Subrahmanya Temple, Saluvankuppam
Encyclopedia
The Subrahmanya Temple at Saluvankuppam
is a shrine dedicated to the Hindu
deity Murugan
. Unearthed in 2005, archaeologists believe that the shrine consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the Sangam period (the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD) and a granite Pallava
temple from the 8th century AD constructed on top of the brick shrine. Archaeologists of the Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in Tamil Nadu
. However, noted Indian archaeologist R. Nagaswamy
is critical of this claim due to lack of references to the shrine in the popular literature of the period.
The temple was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the Archaeological Society of India based on clues found in a rock inscription which was left exposed by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Initially, excavations revealed an 8th century Pallava-era shrine. Further excavations at the site clearly pointed out that the 8th century shrine had been built on the brick foundation of an earlier shrine. The brick shrine has been dated to the Sangam period.
The temple faces north unlike most Hindu temples. Artefacts from two phases, the Sangam phase as well as the Pallava phase, have been discovered. The temple is Tamil Nadu's oldest shrine to Murugan. It is also believed to be one of only two pre-Pallava temples to be found in the state, the other being the Veetrirundha Perumal Temple at Veppathur.
, near the UNESCO
-designated World Heritage Site
of Mahabalipuram. The inscriptions by the Rashtrakuta
king Krishna III
and the Chola
kings Parantaka I
and Kulothunga Chola I
spoke of a Subrahmanya Temple at Thiruvizhchil (the present day Saluvanakuppam). S. Rajavelu, epigraphist with the Archaeological Survey of India
, identified a nearby mound as the site of the temple. In 2005, archaeologists unearthed an 8th-century Pallava
temple underneath the mound. G. Thirumoorthy, Assistant Archaeologist, ASI believed that the shrine could be the oldest Subrahmanya temple to be excavated in Tamil Nadu. There were speculations whether the temple could be one of the "Seven Pagodas
".
However, further excavations revealed that the 8th-century temple was constructed over the remains of an older brick temple. According to Thirumoorthy, the garbhagriha
or sanctum sanctorum of the brick temple was filled with sand and covered with granite slabs on which the newer temple was constructed. Sathyamurthy, Superintendent, ASI Chennai Circle, felt that the brick temple could be dated to the Sangam period as the shrine faced north unlike modern temples which face either east or west. This proved conclusively that the temple was constructed before the 6th or 7th century AD when the shilpi shastras, the canonical texts of temple architecture, were written. Estimates of the age of the brick shrine range from 1700 to 2200 years.
Archaeologists believe that the brick shrine was destroyed either by a cyclone or a tsunami which took place 2,200 years ago. The Pallavas built a granite temple on the brick foundation in the 8th century AD, which, too, might probably have been destroyed by a tsunami. Archaeologists believe that the second tsunami must have occurred in the 13th century AD as the latest inscriptions which speak of the shrine have been dated to 1215.
in the 7th century AD, there are evidences that a small port might have functioned at the site even earlier. Megalithic
burial urns dating to the very dawn of the Christian era have been discovered near Mahabalipuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
describes a port called Nirppeyyaru which some scholars identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram. Sadras
near Mahabalipuram has been identified as the site of the port of Sopatma mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
.
by one Kirarpiriyan of Mahabalipuram in 858, another records the donation of 16 kazhanchus of gold in 813 for the maintenance of a lamp by a Brahmin
woman named Vasanthanar. The third pillar has an inscription by Raja Raja Chola I.Apart from these, there are five other pillars with inscriptions by the Pallava kings Dantivarman I, Nandivarman III
and Kambavarman, the Rashtrakuta
king Krishna III
and the Chola king Rajendra Chola III
.
and faces north. The garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is 2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide and is made of 27 courses of bricks. The bricks used are similar to the ones used in other Sangam age sites such as Puhar
, Urayur
, Mangudi
and Arikamedu
. A stone vel
is positioned at the entrance of the shrine. During the excavations, a terracotta plaque depicting a Kuravai Koothu, a dance which is mentioned in the 1st century AD Tamil epic Silappadhikaram, was discovered.Sathyamoorthy feels that there may not have been any idol in the square garbhagriha as it is too small to house one. The temple is surrounded by a prakara or a compund wall dating from the Sangam period. According to Thirumoorthy, the shrine is "the biggest brick temple complex dating to the pre-Pallava period".
The temples is built on a cushion of alluvium
on which a layer of man-made bricks were laid. On top of this were another four layers of man-made bricks separated by four layers of laterite. There were two types of bricks used: large-sized laterite
bricks of the Sangam period and thin, tabular bricks of a later age. The bricks were plastered together with lime.
(the bull of the god Shiva
- father of Murugan), head of a woman, terracotta lamps, potsherds and a shivalinga (aniconic symbol of Shiva) made of green stone are some of the important artefacts found at the site. The Nandi is the first one made of terracotta to be found. While most of the items unearthed belong to the Sangam period, artefacts of a later period including a Chola copper coin have also been found.
