History of Trichy
Etymology:
There are several theories as the origin
of the city's name. One is that Tiruchirappalli was named after the
three-headed demon Trishira (or "Chira") who performed
penance at the Shiva temple in the city and obtained favors. The city was
therefore named after the demon. Another theory states that since there are
three peaks in the area, which are occupied by Shiva, Parvati
and Vinayaka,
the name Tri-Shikharam or Tirisirapuram arose. The legend says that Shiva in
the guise of a woman attended to the call of a devotee in labor; hence he is
called as Matrubhuteswarar (Matru means mother, Bhuteswar is another name of
Siva meaning 'king of ghosts') or Taayumaanavar in Tamil.
Perhaps Tiruchirappalli is a shortened
form of Thiru Sri (CHI) Ranganathan PALLI, reflecting the sleeping posture of
Lord Ranganatha
in Srirangam. Or, as another belief says, perhaps the name started out as Thiru
Javvandhipuram (Place of Marigold Flowers): chevvanthi being the Tamil
name for the marigold flower that still grows in abundance in and around the
region, and puram which means a dwelling-place.
The name Tiruchirappalli is the
combination of three words Thiru + Chira + Palli, meaning the 'School Chira'.
In Thayumanavar Temple in Rock fort, the pictures depict that there was a saint
called 'Chira', who established a school ('Palli' in Tamil) near that area and
taught. Hence the name Chira Palli or Tiruchirappalli, Thiru is a honoric
prefix for the saint Chira.
Normally the place names ends with
'Palli' refers the ancient devotional place of Jains (Samanar). Rocky caves in
many places occupied by them. 'Palli' means not only school, it means resting
place.
History:
Woraiyur, a part of present day
Tiruchirappalli, was the capital city of Cholas from 300 B.C. onwards.
This is supported by archaeological evidences and ancient literatures. There are
also literary sources which tell that Woraiyur continued to be under the
control of Cholas even during the days of Kalabhra interregnum (A.D. 300 -
575).
Later, Woraiyur along with the present
day Tiruchirappalli and its neighboring areas came under
the control of MahendraVarma Pallava I, who ascended the
throne in A.D. 590. According to the inscriptions
till A.D. 880, this region was under the hegemony of either the Pallvas or the Pandyas. It
was in A.D. 880; Aditya Chola brought a downfall to the Pallava dynasty.
From that time onwards Tiruchirappalli and its region became a part
of Greater Cholas. In A.D. 1225 the area was occupied by the Hoysalas. Afterwards, it
came under the rule of later Pandyas till the advent of Mughal Rule.
Tiruchirappalli was for some time under
the Mughal rule, which was put to an end by the Vijayanagar rulers. The
Nayaks, the Governors of Vijayanagar Empire,
ruled this area till A.D. 1736. It was Viswanatha
Nayaka who built the present day Teppakulam and the Fort. The Nayak dynasty
came to an end during the days of Meenakshi.
The Muslims rules this region again aid of either
with the French or the English armies.
For some years, Tiruchirappalli was under the rule
of Chanda Sahib and Mohamed Ali. Finally the
English brought Tiruchirappalli and other areas
under their control. Soon after the area was ceded to East India Company as per
the agreement at the eve of the Karnatic war, Tiruchirappalli district was
formed under the Collectorship of Mr. John (Junior) Wallace in 1801.
The district was then under the hegemony of British
for about 150 years till the independence of India.
Tiruchirappalli was originally a Chola citadel and later, during 1st millennium
AD, it was occupied by other south Indian dynasties such as the Pallavas
and Pandyas.
The Chola's regained control over Tiruchirappalli during the 10th century.
Nearby Urayur
was the capital of the Early Cholas.
Later, after the fall of the Chola empire, it came under the direct control of
the Madurai Nayak
Dynasty who paid tribute
to the Vijayanagar empire. The Rock Fort
temple, the most famous landmark in Tiruchirappalli, was built by the Nayaks. The
Madurai Nayak rulers changed their capital from Madurai
to Tiruchirappalli, and back, several times.
The city is home to Nagaraj Cholan and
many historic temples, monuments, churches and mosques. Urayur, the Old
Tiruchy, has over 2,500 years of known history and tradition. It was the
capital of the early Chola kings. The oldest human-made dam, Kallanai,
was built by Karikala Cholan across the Kaveri River
about 10 miles from Urayur.
Trichy was an important town in the days
of the Later Cholas and of the Nayak kings, and during the
early days of the British East India
Company. The conquest of
Tiruchirapalli by the British East India Company marked a major step in the
British conquest of India.
One famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli is
the Rock Fort, a large outcrop of rock, 83 metres high. It is the only such
outcrop in the otherwise-flat land of the city, and because of it Trichy is
also called Rock City. On top of the rock is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil, a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vinayaka
(Ganesha),
from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirapalli. The temple was
also used as a military fort by the Nayaks for some time.
On the southern face of the rock are several
beautifully-carved cave temples of the Pallava
period. On the eastern side is Sri Nandrudayan Vinayakar Temple, with Ganesha
as the main deity. A large-sized Ganesha and depictions of other rare deities
can be seen in this temple, which hosts festivals every year during the
Vinayaka Chathurthi (birthday of Ganesha). Many Carnatic musicians have given
concerts in this famous shrine. Around the rock temple is a busy commercial
region, specializing in textiles, known as Chatram. The Main Guard Gate is
flooded on festive occasions such as Deepavali,
Ramzan, Bakrid, Christmas, and Pongal.
Trichy is famous for the number of
Christian churches it contains -- it is said to have the greatest number of
chapels in India. The most famous are Holy Redeemer's Church (Sagayamatha
Koil), Lourdes Church, and The Cathedral. Trichy also is famous for Arcot Nawab
masjid (one of the oldest), with its large water storage tank (Ahil) .
