[edit] History Some scholars opine that Sivacharyas were settlers from North India and Rajendra I who conquered Western Bengal and North India. V.S.Pathak says in his book, "Saivism in Early medieval India as known from archaeological sources: Rajendra Chola saw the best of the Saivas in Northern India when he came to take a bath in the Ganges and carried them to settle in his own country in Kanchi and elsewhere in the chola land."
Jnanasambandhar is said to have been a brahmin from the Kaundinya gotra. Again Tirumular is said to come from the North and he was said to an associate of Agastya. He is conversant with the teachings of Kashmiri Saivism. It would be interesting if someone posts some info about ArulNandi, Umapati sivam and meikandar who were the codifiers.
Rajaraja I and the later Kings were given diksha by the Madhya Gouda desa Sivacaryas (Adisaivagurus - originally immigrants from Kashmir). Rajaraja's Guru Isanasivadeva donated the swarna kalasam to Sri Brihadeeswara temple, Tanjore. He is also known as Karuvur Devar. Srikantasiva was the Guru of Vikarama Chola. He wrote the famous Saiva Bhashya on the Sutras of Badarayana. Isvarasiva, author of Siddhantaratnakaram was the Rajaguru of Kulotunga III.
The Acaryas of the various ati-margas like, Kapalika, Lakukisa- Pasupata, Somasiddhanta and Kalamukha were also called as Sivacaryas