After all the info on Raja raja and his wives during the PS trip- I was fired with an ambition to read BK's 'Udaiyaar' - his historical magnum opus. (And here's a q: is there anyone who's read the whole book- has BK completed it? The book I have is incomplete.)
This particular novel has *all* the details BK mentioned in the audio tape and what Mr. Sundar Bharadwaj mentioned during the trip. When I read it after the trip, it made a lot more sense than at the beginning.:-)
Basically, the book deals with Raja raja at an important point in his life- Uththama Chozha's reign is over, and Raja raja has ascended the Chozha throne. Rajendra Chozha is gaurding the northern boundaries of the Empire. And Raja raja has started on plans to build the magnificent Periya Koil.
Not unnaturally, he encounters a *lot* of difficulties. His son is set against it ("Where will we get the men and means to build a temple like the one you're proposing?" Rajendra thunders in his olai to his father. "I don't approve of this," he writes to the Brahmmaraayar).
Panchavan Maadhevi is given a whole lot of importance in the novel. Unlike PS, in which the Kodumbaalur Princess Vanathi is given importance, here Panchavan Maadhevi is held as the favoured wife of Raaja raaja. She helps him in his work, runs the palace efficiently, and even supervises the Chozha spy-system!
There is even an inscription that glorifies Panchavan Maadhevi as "Chozha Maadhevi"- quite an accolade.
As to what happenes when Raja raja sets out to start work on his temple....
Dear all, "Udaiyar" is a very nice descriptive story ,but they stopped it in the middle (it came as a serial in a magazine --Kumudam, I think).I don't know why they stopped. Vijaya