1300-year old Skanda temple found at Mamallapuram

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Srinivasan Kalyanaraman <kalyan97@g...> wrote:

1,300-year-old temple found at Mamallapuram

Tuesday July 12 2005 09:35 IST

 

CHENNAI: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed the

ruins of a nearly 1,300-year-old temple, believed to be of the Pallava

period, near the Tiger Cave in Mamallapuram.

 

The ASI excavators had recently come across a rock inscription with

details about a grant made to a nearby temple. Based on this, they

started excavation here one week ago, ASI officials here said.

 

Only 25 per cent of the temple remains, along with two more rock

inscriptions belonging to the same period, had been unearthed so far,

T Sathyamurthy, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Chennai Circle, who

is also the director of excavations, told this website's newspaper on

Monday. He said this is the second temple unearthed in Mamallapuram in

the last one year.

 

''What we found are the remains of a temple built during the Pallava

period. This discovery will be of public interest. The temple remains

are located right on the beach and it would be a wonderful treasure

for those who love archaeology,'' Sathyamurthy said.

 

The ASI excavators have unearthed the plinths of the temple made out

of granite stone and bricks and two pillars with Pallava period

inscriptions. ''We have not analysed the details of the inscription

yet. But from the script it has been made out that the remains belong

to the Pallava period,'' Sathyamurthy said.

 

It would take some more time to unearth the complete remains as the

preliminary data suggested existence of a huge temple beneath. ''We

will get a much more clear picture within seven to 10 days. We see

chances of a bigger temple underneath and the excavation will take

some more time,'' he added.

 

Once the excavation is completed, the ASI would preserve the temple in

its present condition. This, according to ASI officials, would add to

the tourist attraction of Mamallapuram, one of the most important

historic tourist spots in South India.

 

The recent excavations carried out by the ASI have raised the interest

of archaeological enthusiasts on Mamallapuram. They believe more such

temples of archaeological and historic value would be lying covered in

Mamallapuram.

 

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?

ID=IET20050711231410&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+-+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0

 

Remains of Subrahmanya temple found near Mamallapuram

 

T.S. Subramanian

 

Renews debate whether it was one among the Seven Pagodas

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Discovery close to the Atiranachandesvara cave-temple

Remains of the 1,200-year-old temple include two granite pillars

bearing inscriptions of Pallava kings

Bricks and potsherds found from the ruins

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— Photo: Shaju John

 

These are the remains of the 1,200-year-old Subrahmanya temple, found

on the beach close to the Tiger Cave, a few kilometres off

Mamallapuram. On the right are the two pillars with inscriptions in

Tamil, belonging to the Pallava kings, Dantivarman and Nandivarman

III, that speak about the existence of the temple there. On the left

are the remains of the temple's plinth, made of granite slabs, and the

inner core. In the background is the big rocky outcrop, with three

inscriptions.

 

CHENNAI: The remains of a Subrahmanya temple belonging to the Pallava

period (circa 8th century A.D.) have been found on the beach close to

the Tiger Cave, a few kilometres off Mamallapuram, near here.

 

The discovery has renewed the debate whether the temple was one among

the Seven Pagodas that reportedly existed on Mamallapuram's shores

that are famed for its Pallava monuments. The Archaeological Survey of

India (ASI), Chennai Circle, had unearthed in February and March this

year the massive remains of a Pallava temple a few hundred metres from

the Shore Temple.

 

Now comes the latest discovery close to the Atiranachandesvara

cave-temple, popularly called the Tiger Cave. "This temple may belong

to an earlier period than the temple discovered close to the Shore

Temple because it has a brick foundation. These bricks belong to the

Pallava period," said T. Satyamuthy, Superintendent Archaeologist,

ASI, Chennai Circle. The remains of this 1,200-year-old temple include

two granite pillars. While one pillar bears the inscription of the

Pallava king Dantivarman, and is dated to 813 A.D., the other pillar

has an inscription of another Pallava king, Nandivarman III, and is

dated to 858 A.D.

 

Speaks about donations

 

Both the inscriptions, in Tamil, speak about donations to the

Subrahmanya temple, at a place called Thiruvizhchil — present-day

Salavankuppam — where the Tiger Cave is situated. The pillar belonging

to Nandivarman III's reign has a "trishul" engraved on top — a typical

Pallava symbol. The ASI, Chennai Circle, which is excavating the

temple, has also found a lot of bricks and potsherds from the ruins of

the collapsed temple. A copper coin belonging to the Chola period was

found on the surface.

 

A few hundred metres from the Tiger Cave is a big monolithic rocky

outcrop. It has three inscriptions of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III

and the Chola kings Parantaka Chola and Kulotunga Chola. When S.

Rajavelu, Epigraphist, ASI, read one among the three, he found that it

belonged to the fourth regnal year of the Rashtrakuta king, Krishna

III, who reigned in the 9th century A.D.

 

The inscription spoke about the existence of a Subrahmanya temple at

Tiruvizhchil and the donation of land for maintaining the temple.

 

`Good result'

 

Mr. Rajavelu discovered a mound nearby and felt it might contain the

ruins of the temple. There were surface indications to that effect

too. Mr. Satyamurthy said that when the ASI excavated the mound

situated about 100 metres from the sea, "we got a good result."

 

The ASI found the temple's plinth, which is made of sliced granite

slabs. The temple could have had a square plan and it had an inner

core, made of brick and rock. A small outer wall, made of brick, has

been found. G. Thirumoorthy, Assistant Archaeologist, ASI, said this

could be one of the earliest Subrahmanya temples found in Tamil Nadu,

since the bricks found belonged to the early medieval period.

 

Mr. Thirumoorthy said incriptions belonging to three different

dynasties — Pallavas, Rashtrakuta and Cholas — spoke about the

existence of the Subrahmanya temple at Tiruvihchil. Mr. Rajavelu said

the pillar, which had an inscription belonging to the seventh regnal

year (813 A.D.) of Dantivarman, talks about a Brahmin woman named

Vasanthanar, wife of Sri Kambabhattar of Sandilya Gothram, belonging

to Manaiyur, near Tiruvallur, donating 16 "kazhanchu" (small balls of

gold) to the Subrahmanya temple. The interest from this gold was meant

to be used to maintain the temple's perpetual lamp.

 

The other pillar, with the inscription belonging to the 12th regnal

year (858 A.D.) of another Pallava king, Nandivarman III, mentions

that one Kirarpiriyan of Mamallapuram donated ten "kazhanchu" of gold

to the temple.

 

The villagers and the village assembly should use the interest accrued

from the gold to conduct the temple festival during the Tamil month of

Karthigai, it said.

 

`Interesting' fact

 

According to P. Aravazhi, the temple builders had used a mixture of

clay, brickbats and stone to provide stability to the foundation

because the temple was built on beach sand.

 

"Although the Subrahmanya cult was popular in the form of Somaskanda

panels during the Pallava period, it is interesting that a separate

structural Subrahmanya temple of the Pallava period has been found so

close to Mamallapuram," said Mr. Rajavelu.

 

Mr. Satyamurthy said the temple had existed up to the 13th Century,

because the inscription belonging to Kulotunga Chola on the rocky

outcrop mentioned Tiruvizhchil village.

 

http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/12/stories/2005071214881300.htm