Muchukundesvara Temple, Kodumbalur – Inscriptions

Muchukundesvara Temple, Kodumbalur – Inscriptions

There are about eleven inscriptions in this temple. All these inscriptions are dating back from 10^th Century CE to 16^th century CE. Four of them belongs to the reign of Parantaka Chola I and one each of Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I, Kulothunga Chola I, Vikrama Chola, Sundara Pandian, Vijayanagar Kings and an Araiyar Chieftain. An inscription dated to 4^th regnal year of Chola king Parantaka I in 920 CE records the name of the builder, Mahimalaya Irukkuvel, chief of Kodumbalur and his liberal endowment of lands for conducting daily poojas at the temple.

This inscription also records that Mahimalaya Irukkuvel directed the priests of the Tiruppudisvaram temple to conduct worship also in the new temple of Mudukundram Udaiyar. An inscription dated to Rajaraja Chola I refers to a temple named Desi Valeeswaram at Kodumbalur. This temple is not in existence now. It is believed to have been constructed by members of merchant guild named Munnuravar. An inscription dated to Rajendra Chola I record the gifts made by a Panan of Kodumbalur Vizhuperaraiyan Vikramakesari Arulmozhi Devan.

Another inscription dated to the Vikrama Chola record the gift of 100 goats for the supply of ghee for daily poojas and lighting of two perpetual lamps by Ooralinatha Ambalakoothan Chola Vichathara Peraraiyan in memory of his son, Kunran. Another inscription dated to 1532 AD records the name of the Parvathy of this temple as Thirumudu Kundrathu Nachiyar. There are two other inscriptions found on the pillars of Mukha Mandapa of Muchukundesvara temple.

One of these inscriptions mention about Rishaba Perumanadigal of Tiruppudisvaram. This inscription is dated to the 5^th regnal year of certain Chola king whose name is lost. There is another inscription on another pillar in the same Mandapam dating back to 21^st regnal year of Aditya Chola 1. It mentions a gift of a lamp to the Mahadevar of Tiruppudisvaram. An inscription engraved on the pillar at the tank records a temple called Minmalai Iswaram of Kodumbalur. Minnamalai is one of the titles of Bhuti Vikrama Kesari, an Irukkuvel chief.

Minmalai Iswaram might have been built by him and later would have fallen into despair. The stones from the temple might have been used for constructing the tank. There is a Kannada inscription engraved on three stones, located in the bund of the tank in front of the Muchukundesvara temple. This inscription records a temple named Vikrama Kesarisvaram. It might have referred to the central shrine of Moovar Koil.

An inscription dated to the 17^th regnal year of Vira Pandya (1270 CE) records the sale of land to Tirumudukundram Udaiyar. It also records that the land belonged to the temple of Tiruppudisvaram. Tiruppudisvaram is another long lost temple once existed in Kodumbalur. The inscriptions in this temple refers to several other temples in Kodumbalur such as Thiru Alankovil, Tiruppudisvaram and Vikramakesari Griham all of which are not in existence now.