The Royal Temple of Rajaraja: An Instrument of Imperial Cola Power By Geeta Vasudevan
Does anyone have this book.
i am basically looking for content on chapter 2, section vii - titled the royal temple and the chola army.
currently google books shows limited preview, but an interesting para in pg 110
....leaves in a room in the eastern prakhara of the natraja temple in chidambaram, under the seal of the hymnists themselves. the dikshitars of the temple stated that the room could be opened only when the saints themselves were physically present. Rajaraja hit on a strategem. He arranged for a festival to honor the tamil nayanars, and their images were placed in front of the room. The seals were broken an the closed room thrown open. nambi andar nambi wrote a redaction of the tevaram hymns. chidamabaram came to be known as `the koyil' - the temple of all shaivite temples in tamil land, and rajaraja, the saviour of tamil hymns. he was given the title of tirumurai kanda cholan.................
a record belonging to the reign of rajendra 1 mentions a devaranayagan or superintendent of tevaram. This shows that the singing of these sacred tamil hymns was not only institutionalised,but a regular state department was constituted to control and secure its proper performance.
Another interesting record diring the reign of Kulottunga 111, from the temple of nallanayanar in nallur ( south arcot) states that the tiruvalal and the tiruvenbavai of manikkavasagar were sung on special occassions in the temple. tiruvembavai was futher divided into three sections - mudal, irandam pattu and kadaikkappu. the right to sing this were sold to different devaradiyar...
Rajaraja appointed 48 pidarars for singing the hymns before rajarajeshwarar, and made liberal provisions of their maintenance and their successors....
Tho" RRC's ecovering Thevaram leaves episode is associated with Nambiandar Nambi, there is difference in opinion that both are not contemporaries.
There is also evidence that Thevaram was hymned widely during Pallava period .. leading to speculation that they were not kept under lock and key unattended to at Chidambaram !
I am surprised to read that there is difference in opinion that both (Nambiandar Nambi and Raja Raja Chola) were not contemporaries. Nambiandar Nambi gets a mention in 'Ponniyin Selvan' also - as "Thirunaaraiyur Nambi" whom Sembian Maadhevi visits.
Regarding the second point on "Thevaram", IMHO, this is what I have understood by the little reading I have done : Thirunaavukkarasar (Appar) was a contemporary of Mahendra Pallavan and Narasimha Pallavan. Thirugnanasambandhar (Sambandhar) was also a contemporary of Thirunvaavukkarasar. Sundarar was born later. The hymns by these three saints are collectively called Thevaaram. So the earlier Thevaara hymns (of Appar and Sambandhar) being sung during the Pallava period is quite understandable. It is said that Raja Raja Chola aimed at getting a complete 'compilation' of all the hymns of Thevaram by all the three saints.
Please correct me if I am wrong and throw more light on these for the benefit of all of us.
I too had some confusion with the name of Sambandhar's father-in-law of 'Nallur Perumanam' : "Nambaandar Nambi". Now I think he might not be the same person as 'Nambiaandar Nambi'.