Thiruvellarai Swastik Well by Dantivarma Pallava and Pundarikakasha Perumal Temple

நன்றி: புகைப்படம் பராந்தக சோழன் முகநூல்

நன்றி: புகைப்படம் பராந்தக சோழன் முகநூல்

நன்றி: புகைப்படம் தி இந்து

Thiruvellarai (திருவெள்ளரை) Pundarikaksha Perumal (புண்டரிகாட்ஷப் பெருமாள்) Temple, Manachanallur Taluk, Tiruchirapalli district is the most ancient Vaishnavite shrine located about 20 km. from Tiruchirapalli and lying on the Tiruchirapalli - Thuraiyur Road.  It is the fourth among the 108 Divya Desams (திவ்ய தேசம்) (Azhwars (ஆழ்வார்கள்) or holy Vaishnavite saints, who invoked Lord Vishnu with the hymn of Nalayira Divya Prabandham (நாலாயிர திவ்யப் பிரபந்தம்) or 4000 holy hymns compositions in 108 shrines. Thiruvellarai Divya Desam or Vaishnavite shrine was invoked by Periyazhwar (பெரியாழ்வார்) and Thirumangai Azhwar (திருமங்கை ஆழ்வார்). The shrine is believed to be much older than Sri Rengam, the First Divya Desam. The temple is dedicated to Lord Pundarikaksha Perumal aka. Lord Senthamaraikkannan (செந்தாமரைக்கண்ணன்) (Lotus eyed Lord), a form of Vishnu who appears in a standing  posture in a separate sanctum. The sanctum of the prime deity can be worshiped through two gateways i.e, Dakshinayanam Gate (தட்ஷணாயன வாயில்) (open during Dakshinayana period) and Uttharayana Gate (உத்தராயண வாயில்) (open during Uttharayana period). His consort Goddess Pankajavalli (Pankayavalli) (பங்கஜவல்லி என்ற பங்கயவல்லி), a form of Goddess Lakshmi graces her devotees in a separate sanctum.  There is a huge and incomplete Rajagopuram (prime tower) with the flight of steps. There is an inner tower after Rajagopuram. The built-up temple is enclosed and fortified by huge walls. There are stone built rooms at the outer corridor and any sound produced around here will be echoed.

The temple was built on a whitish rocky hillock which is over 50 feet height from ground level. (White rock = venparai or Vellarai. வெண்பாறை = வெள்ளரை). It is believed that this temple was raised by the Pallava king during later part of 8th century A.D. At a later date medieval Cholas, later Pandyas, Vijayanagara kingdom and Nayakas of Madurai have greater contribution for the expansion of the temple structures. Besides the masonite structures of Thiruvellarai Pundarikaksha Perumal temple, there are two rock-cut cave temples excavated on a granite mound. The rock-cut caves bear the Pallava sculptural depictions of Lord Narasimha and Lord Varaha as well as three inscriptions: two of them assignable to Pallava king Nandivarman II (732 - 736 A.D.) and the third one assignable to that of  Pallava king Dantivarman (795 - 846 A.D.).

Thiruvellarai Sri Vinnagaram is referred to  as "periya Sri Koyil" (பெரிய ஸ்ரீ கோயில்) in the 8th regnal year (978 A.D.) inscriptions of  of Mathuranthaka Uthama Chola (மதுரந்தாக உத்தம சோழன்)  Another inscription of Rajaraja I (முதலாம் இராஜராஜன்) mentions "Thiruvallarai forming part of Pachil Kurram (பாச்சில் கூற்றம்) (like the present taluk), Rajaraja valanatu (இராஜராஜ வளநாடு) (like the present district)."

