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.