Saluvankuppam
Saluvankuppam, also spelt as Salavankuppam or Saluvanakuppam, is a coastal hamlet in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated on the East Coast Road at a distance of 7 kilometres from Mahabalipuram on the Chennai-Mahabalipuram stretch. The Tiger Cave, which forms a part of the...
is a shrine dedicated to the Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
deity Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
. Unearthed in 2005, archaeologists believe that the shrine consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the Sangam period (the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD) and a granite Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
temple from the 8th century AD constructed on top of the brick shrine. Archaeologists of the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. However, noted Indian archaeologist R. Nagaswamy
R. Nagaswamy
Ramachandran Nagaswamy is an Indian historian, archaeologist and epigraphist who is known for his work on temple inscriptions and art history of Tamil Nadu. He started the Chidambaram Natyanjali festival in 1980. Nagaswamy was awarded the "Kalaimamani" award by the Government of Tamil Nadu for his...
is critical of this claim due to lack of references to the shrine in the popular literature of the period.
The temple was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the Archaeological Society of India based on clues found in a rock inscription which was left exposed by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Initially, excavations revealed an 8th century Pallava-era shrine. Further excavations at the site clearly pointed out that the 8th century shrine had been built on the brick foundation of an earlier shrine. The brick shrine has been dated to the Sangam period.
The temple faces north unlike most Hindu temples. Artefacts from two phases, the Sangam phase as well as the Pallava phase, have been discovered. The temple is Tamil Nadu's oldest shrine to Murugan. It is also believed to be one of only two pre-Pallava temples to be found in the state, the other being the Veetrirundha Perumal Temple at Veppathur.
Discovery
After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami had subsided, archaeologists discovered rock inscriptions which had been exposed by the tsunami waves close to the hamlet of SaluvankuppamSaluvankuppam
Saluvankuppam, also spelt as Salavankuppam or Saluvanakuppam, is a coastal hamlet in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated on the East Coast Road at a distance of 7 kilometres from Mahabalipuram on the Chennai-Mahabalipuram stretch. The Tiger Cave, which forms a part of the...
, near the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
-designated World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of Mahabalipuram. The inscriptions by the Rashtrakuta
Rashtrakuta
The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
king Krishna III
Krishna III
Krishna III, whose Kannada name was Kannara , was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring back the glory of the Rashtrakutas and played an important role in...
and the Chola
Chola Dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...
kings Parantaka I
Parantaka I
Parantaka Chola I ruled the Chola kingdom in southern India for forty-eight years. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity.-The Invasion of the Pandya Kingdom:...
and Kulothunga Chola I
Kulothunga Chola I
Kō Rājakēsarivarman Abaya Kulōthunga Chōla was one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire. He was one of the sovereigns who bore the title Kulottunga, literally meaning the exalter of his race.-Early life:...
spoke of a Subrahmanya Temple at Thiruvizhchil (the present day Saluvanakuppam). S. Rajavelu, epigraphist with the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
, identified a nearby mound as the site of the temple. In 2005, archaeologists unearthed an 8th-century Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
temple underneath the mound. G. Thirumoorthy, Assistant Archaeologist, ASI believed that the shrine could be the oldest Subrahmanya temple to be excavated in Tamil Nadu. There were speculations whether the temple could be one of the "Seven Pagodas
Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram
- The myth :The name “Seven Pagodas” has served as a nickname for the south Indian city of Mahabalipuram, also called Mamallapuram, since the first European explorers reached the city. The phrase “Seven Pagodas” refers to a myth that has circulated in India, Europe, and other parts of the world...
".
However, further excavations revealed that the 8th-century temple was constructed over the remains of an older brick temple. According to Thirumoorthy, the garbhagriha
Garbhagriha
Garbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of a Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of the primary deity of the temple...
or sanctum sanctorum of the brick temple was filled with sand and covered with granite slabs on which the newer temple was constructed. Sathyamurthy, Superintendent, ASI Chennai Circle, felt that the brick temple could be dated to the Sangam period as the shrine faced north unlike modern temples which face either east or west. This proved conclusively that the temple was constructed before the 6th or 7th century AD when the shilpi shastras, the canonical texts of temple architecture, were written. Estimates of the age of the brick shrine range from 1700 to 2200 years.
Archaeologists believe that the brick shrine was destroyed either by a cyclone or a tsunami which took place 2,200 years ago. The Pallavas built a granite temple on the brick foundation in the 8th century AD, which, too, might probably have been destroyed by a tsunami. Archaeologists believe that the second tsunami must have occurred in the 13th century AD as the latest inscriptions which speak of the shrine have been dated to 1215.