This post is about the unusually deigned well located at the back of the (beyond the compound wall of the) temple premises. This swastika (ஸ்வஸ்திகா) shaped well is surrounded by hedges and bushes.   It is protected by Tamil Nadu state department of Archaeology and  renovated with the financial assistance of 13th finance commission 2013-14.  The well together appears like the symbol 'Swastika.' Each wing of the Swastika has 51 steps leading to the water and, on descending down the 20th step, one has to take a right to reach the tank below. The supporting beams made of stones criss-cross the structure.  The peculiar feature of the well is that it ensures privacy for those taking bath in the four enclosures. Hence local people call it as Mother-in-law - Daughter-in-law Tank (மாமியார் மருமகள் குளம் அல்லது கிணறு) since when taking bath in this tank both of them would not be visible to each other. This peculiar shaped well was excavated by one Kamban Araiyan (கம்பன் அரையன்) from Alampakkam during the year 805 A.D. during the reign of Pallava king Dantivarman (746 - 847 A.D.). It was excavated under the instructions of Dantivarman. The well is named after 'Marpiduku' one of the royal titles king Dantivarman and popularly called as 'Marpiduku great well.'    There are statues of Nandhi (bull vehicle) and Nagas (serpents) found around the well. According to the hoarding kept there the well underwent renovation during the 13th century A.D. by Yosala Veera Ramanathan (யோசால வீர இராமநாதன்) and this renovation was carried out by Kudanthai Vanigan Uyyaneri Kaatinaan (குடந்தை வணிகன் உய்யநெறி காட்டினான்).

An inscription found on one of the side wall of the well speaks about the excavation of the great well:

No. 40 - (A. R. No. 541 of 1905) - Tiruvellarai, (then) Lalgudi Taluk, Trichinopoly District. On the margin of a well called 'Nalumulaikkeni' (நாலுமூலைக்கேணி) - This inscription records the construction of a well called Marppidugu-Perunkinaru (மார்பிடுகு பெருங்கிணறு) at Tennur (தென்னூர்) in Tiruvellarai by Kamban Araiyan (கம்பன் அரையன்), the younger brother of Visayanallulan (விசெயநல்லூழன்) of Alambakkam (ஆலம்பாக்கம்), in the 4th year of Dantivarman.  Published in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XI, p. 157.  (Grantha and Tamil characters)

ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ பாரத்வாஜ கோத்திரத்தின் வழித்தோன்றிய

பல்லவ திலத குலோத்பவன் தந்திவர்மர்க்கு யாண்டு

நான்காவ தெடுத்துக் கொண்டு ஐந்தாவது முற்றுவித்தான்

ஆலம்பாக்க விசெய நல்லூழான் தம்பி கம்பன் அரையன்

திருவெள்ளரை தென்னூர் பெருங்கிணறு இதன் பியர்

மார்ப்பிடுகு பெருங்கிணறு

"The object of the inscription is to document the well known as Marpidugu Perungkinaru at Thiruvellarai Thennur. Kamban Araiyan (A Mutharaiyar chief), the younger brother of a certain  Viseya Nalluzhan of Alampakkam. Commencing the work from fourth year of Kulothbhavan Dantivarman of Pallavatilata (tilaka) family  which is said have sprung from the Bharathvaja Gothram and completed in his 5th year at Thiruvellarai Thennur and named it as 'Marpiduku Perungkinaru.'   

The section 2 of the inscription is the Tamil verse (தமிழ் செய்யுள்) and is composed in Asiriyappaa metre (ஆசிரியப்பா செய்யுள்). Here Kampan Araiyan speaks about the immortal life of humanbeing (மனித வாழ்க்கையில் நிலையாமை):

ஸ்ரீ கண்டார் காணா உலகத்திற் காதல் செய்து நில்லாதேய்
பண்டேய் பரமன் படைத்த நாள் பார்த்து நின்று நைய்யாதேய்
தண்டால் மூப்பு வந்து உன்னைத் தளரச் செய்து நில்லாமுன்
உண்டேல் உண்டுமிக்கது உலகமறிய வைம்மினேய் 

This poem in Tamil declares that no object in this world is permanent. I saw a person yesterday. Today I couldn't see him because he died. Human life is immortal and impermanent. In such a world of impermanence don't fix your love (likes) on the materialistic objects. Lord of Creation has made you to give birth on a specific day. As the human life is immortal, don't forecast future from your day of birth and confuse yourself emotionally. Before age could wither your body and to shrink,  consume (spend your wealth) reasonably well for your maintenance purposes and leave the remainder of your wealth for charity.   

Reference:

1. கோயில் வளாகத்தில் மார்பிடுகு பெருங்கிணறு. குடவாயில் பாலசுப்ரமணியன். தினகரன் 25.1.2014
2. திரு.எஸ்.இராமச்சந்திரன், கல்வெட்டறிஞர், ரீச் ஃபவுண்டேஷன் கல்வெட்டியல் வகுப்பு. 12.12.2014

YouTube Video by Subashini Tremmel