Abstract :
The study presents a narrative history of the
Tiruppalaivanam Temple at Tiruppalaivanam, which is one
of the unique temples in Tiruvallore district. Studies on
important South Indian temples are not uncommon, for the
temple was essentially a religious, social and cultural
institution in ancient Tamilagam.
In the past, the temple was the nucleus around which
centred the religious, social and cultural life of the people.
The temple inspired and sustained private piety. And
private piety was expressed in the form of gifts from
individuals and State to the temple. This facilitated proper
temple administration. As a great centre of learning from
very early times the temple attracted many ruling dynasties
of ancient Tamilagam make substantial gifts of gold or land
for the maintenance and development of all the institutions
connected with it. The temple acted as a land-holded
consumer of goods and served as a bank, museum and
partly as a hospital and a service agent for relief the poor.
In short, as an all pervasive institution the medieval temple
played a unique role. Thus the history of every important
temple forms an indispensable key to the local history.
The Tiruppalaivaneswara Temple attracts the curiosity
of not merely the historian but also the sociologist,
economist, architect and sculptors of its entire history and
the story of the contemporary society, and its richness both
economic terms and in terms of architecture and the
sculptures. The exhaustive documentation available from
71 inscriptions engraved on the walls and pillars of the
temple is rare wealth indeed and of immeasurable value.
The temple also sports a depiction in stone of different
sculptures for setting the pace for many others to follow in
the succeeding centuries.
Keyword :
Chola; Pandya; Gandagopala;