Tamil Nadu home to 1,200-year-old rock cut temple

Sivagangai: As people all over Tamil Nadu are gearing up to install giant Pillaiyar idols at street corners and small clay idols in their homes on the occasion of Vinayakar Chaturthi, a 1,200 year-old cave rock-cut temple in a village named after Pillaiyar draws pilgrims in hordes. Said to be the oldest temple dedicated to Pillaiyar in Tamil Nadu, it was built by early Pandiya kings during 600 CE and is located at Pillaiyarpatti near Karaikudi in Sivagangai district.

“The sculpture was not installed. It was hewn out of a living rock with Pillaiyar having only two arms in a sitting posture with a Siva Linga on his palm. The significance of the deity with two arms is the sculptures crafted during the early period were in shape of humans,” renowned archaeologist Vedachalam told Deccan Chronicle.

All the Pillaiyar sculptures found after 7th century CE (Common Era) have four arms and a number of ornaments adorning it. “Even similar rock-cut sculptures of Pillaiyar of 8th century found at Thiruparankundram temple, Arittapatti village near Madurai has four arms,” he said.

Though the temple attracts devotees including film personalities and relatives of top politicians all through the year, Vinayakar Chaturthi is the most important festival in Pillaiyarpatti which has been celebrated for a full 10 days every year.

“Devotees who have observed fast on Chaturthi days every month throughout the year, would throng the temple on the 10th day (September 5) to participate in the Kumba (pot) Pooja,” said V. Thenappan, a Tamil scholar who penned a book on the Pillaiyarpatti temple.

A strong belief among devotees is that bathing in the kumba water, used for performing abhishekam to Lord Vinayaka, would cure all their health
problems and bring prosperity to the family, he claimed.

The 14 stone inscriptions found in the temple dated between 600 CE and 1238 CE narrate about donations made by kings, local feudatories and people for being blessed with prosperity or cured from prolonged illness after they worshipped ‘Desi Vinayaga Pillaiyar’, the original name of the deity.

For instance, a feudatory named Nemanrajan appointed by Chola King to manage the trade route at Nemam near Karikudi during the 10th century had donated five gold coins to the temple for conducting ‘Banana Pooja’ throughout the year after his wife was cured from a disease, said Thenappan.

The Tamil professor attributes the spiritual significance of this temple to Pillaiyar sculpture sitting in a meditative posture praying for well-being of the whole universe. “The Vatteluttu (circular) inscription of 600 CE found in a pillar plaster near the sculpture reads as follows ‘Erukkattur Kon Perumthachan’ (Master craftsman of Erukkattur had crafted it.) Erukkattur is an old name of Pillaiyarpatti,” said Vedachalam adding that a Siva lingam (Thiruveesar) was also hewed out from the same rock located on the right side of the sculpture.

The temple used to be maintained by the local people. “When they found it difficult to manage, they handed over possession of the temple to Nagarathar or Nattukottai Chettiars in 1284 CE, proof of which is found in the stone inscription of the temple,” said Thenappan.