Uppiliappan Temple,
Tirunageswaram – History
It is not clear from the
inscriptions and records as to when the temple was initiated, but there are
inscriptions from the Medieval Cholas period indicating generous
gifts to the temple. There are two inscriptions recorded from
the Naganathar Temple in Tirunageswaram. The epigraph numbered
211 of 1911 on the northern wall of the central shrine indicates gift of gold
jewel worked in gems and pearls to the temple from the Chola king Parakesarivarman
alias Rajendra Chola I (1012–44 CE). The second inscription numbered
218 of 1911 on the southern wall of the same shrine indicates a gift of land to
the temple in the fourteenth year of the Chola king Rajaraja Rajakesarivarman
I.
The tradition in many ancient temples
in Tamil Nadu including the one in the temple is that the original image of the
presiding deity is made of wood and replaced later with stone. There were lot
of additions made to the temple by Govinda Dikshitar, the minister of
successive Nayak rulers, Achuthappa (1560–1614) and Raghunatha
Nayak (1600–34). Inscriptions here refer to the temple as Thiruvinnagar
– Tirunageswaram and Uyyakondar Valanaadu. The temple is maintained and
administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government
of Tamil Nadu.