautifully adorned Nandi leads us to the sanctum.

The doorway has Ganesha and Muruga on either side sculpted in bas-relief.

The presence of Chandesar and a stone that depicts a bird that seems like a peacock and a snake, indicate a larger temple with more sannidhis. 

Worship of Jayestadevi also known as தவ்வை and மூத்ததேவி was once widely prevalent. Her sculpture at this temple is a classic example. 

She had appeared before Goddess Lakshmi did during the Samudhra Manthan. Having appeared first from the பாற்கடல், she was also known as மூத்ததேவி. 

According to the Amsumadhbedhagama, unlike Goddess Lakshmi, she was not depicted slender, but quite flabby with a big belly. Her hair was in a knot, with her right hand holding a nilotpala flower and left hand resting on her thigh. Crow is shown as her emblem.

The human with the head of a bull with danda and rope, to her right is her called her son by the Purva Kaaranagama . The maiden on her left, adorned with ornaments, Karanda Makuta for hairdress and holding a flower is known as Agnimatha as per the Purva Kaaranagama that calls her the daughter of Jayeshtadevi.

After the Pallava times, worshipping her gradually ceased in Tamilagam as she seemed to embody against everything that Lakshmi stood for.

 Thiruvalluvar says in the Chapter அழுக்காறாமை   in Thirukkural

“அவ்வித்து அழுக்காறு உடையானைச் செய்யவள்

தவ்வையைக் காட்டி விடும்”

பொறாமை உடையவனைத் திருமகள் கண்டு பொறாமல், தன் தமக்கைக்கு அவளைக்காட்டி நீங்கிவிடுவாள்.

A person of jealous nature is not tolerated by Lakshmi. She directs her elder sister and leaves him - is generally understood to be the meaning of this verse.

The Sannidhi of Vedhanayaki Amman is a small modern construction.

The presence of the huge Banyan tree, other trees and plants along with the pond close by, draws birds of several kinds. Their chirping makes the temple experience even more divine.

Kayar was part of the Great Chengalpattu survey undertaken by the British under Thomas Bernard between 1767-1774. It gives a fair view of the places, people, revenues, education and administration that exisited in pre- british times.

Chingleput Pargana comprised of காயார் மாகாணம், comprising of the villages of காயார், கேளம்பாக்கம், காட்டூர் and வெண்பேடு.

With more access to materials, it would be interesting to study more about Kayar. Awaiting such an opportunity.