Aragalur: Kumbhakonam Somanatha temple

Kumbhakonam Somanatha temple

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Somanatha temple
of Kumbhakonam

Dr.R.Nagaswamy

The
Banapuresvara temple, in Kumbhakonam town is of historic interest to students of
Chola art. It points to not only the development of Kumbhakonam township but
also a perceptible change in the art of Kumbhakonam. There are ten inscriptions
on the walls of the temple copied and published by the Tamilnadu State
Department of Archaeology, in the volume on Kumbhakonam inscriptions¹. Before the temple is studied it would be
advantageous to study the inscriptions.

The earliest
inscription on the temple is dated in the 9^th year of Kulottunga
Chola III, 1187 CE². There are four inscriptions of this
ruler including two of his own royal orders. The other six inscriptions are
records of the reign of Kulottunga 's son and successor Rajaraja chola III. The
earliest inscription refers to the purchase of a land with houses and
house-sites in the town of Kumbhakonam by one Rajaraja Vanakovaraiyan from the
members of a family who also held some distinguished posts under the Colas³. The family members who sold the land
were called Anukkap-pallavariayar, verily close officers of the king. The land
measuring about 5 velis inclusive of some houses, house-sites, wells, canals
etc., were bought by the Vanakovaraiyan for a sum of 8000 kacus. This land along
with some more lands measuring 18 velis in all were now bought by
Vanakovariyan and a sale deed obtained. The inscription stops with the purchase
and sale deed.

The next record
dated in the 11^th year of the same ruler is the royal order⁴. It states that the
purchaser Vanakovaraiyan informed the king that the land was separated from
Kumbhakonam and constituted into a new colony under the name Somanatha mangalam,
and some more land in Arrur was gifted to the Somanatha temple in Somanatha
mangalam as the property of the God. The King approved the above and now ordered
that the same should be inscribed on the walls of the temple. The Royal
secretary of the King and other high officers signed the order. It is clear from
these transactions that the Vanakovariyar purchased the land for establishing
the new colony Somanatha-mangalam and built the temple of Somanatha-dèva and
that the present Bana-puresvara temple is the Somanatha-dèva temple mentioned in
the inscriptions. This is further confirmed by all the other records which refer
to the transactions relating to the Somanatha temple.

The next
inscription is dated in the 15^th year of the king⁵. The same Vanakovaraiayan obtained a
flower garden situated in Kumbakonam but belonging to the Rajarajèsvara temple
(of Darasuram) and got it deleted from the registers of the Darasuram temple. He
now constituted the new colony Somanatha-mangalam for the Somanatha-deva temple,
its front yard, its sacred tank, and servants quarters around (ma¶ha-vil¡kam). This land was
now exempted from paying tax and its old name was also changed into
Somanatha-mangalam. Consequently the revenue division was also changed. It was
decided each veli of land should pay 40 kalams of paddy. The
record is damaged in places. However it is clear that Vanakovraiyar obtained
necessary approval from the king and got the new colony completed by the
15^th year (1193 CE) of the King .

Five of the
other records are dated in the reign of Rajaraja Chola III in his 4^th
and 6^th years⁶. All these, record purchase of lands and
endowment made to the temple of Somanatha. The last inscription is a fragment
recording a poem to be engraved. It is thus clear there was originally a vast
land serving as a flower garden for the Darasuram temple in the town of
Kumbhakonam. This part of the Kumbhakonam was bifurcated in the 10^th
year of Kulottunga III (1188 CE) and a new village settlement created with the
Somanatha temple also built in that year. The village was called
Somanatha-mangalam. It goes in modern times by the name Banaturai and the temple
Banapurèsvara. As the new colony and the temple were brought into existence by
Vana-kovaraiyan, it is possible that the settlement came to be called Vana-puri
after this chief and the temple assumed the name Bana-purèsvara.

The temple is a
modest structure and has undergone recently renovation. It is a three storied
vimana built of stone unto the ceilings of the first floor. It is not
possible to say whether the superstructure is brick or stone. However the

karna-kutas and mukha-badras are well articulated projecting from
the walls distinctly. While the ground floor is square in form the griva and the
sikhara are circular in shape and would thus fall into the category of
Vesara vimana. The garbhagraha is preceded by an
agra-mandapa which in turn has a preceding mandapa now called
Nritta mandapa. The vimna raises on an upa-pitha which now lies
mostly buried. The surrounding ground level has risen. The adhisthana is the
kapota bandha variety with padma-jagati and vritta kumuda. The
vritta kumuda has three different flutings -the horizontal and vertical fluting
and also plain kumuda form. The niches on the walls of the vimana

