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Strewn sculptures tell a tale
The growing interest in devotees augurs well for the Pulipakkam shrine.
AS WE drive from Chennai towards Chinglepet on the highway, just about a kilometre before we reach there is the village of Pulippakkam. On our right are hillocks, while on our left is the lake. If we take a right at the cutting of the median, we can reach Pulippakkam. On the hillock is the ancient temple of Vyagrapureeswarar. Whether the village got the name of the Lord at the temple or vice versa, one cannot say. Shallow and wide steps lead to the temple from the base of the hillock. It is indeed a very pleasant experience to stand on the hillock, look towards the lake and enjoy the breeze.
In the 425 sq.ft. Temple complex, at present only the small shrine with the image of the lingam is intact. All around are strewn and damaged sculptures and structures. The remnants of the mandapam, according to experts, reveal that it was built of bricks from the Chola period. A dried up temple tank is also seen nearby. There are several ancient temples and ruins of forts in the villages around Pulippakkam and evidence of poets from the Sangam period having lived here are also available.
The remains of the temple of Vyagrapureeswara are quite artistic. Several inscriptions can be found on the walls dating from the 9th to the 12th century A.D. proving that this temple was built during the reign of the Chola emperor Raja Raja I.
According to John Wesley's research paper on the epigraphs of this temple, certain prefixes such as "Soma Thribhuvana" to the kings mentioned in the inscriptions also reveal that this temple belongs to the Chola region. The inscriptions seem to prove that during the 300 years there had been regular rituals conducted at the temple and the hereditary trustees spent the income from the lands belonging to the temple towards its maintenance.
It is unfortunate that such a temple has been neglected for hundreds of years. But recently people from the village have begun taking steps to begin regular worship here. On every Pradosham day special pujas are conducted and people from in and around the village congregate to worship Vyagrapureeswarar. Efforts are under way to reconstruct the temple and bring back some of the lost glory.
LAKSHMI VENKATARAMAN
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