Sunday, April 21, 2013

History of Trichy


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) .