carry the following images. Ganèsa (original) in the south mandapa niche,
Dakshinamurti in the south vimana niche, Ardha-naresvara at the back
niche, while the northern vimana niche that would carry Brahma is now
empty and finally Durga in the northern niche of the mandapa. The
agra mandapa niches housing Ganesa and Durga are flanked by niches
which are now empty. The Ardha-naresvara image at the back niche doesn't seem to
be original as it shorter compared to the niche. It is possibly brought from
some other place and placed here. The Durga sculpture is an exceptionally
beautiful image and a classic example of Kulottunga III's time. Similarly the
image of Dakshinamurti is another very fine sculpture of Kulottunga III's
period. The Candikesvara shrine is also original though its superstructure has
changed. The front Nritta mandapa adorned with ornate pillars is
original and as is the custom of the age, the entrance to the mandapa is
by side steps which has now been replaced by front steps. The enclosure and the
entrance seem to have been rebuilt and probably the area has shrunk during the
centuries. Interestingly the Goddess is called Soma-kalambika. It may be said
the Somanatha temple (the modern Bana-puresvara temple) is the finest example
Kulottunga III's period in the town of Kumbhakonam.

The name
Somanatha occurring for the colony and the temple in the reign of Kulottunga III
deserves special attention. A number of places and temples came to be called
Somanatha mangalam and Somanathèsvara in and around Kumbhakonam in the reign of
Kulottunga III⁷. There is a Somanathesvara temple at
Palaiyarai⁸. The present Achyutamangalam near
Nannilam was called Somanatha mangalam and the temple called Somanatha deva
temple⁹. It is known that Kulottunga III 's
Rajaguru was one Somanatha dèva. The great temple built by Kulottunga III at
Tribhuvanam near Kumbhakonam was consecrated by this Somanatha who was also
called Ìsvara Siva, the son of ár¢ka¸¶a Siva¹⁰. This Somanatha was a great scholar who interpreted the
Upanishads in terms of Saiva philosophy. He is also credited with a work called
siddhanta ratnakara. The Tribhuvanam inscription giving these information also
calls him Ërya Somanatha, the son of ár¢ka¸¶a Sambhu¹¹. It is now known that ár¢ka¸¶a Sambhu hailed from Radha
country (Bengal) and was the builder of the Achyuta-mangalam temple¹². The Great temple of Tribhuvanam itself was under the
guidance of Somanatha who was also a Bengali guru. Obviously the
Somanatha-mangalam and Somanath&egrevesvara temple that came into existence
in the time of Kulottunga III were after this Rajaguru Somanatha. It is not
unlikely he was responsible for its consecration. I have suggested earlier that
the Somanatha temple at Palaiyarai came into existence in the time of Kulottunga
III¹³. I have also shown that Rajaraja II, the builder of the
temple at Darasuram had a Bengali Rajaguru and that the Darasuram temple also
was guided by a Bengali guru¹⁴. It would appear that the art of Bengal as patronized
by the Pala dynasty of Bengal left its impact on chola art. For example the
sculptures at Tanjore built by Rajaraja and the one at Gangaikonda-chola-puram
built Rèjendra have a rough finish but from the time Bengali gurus are seen
predominantly guiding the temple activities the sculptures are given a very high
polish. It is well known that the Pala sculptures have a high polish and the
Chola sculptures of the 12^th and 13^th cent have the Pala
finish. It is in all likely hoods due to Pala influence.

It is of
interest to mention that there exists in Kumbhakonam another temple called
Somèsvara adjacent to the famous temple of Sarangapani. This Somesvara should
not be confused with the Somanatha temple of the inscription. There is no
inscription on the walls of this Somèsvara temple. The temple itself carries
some portrait like sculptures on the walls flanking the main niches of the
vimana. The sculptures are of 10^th cent but the temple seems
to have been rebuilt intelligently integrating the above mentioned sculptures
into the fabric of the temple. the adhistana has a well pronounced
padma jagati topped by a vritta kumuda with well formed taranga
motif. This motif seems to be late but the adhisthana part gives a misleading
picture of early date. Above the adhistana the wall is certainly a later
building. But there is feeling that the original height of the strucutre has
been reduced in the rebuilding. Judging from the portrait like sculpture the
wall should have been some-what taller. The portrait-like sculpture of which six
are in position seems to suggest that are the Dikpalas and certainly of
10^th cent, following closely the Nagesvara temple sculpture. Though
these do not come near the Nagesvara sculptures they seem to be nearer in time.
Why this temple came to be called Somèsvara is not known. The notice board
placed at the entrance states that this temple was also known as
Karonam.(Kayarohanam) The Tevaram hymns do sing of a Karonam temple of Kudantai
(Kumbhakonam) . There is another temple in Kumbhakonam called Kasi Visvanatha
temple which is also identified with Karonam. This needs to be studied in
detail. However the Somèsvara temple is different from the Somanatha temple of
the inscription, built in the reign of Kulottunga III.