Dandeeswarar Temple, Velachery – History

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 10^th 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 16^th 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 9^th 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.