User talk:Drpandian

Inscriptions of the Soundararaja Perumal Temple, Thadicombu
Thadicombu, a special village panchayat,is situated at a distance of 8

kilometers to the north of Dindigul.It has a Vaishnavite shrine

dedicated to Sri Soundararaja Perumal which is a treasure house of

superb architecture and sculpture of Nayaka style. The inscriptions of

the temple have been studied and published in the Annual Reports on

Indian Epigraphy (ARE)and South Indian Inscriptions(S.I.I) by the

Archaeological Survey of India.

The first inscription, copied from the south base of

temple mandapa in front of central shrine, speaks about the provisions

to be made for conducting tiruvadhyayana kalyana for the deity

Soundararaja Perumal.It also mentions the 3rd year opposite to the 11th

year of a king whose name not given. It is assigned to 13th century

based on the character of the letters.(ARE 291 of 1956) The second inscription, belongs to the Pandya period, is

in fragments of stones built into the south, west and north walls of

the first prakara.One of the fragments seem to record a provision made

for the worship on the occasion of a king's birthday star. The name of

the king is not mentioned. Another mentions mahesvarakankani.And third

piece mentions A[pa]rabhayankara charturvedi mangalam.(ARE 292 of 1956)

Third inscription, in the characters of the 15th

century, is on the tiers of the south, west and north walls of the

central shrine, the scripts of which are Sanskrit and Tamil, Grantha

and Tamil. Registers an order issued in the name of deity in connection

with the administration of the temple.(ARE 293 of 1956)

Apart from these inscriptions an incomplete inscription

in Grantha and Tamil scripts, on the south wall of the Garuda shrine in

the temple, mentions king Ramadeva raya's regnal year 1629.(He ruled

over Vijayanagar empire from 1617-1632)(S.I.I.vol.5,No.291)

The following points are given below to elicit the views

of the scholars: Whether the temple is converted into Vaishna temple or

not?

1. The mentioning of regnal year- i.e.,3rd year opposite

to the 11th year- is the conventional method of the Pandyas.

2. The word 'Mahesvarakankani' means a congregation of

Saiva devotees having a voice in the management of the affairs of a

Siva temple.

3. The inscriptions,mostly,fragments,incomplete and

upside-down.

4. The mentioning of the word 'Soundararaja Perumal'in

the first inscription is misleading. Hence it is necessary to examine

the inscription once again.