The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : The tale of a neglected ancient temple

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Monday, Apr 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

The tale of a neglected ancient temple

M. Balaganessin

A huge tree is growing on the ‘vimanam’ of the sanctum sanctorum

— Photo: M. Rajarathinam

blocking GROWTH : The huge tree atop the Sri Umapathiswarar temple at Sathanur in Pudukottai district.

PUDUKOTTAI: A historical temple in an interior village in the district is threatening to collapse with the growth of a huge tree right on the ‘vimanam’ of the sanctum sanctorum.

The strong roots of the tree have penetrated deep into all gaps in the walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Umapathiswarar.

The ‘vimanam’ of the sanctum sanctorum can be divided into two parts. While the ‘kalharam’ part has been constructed using stones, the superstructure is built in a circular shape using bricks. The ‘ubanam’ of the sub-shrines is square. The brick structure bears the brunt of the strong roots of the tree.

Six inscriptions on the outer walls of the temple give minute details about its construction. One of the inscriptions says that a trader of Aruvimanagar, who settled in Sattanur village, built the temple in 1213 AD.

Another inscription furnishes the details of the boundary of lands donated to the temple by ancient rulers during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The fact that a manual on ‘Inscription of Pudukkottai State,’ brought out by the Samasthanam in 1929 – an authentic record of over 1,024 historical inscriptions available in the Samasthanam – included a reference to this temple testifies to the importance of these inscriptions, says Government Museum Curator C. Govindaraj, who took up a study in Sattanur village on Wednesday.

A team of epigraphists, led by Karu. Rajendran, who accompanied him, found to their surprise, a few ancient stones lying near the temples containing vital information.

They advised the villagers to preserve all the stones available in the periphery.

Local residents said that despite repeated pleas neither the Archaeological Survey of India nor the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department was coming forward to take up temple renovation.

A villager Muthiah Velalar said that Union Minister of Finance P. Chidambaram had asked the Archaeological Survey of India to look into the matter about a decade ago.

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