Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Thiru Parameswara Vinnagaram, Kanchipuram – History

Thiru Parameswara Vinnagaram, Kanchipuram – History

Nandivarman II Pallavamalla was not the son of Parameshwara Varma but was a descendant of Bhima Varman, younger son of  Simha Vishnu. Paramesvara Varman II did not have an heir so the ministers, feudatories and advisors of the kingdom took an expedition to neighbouring kingdoms and distant lands to find a suitable prince of the original line. They reached Hiranya Varman of Kambujadesa, modern day Cambodia and southern Vietnam, who belongs to another lineage of Pallavas to crown as a King.

He politely refused the offer and asked the wishes of his sons. His 12 year old son Parameswara Varman agreed to become the King. He was brought to Kanchipuram and crowed as  Nandivarman II. He was also called as Pallavamalla. He led the Pallava Dynasty for 65 years. This Temple is believed to have been built by the Pallava King Nandivarman II (731 – 796 CE). It is said that the great Vaishnava saint Thirumangai Alvar was his contemporary.

The temple is believed to have been constructed after the construction of Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple. The bas reliefs in the temple reveal the war between the Pallavas and Gangas and also with Chalukyas. The temple received extensive patronage from medieval Cholas and Vijayanagara Kings. The temple has seven inscriptions. There is an inscription in the sanctum wall dated to the 8th century CE. It records the gift of a bowl and an image made of gold measuring 1,000 sovereigns by king Abhimanasiddhi.

During the period of Dantivarman I in 813, there was a gift of golden bowl weighing ten thousand sovereigns. There was another gift of 3,000 sovereigns of gold to meet daily expenses of the temple. A record of gift of a devotee named Thiruvaranga Manickam to feed devotees of Vishnu is also seen in the temple. The inscriptions in the temple depicts the socio-economic and political situation of the country during the Pallava regime. The temple is declared as a heritage monument and administered by the Archaeological Survey of India as a protected monument.