I was just thinking about the kings and their bhakti and all that, then suddenly this thought and follwing that this the question occured to me. We know Chozhas were saivites. Similarly Pandyas. And pallavas were SamaNargaL. Like that if we see all the kings were either saivites, sakthas or jains. I don't know whether there were any Buddhist kings in South India. So do any of you know about any vaishnavite king/dynasty??
The question of religion was left to the individual in those days - thus, a father and son may actually patronize different religions altogether! One of the later pallava kings (forgot his name!) was a very staunch vaishnavite. I think he built the vaikuntha perumal temple at kanchi. Many pandiyan kings were staunch vaishnavites. The nava tirupathis of southern tamilnadu flourished because of their devotion. Maaran kaari alias Madhura kavi - the 12th azhvar was a minister of a middle pandiyan king (again, forgot his name!). Jatavarman sundarapandiyan gave very significant contributions to srirangam temple. He also renovated the golden vimana of the same temple and gave a famous thulabhara which was explaied by dr.JB sometime back. There were many other kings of pandiyan lineage who patronized vaishnavism. Though cholas were staunch saivites, many regarded vaishnavism with respect. Sozhan Koch chenganan was devoted to uppiliappan koil. Kundavai built sundara chozha vinnagaram - a perumal temple. There were many other vaishnavite temples renovated during rajaraja period. Kulothunga build or renovated Mannargudi Raajagopala temple, then called kulothunga chozha vinnagaram.He also contributed to Aiyiram kaal mandapam of srirangam (a fact which came to light very recently during some recent excavations and subsequent analysis by Dr.Kalaikovan).
A later chola king, Raaja Mahendran built an elaborate wall around the garbagraha of srirangam. It is called Raja mahendran thiruchutru and exists even today.
If you look at the inscriptions found in some of the 108 ancient vaishnavite temples, you will know that the temples were supported even by saivite kings.
Thus , while most kings officially remained saivites, they were not adverse to vaishnavism - save a few extreme cases like a later chola king, who drove saint ramanuja away from tamilnadu and plucked the eyes of his arent desciple Koorathazhvan.
>The question of religion was left to the individual in those days - thus, a >father and son may actually patronize different religions altogether!
This is mentioned in PS too, isn't it? Esana Siva battar was a saivaite- while Aazhwarkkadiyaan wasn't.:-)
>One of the later pallava kings (forgot his name!) was a very staunch >vaishnavite. I think he built the vaikuntha perumal temple at kanchi.
ParamEswara Varman the Second, I think (705 AD - 710 AD). He built the temple known as 'Paramecchura ViNNagaram'- also known as the 'Vaikuntha Perumaal Koil' in Kanchi.
Some other Pallavas- Narasimhavarman, Nandivarman the second, etc., also favoured vaishnavism.
>Thus , while most kings officially remained saivites, they were not adverse >to vaishnavism - save a few extreme cases like a later chola king, who >drove saint ramanuja away from tamilnadu and plucked the >eyes of his arent desciple Koorathazhvan.
That part is really jarring, isn't it? I mean, you hear of so many kings being so religious and benevolent- and then along comes a Chola King who does something outrageous! A Chola King! Doesn't seem to fit in at all, does it?
> That part is really jarring, isn't it? I mean, you hear of so many kings > being so religious and benevolent- and then along comes a Chola King who > does something outrageous! A Chola King! Doesn't seem to fit in at all, does > it?
Many other jarring things happened in the later days of cholas. The unrest reached its zenith in the days of Kulothunga III's son Rajaraja II - paving way for Maaravarman sundara to capture tanjore.
Interesting people revolts have been recorded in a few places in this period - self immolations, a thevar adiyar jumping from the top of a temple and so on.Dr.Vaanamamalai has written a beautiful article in the subject titled "Chozhar Atchiyil arap porgal".
It is always the same - a great leader establishing a tradition, then people follow it for some time - and after a while it all goes into decay and somebody else comes and clenses the whole system and so on. You can see this happening even now. The basic cycle of life has not changed in 1000 years :-)
Dear Gokul, That was a very good summary on the subject. Additions: 1. Kochenganan built 52 siva temples, went out of power and built Nachiyarkoil (Thirunaraiyur)Srinivasa Perumal Temple and came back to power! 2. Rajaraja built several Vishnu temples - Particularly Ramar:: around Therazhundur and Thiruvarur (Ref. Sethuraman). Thiruvalangadu copper plates describe him as Vishnu descended from the Heaven with Sangu + Sakra and Lakshmi embedded not only in the heart but all over the body! 3. His prasthi begings with : "Thirumagal pola.... " 4. Pallavas - spoke Telugu - upto Rajasimhan - were Vaishnavites, save rare exceptions; 5. I rememeber to have read that Veeranarayanaperumal temple was built by Chola ( Vijayala?) and upto Paranthaka they were Vaishnavites 6. Vishnuvardhanan / Hoysala's Belur Kesava Temple - The BEST in the World 7. Krishnadevaraya / Amangudi Krishnan-Raman (Minister hailed from Jagannathpuri of Orissa) followed Vaishnavism
As rightly brought out by you, "Sthalapuranams of Divyadesams -108" (Ethirajulu, Vaishanava Siddhantha Kaahagam - Karaikkudi) shall give more info. of the temples built by various Kings.
1. Thirunaraiyur @ Nachiyarkoil : Builtby Kochenganan (whose eyes were read. Thirumngai becomes the hunted after serving Lord Ranganatha for so many years. He reaches Kudanthai. In his dream R appears and appeals to him to come back. He refuses. Srinivasaperumal of Thirunaraiyur takes him as his desciple. He sings 100 verses on Kodimaram, Nandavanam, Thirukkulam, Periyathiruvadi (Garurudar) Siriyathiruvadi (Anjaneyar), reaches the Sanctum from the distant entrance, worshipping Vishnu and suddenly he finds he was worshipping "Thaayar" Lakashmi - as she was given prominance in the Temple! Srinivasa has become him Acharyan. Kalgarudan - which can be lifted only by 4 people from one level, requires 8 at lower, 16 still lower - 32 - 64 and so on and only with 128 people at the Ground level it can be lifted. It seems to gain weight!
2. Therazhundur : A king was blessed to fligh his Chariot and whatever came under the shadow died. When flew above Therazhundur, Lord Krishnana - as Yadav - was herding the sheep and they fell dead. He pressed his foot thumb and the chariot came down. Impressed with this, the King wanted to Bless the Yadav. "Ask me anything, I shall do it for you!" - King. "I want 1000 pots of fresh butter before sunset" - Yadav. King could organise 999 pots only. He filled the 1000th pot with water and hid it among other pots. Yadav went and opened that pot. Butter was found inside. King was stunned. When he opened other pots he found water. It turned out to contain 1 butter pot and 999 water pots. King realised the Yadav was Lord Krishna. Says the Buttacharya of the Devaraja (King of Devas) perumal Temple : What you think butter is not butter and what you think water is not water!!!!!
It was partly during the rule of Kulothunga III and partly during Raja Raja III, I think. i.e. Kulothunga III was very old by that time and I guess he had given up the throne (or control) to his son Raja Raja III.
Reference : 'Kayal Vizhi' by Akilan (I don't know how much of it is fiction and how much is actual history) or the same as movie 'Madurayai Meetta Sundara Pandiyan' starring MGR. (where 'Kayal Vizhi' becomes 'Keyavi' in MGR's tongue ;)