Historical background
While the city of Mahabalipuram was constructed by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman INarasimhavarman I
Narasimhavarman I was a Tamil king of the Pallava dynasty who ruled South India from 630–668 CE. He shared his father Mahendravarman I's love of art and completed the work started by Mahendravarman in Mahabalipuram....
in the 7th century AD, there are evidences that a small port might have functioned at the site even earlier. Megalithic
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
burial urns dating to the very dawn of the Christian era have been discovered near Mahabalipuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Perumpanarruppatai
Perumpanarruppatai, is a Tamil poetic work in the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology of Tamil literature, belonging to the Sangam period corresponding to between 100 BCE – 100 CE. Perumpanarruppatai contains 500 lines of poetry in the Achiriyappa meter. The poems were written by the poet Kadiyalur...
describes a port called Nirppeyyaru which some scholars identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram. Sadras
Sadras
Sadras is a fortress town located on India's Coromandel Coast in Kanchipuram District, 70 km south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state. Sadras is the anglicized form of the ancient town of Chadhuranga Pattinam....
near Mahabalipuram has been identified as the site of the port of Sopatma mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...
.
Inscriptions
There are plenty of rock inscriptions near the temple. The discovery of three granite pillars with inscription of grants made to the shrine led to the discovery of the temple itself. While one pillar contains an inscription recording the donation of ten kazhanchus (small balls) of goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
by one Kirarpiriyan of Mahabalipuram in 858, another records the donation of 16 kazhanchus of gold in 813 for the maintenance of a lamp by a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
woman named Vasanthanar. The third pillar has an inscription by Raja Raja Chola I.Apart from these, there are five other pillars with inscriptions by the Pallava kings Dantivarman I, Nandivarman III
Nandivarman III
Nandivarman III was an Indian monarch of the Nandivarman II line who ruled the Pallava kingdom from 846 to 869. He was the son of Dantivarman and grandson of Nandivarman II.- Reign :...
and Kambavarman, the Rashtrakuta
Rashtrakuta
The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
king Krishna III
Krishna III
Krishna III, whose Kannada name was Kannara , was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring back the glory of the Rashtrakutas and played an important role in...
and the Chola king Rajendra Chola III
Rajendra Chola III
Rajendra Chola III was the son of Rajaraja Chola III who came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Although his father Rajaraja III was still alive, Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration...
.
Architecture
The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity MuruganMurugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
and faces north. The garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is 2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide and is made of 27 courses of bricks. The bricks used are similar to the ones used in other Sangam age sites such as Puhar
Puhar
Puhar is a town in the Nagapattinam district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri puhum pattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the early Chola kings in Tamilakkam.It is located near the end point of the Kaveri river,...
, Urayur
Urayur
Urayur , located near the city of Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, India, was the capital of the early Cholas, who were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country. Sometimes spelled as Uraiyur, this location is also known as Thirukkozhi, Nikalaapuri, Uranthai, and Kozhiyur. It has a...
, Mangudi
Mangudi
Mangudi is a village in the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.- Demographics :As per the 2001 census, Mangudi had a total population of 1946 with 965 males and 981 females. The sex ratio was 1017. The literacy rate was 75.12...
and Arikamedu
Arikamedu
Arikamedu is an archaeological site near Pondicherry, southern India, where Mortimer Wheeler conducted his best-known excavation in the 1940s. According to Wheeler, Arikamedu was a Tamil fishing village which was formerly a major Chola port dedicated to bead making and trading with Roman traders...
. A stone vel
Vel
The Vel is the divine javelin/spear of the Hindu Deity Murugan.The spear used by ancient Tamils in warfare is also commonly known by this name.-Vel in Hindu Mythology:...
is positioned at the entrance of the shrine. During the excavations, a terracotta plaque depicting a Kuravai Koothu, a dance which is mentioned in the 1st century AD Tamil epic Silappadhikaram, was discovered.Sathyamoorthy feels that there may not have been any idol in the square garbhagriha as it is too small to house one. The temple is surrounded by a prakara or a compund wall dating from the Sangam period. According to Thirumoorthy, the shrine is "the biggest brick temple complex dating to the pre-Pallava period".
The temples is built on a cushion of alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
on which a layer of man-made bricks were laid. On top of this were another four layers of man-made bricks separated by four layers of laterite. There were two types of bricks used: large-sized laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
bricks of the Sangam period and thin, tabular bricks of a later age. The bricks were plastered together with lime.
Artefacts unearthed
A terracotta NandiNandi
Nandi may refer to:* Nandi , the white bull on which Lord Siva rides* Nandi Awards, Film awards given to Tollywood personalities and films* Nandi people, an ethnic group from Africa** Nandi languages...
(the bull of the god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
- father of Murugan), head of a woman, terracotta lamps, potsherds and a shivalinga (aniconic symbol of Shiva) made of green stone are some of the important artefacts found at the site. The Nandi is the first one made of terracotta to be found. While most of the items unearthed belong to the Sangam period, artefacts of a later period including a Chola copper coin have also been found.