Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Dharmalingeswarar Temple, Nanganallur – History

Dharmalingeswarar Temple, Nanganallur – History
This Temple is an ancient temple belonging to Pallavas. There is a stone edict declaring this temple having been constructed by a district chief under the Pallava King. Later it got submerged inside sand. The granite sanctum sanctorum of this temple along with the presiding deity came up from an earthern mound covered with shrubs, only during late 1960s. Since then, the temple is undergoing steady expansion, strictly according to Aagama Sastras.
This temple was known in ancient times as Dhanmeesar Semponkoil, as inferred from a stone inscription found in the temple. The inscription dates this temple's existence to the sixth year of rule of the famous Chola Emperor Rajaraja Chola (991 A.D.). As per this inscription, during Rajaraja Chola’s 6th year rule, 99 CE, a local chieftain called Kariyaathithya Chozhan, who ruled Thenkuruminjur, Mizhalai Kottam, south of Kaveri came to this temple for Lord darshan.
He was upset to see that no drums were played due to unavailability of man power during morning Poojas. So, he donated 300 Kalanchu fertile land for drummer to beat during Pooja hours and he inscribed this donation on the kumudham of the sanctum. Stucco images narrating this story are in the south side Rajagopuram entrance. Inscriptions could not be found except the fragment of a pillar.