An Icon of Vaarahi can be found in the Prakaram of Raajarajeswaram. Out of the 7 matrikas of the group, only this single icon is available. It is normally not a practice just to install one matrika - that too Vaarahi - separately (correct me if I am wrong). So it is reasonable to assume that all 7 were available during the consecretion. Questions are :
* what happened to the rest ? Only bronze icons were swindled, not granite.
* How come Vaarahi alone managed to remain ? The icon appears quite old - could be older than the big temple itself.
* When nivanthams have simply been showered to every other god in the temple, if I am not mistaken, Not a single inscription of big temple talks about sapta matrikas.
* Cholas were followers of shaktha cult apart from saiva cult. Kotravai was the defacto warrior goddess. So we cannot underestimate the importance that would have been given to sapta matrikas
* There are quite a no of chola and even pre-chola temples where the matrikas are still safe. But why the Raajarajeswaram icons were affected ?
* Pandiyas patronized matrikas more than cholas. Earliest matrika icons are from pandiya country
Dr.JB, a renowned scholar and moderator of Agathiyar yahoo group has highlighted the importance of this Vaarahi. An interesting thread ran in agathiyar group.