Dandeeswarar Temple, Velachery – History
The
oldest inscription found in this temple belongs to the period of Gandaraditya
Chola. Based on this, this temple could have been built by the Cholas in the 10th
century CE. There are lot of Tamil inscriptions found around Sanctum Walls. The
Ambal in this temple was installed by Appaya Dheekshidhar with Srichakra,
during 16th century, similar to Mangadu and Thiruverkadu. A devotee
hailing from Arcot has built the shrine of Ganesha inside the temple. He has
also made provisions for the Nithya pooja.
Another
devotee has made arrangements for lighting the lamp in the sanctum sanctorum of
the deities. The Temple is called as Thiru Dhandeeswaram. Velachery is also
called Dhinachinthamani and Chaturvedi Mangalam. It is named after queen
Dhinachinthamani, the consort of Kulothunga. The temple is believed to be built
during the 11th century. Many inscriptions of Chola Dynasty during 11th Century
are seen here.
Velachery
had existed as a village from as far back as 9th century CE and
earlier. Several Inscriptions confirm that the area was contemporary to
other historical townships in the Thondaimandalam region of Tamilakam. The oldest Inscription in Velachery are in the ancient
Selliyamman Temple from the reigns of Parakesarivarman/Parantaka Chola (9th century) and Parthivendravarman. Dhandeeswaram temple contains many inscriptions from the times of Gandaraditya Chola (10th century) and emperors Rajaraja
Chola I and Rajendra
Chola I (11th century).
During
the 12th century, Velachery, along with the rest of Thondaimandalam, was
thought to have briefly come under the rule of the Kadavas (or Kadavarayas) who
were feudatory powers under the Cholas and subsequent Pandya emperors. An inscription
from king Kopperunjingan I of Senthamangalam of South
Arcot region is found in Velachery.
As in
other contemporary Madras regions, the Velachery epigraphs attest to the
remarkable system of local administration systems under Pallavas and Cholas of Tamilakam. There was harmonious functioning of the
institutions of central government along vast network of village
'sabaikal'/'sabhas' or assemblies which enjoyed considerable local autonomy and
which were the real guardians of villages.
The
functioning of the sabaikal in places like Velachery, Kundrathur,
Thirumazhisai, Poonamallee and Padi are well attested, with their composition
of village elders and learned members of the community, and maintaining law
order, levying taxes and ensuring the functioning of the economy. However,
under the subsequent Vijayanagara empire and their feudatories, the power of the local
assemblies seems to have progressively declined in favour of more centralized
rule.
The
Velachery Inscriptions mention instances of an Alanganattar family
(thought to be the title of the village elders) donation to the Dhandeeswaram
temple, and of two people buying land from the Sabhai and donating them to the
temple. Contemporary accounts from Kavanur near Thiruvotriyur describe how the village assemblies receiving
money from individuals and agreeing to pay interest on it. It is clear that the
village assemblies possessed the right of buying and disposing of land or other
categories of properties owned jointly by the villagers for them and on their
behalf.
A Chola
record from Velachery mentions a Council of Justice, called Dharmasana, presided
by the King and assisted by learned Brahmins, called Dharmasanabhattars. Lesser
cases were decided by local courts named as Nyayattar. In the inscriptions, some
parts of the Velachery village were known as Dinachintamani Chaturvedimangalam
in honor of land grants given to Brahmins for teaching the four Vedas. (In current times, the Mettu Theru areas of
Dhandeeswaram are thought to correspond to the references).
In
such Brahmadeya villages
or Agarams, the lands were held by the village in common on a tenure system
known as Ganabhogam, cultivated under joint ownership by the community and the
profits shared in proportion to the share held on the land. Another inscription
mentions a sale of land by non-Brahmins with the permission of king Rajendra
Chola I, indicating that even non-Brahmins
held land in the Brahmadeya villages.
