Palayaru | |
.jpg) Image of Thenupuriswarar temple at Patteeswaram | |
| Region | Thanjavur |
|---|---|
| Part of | Chola capitals |
| History | |
| Periods | Medieval Cholas |
Pazhayarai orPazhaiyarai orPalayarai (Tamil: பழையாறை paḻaiyāṟai) was an ancient capital of the medievalChola dynasty inTamil Nadu. The place is located around 7 km (4.3 mi) fromKumbakonam, a city inThanjavur district, in theSouth Indian state ofTamil Nadu. It is located on the banks ofT.Patnam river, one of the distributaries of the riverKaveri. There are a number of villages within the area of historic Pazhaiyarai. The place was called Ayiratalli, meaning a land of thousand temples. The place is referred under various names like Ayiratalli, Pazhayar, Ahavamallakulakalapuram and Minavanaivenkadasolapuram.
The place was originally under the rule of Muttaraiyars, the feudatories ofPallava empire when it was called Avanaiapuram. The place attained its fame when it came under the regime of the Cholas. There are a number of inscriptions from the Chola dynasty associating the importance capital during the regime ofSundara (Parantaka II) (957-70). It retained it importance under the subsequent Chola kings, but when it switched hands to thePandya dynasty, the place lost its importance. There are a number of temples associated with the place, with the major ones beingThenupuriswarar Temple, Patteeswaram,Pazhayarai Vadathali,Panchavan Madeviyar Pallippadai Temple,Thirunandipura Vinnagaram andSakthivanesvara Temple.
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The historical village Pazhayarai is located around 7 km (4.3 mi) fromKumbakonam, a town inThanjavur district, in theSouth Indian state ofTamil Nadu. There are lot of small villages inside the historical town of Pazhayarai –Thirunandipura Vinnagaram,Sathi mutram,Patteeswaram with all their temples. There were four legendary temples, Vadathali, Kelthali, Metrali and Thenthali across four sides of the city. The houses(veedu) of the warriors namely Aru padai veedu, Pudhu padai Veedu, Manapadai Veedu and Pambai padai veedu.It is located on the banks ofT.Patnam river, one of the distributaries of the riverKaveri.[1]
Pazhayarai was originally called Ayiratalli, meaning the land of thousand temples. Western scholars attribute different names to the place like Ariyatalli, Mudikondacholapuram and Palaiyaru. The first literary mention of Pazhayarai is found in the 7th centuryTamilSaiva canonic literatureThevaram by saintSambandar. He mentions the Saiva temple occupied byJains, which was cleared to be opened for Shiva worshippers under the influence of the saint on the ruling Muttaraiyar king. The saint went on to visit theMerrali or the western temple and theThenupuriswarar Temple, Patteeswaram. Amaraneethi Nayanar, one of the 63Nayanmars is believed to have progressed in the village. The place is also called Nandipuram, following thePallava king of 7th century, who is believed to have built theNathan Kovil in the place. The place came to be known as Avaninaryanapuram after the advent ofNandivarman III (846–869). The Chola kingVirarajendra Chola (1063–1070) gave the name Ahavamallakulakalapuram, whileKulothunga I (1070–1120) named it Minavanaivenkadasolapuram.[2]
The city was originally an important city during the rule ofPallavas in the 7th and 8th centuries. As per historians, the city was probably one of the capitals of their viceroys, the Muttaraiyars. During the regime ofVijayalaya Chola (848-71), the first medieval Chola emperor, the Muttariayars were defeated and the region came under Chola territory. The place was a capital city during the regime ofSundara (Parantaka II) (957-70).[3] The city had palaces where members of the royal family resided even after shifting the capital to Thanjavur during the regime of Rajaraja Chola.[2] There was only one palace forVijayalaya Chola, but later individual palaces were built for all the princes.[1] Rajaraja's sister Kundavai resided in the place and continued to issue orders and grants from the palace as seen in the inscriptions.[2]Rajaraja I, who built theBig Temple of Thanjavur is said to have spent his last days in the city, the capital of his predecessors.[1] During the regime ofRajendra I (1012–44), the capital was shifted toGangaikonda Cholapuram, but the city Palayarai still retained its importance. The place started losing its importance during the late 12th to 13th centuries when the region was occupied byPandyas.[2] Systematic excavation was carried out in the place by the Department of Archaeology of theGovernment of Tamil Nadu in 1983-4 at Nandan Medu, Keezha Pazhayarai and Nathankoil. The excavations unearthed multiple dolmens and artefacts from the Chola regime.[4] Though the region was predominantly occupied by Saivites and Vaishnavites, the verses fromAppar during the 7th century indicate existence ofJaina colonies in the region, indicating a multi cultural coexistence.[5]Buddha statues were also found in archeological excavations, indicating thatBuddhism has flourished in the region.[6]
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Nathan Kovil (also called Thiru Nandipura Vinnagaram Temple), dedicated to the Hindu godVishnu, is glorified in theNalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medievalTamil canon of theAlvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Jagannathan and his consortLakshmi as Shenbagavalli. The original temple is believed to have been built during thePallava regime.[7]Parasunathar Temple, Muzhaiyur, a Shiva temple, is named after sageParasurama, who is believed to have worshipped the presiding deity to propitiate himself off the curses due to the killing of his mother.Pazhayarai Vadathali, also called Dharmapureeswarar temple, is a Shiva temple is revered in the 7th century Saiva workTevaram and classified asPadal petra stalam. The Hindu godShiva is believed to have appeared as acolumn of fire. His consort,Parvati, unable to bear the heat, embraced Shiva, lending the name Sakthimutram (Shakti (Parvati) embracing Shiva) to theSakthivanesvara Temple.[8]
Thenupuriswarar Temple, aShiva temple located in the village ofPatteeswaram, is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, theTevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as theNayanars and classified asPaadal Petra Sthalam. The temple is associated with the legend ofSambandar to whose viewNandi moved to have a direct view of the presiding deity. Muthupandal festival celebrated in the temple is associated with the legend.[9] Somanathaswami temple is a temple built during the regime of Rajaraja Chola and has inscriptions indicating gifts to the temple by Kundavai Nachiyar, the sister of the king.Airavatesvara Temple atDarasuram, built byRajaraja Chola II in the 12th centuryCE is classified as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site, along with theBrihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, theGangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred to as theGreat Living Chola Temples.[10] Pazhayarai Metrali, Panchavan Madheeswaram, Brahmanandeeswaram, Darasuram temple, Brahmapureeswarar temple at Keezhakorkai are other temples in the region.[11]