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The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai / Heritage : Voyage of discovery

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Voyage of discovery
SUGANTHY KRISHNAMAC HARI
Rajarajechcharam is Kudavayil Balasubramanian's tribute to Raja Raja
C hola.
Photos: R . Ashok and M. Karunak aran.

Interesting details: A view of the Brahadeeswarar temple in

Thanjavur.
There you see Raja Raja I enter the Thanjavur Big Temple, through the
entrance known as Anukkan vayil, and his bodyguards ask people to make
way for him. The King admires the Kerala style art of the entrance. He then
turns his gaze towards the Keralantakan Vaayil, which is a reminder of his
victory over the C hera king. This gopuram is a metaphor in stone for one of
the five elements, namely fire.

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Raja Raja's glance then briefly rests on the Raja Rajan Vaayil, with its
sculptural representations of another element - water. He then walks
towards the sanctum sanctorum, where he worships the Linga that arises
from the earth. The inside of the vimanam is hollow all the way up to the
kalasam, representing yet another element - space.
The King then enters the Saantaaram, the passage around the sanctum
sanctorum, and worships the deities here, while a pleasant breeze caresses
his face. The fifth element - air - is represented here. But the king's worship
is not over, yet. He now genuflects before devotees who have worshipped at
the temple!
40-year obsession

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The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai / Heritage : Voyage of discovery

These are the sequential images that one is able to visualise, when one
reads Dr. Kudavayil Balasubramanian's book on the Big Temple, titled
Rajarajechcharam.' The book is the result of his 40-year obsession with the
Big Temple. The book records details about the architecture, sculptures, art,
inscriptions, history of and philosophy behind the temple.

The author, Dr. Kudavayil Balasubramanian

It is a heavy tome running to 518 pages. Although laden with facts, it does
not wear one down, for the facts are presented in a simple style, with
accompanying photographs. Where photographs are not available, as for
example in the case of lost copper images, like that of Panchadehamurthy
and Mahameruvidangar, sketches are provided, on the basis of details in
inscriptions.
Reading the book is like embarking on a voyage of discovery. We are
surprised to learn that Madras terracing,' was used in the Keralantakan
Vaayil and Raja Rajan Vaayil. A description of the musical instrument
Pataviyam as violin like' is borne out by pictures of sculptures in the temple
showing bhuta ganas playing the instrument.
Balasubramanian's references to inscriptions and sculptures in other temples
add value to the book. Mythological stories behind sculptures are explained.
The details about how interest rates were fixed, and how interest on loans
from the temple treasury was paid in kind, make for interesting reading. It
would have been helpful if Balasubramanian had also explained in his book,
how the gift' of sheep for lighting lamps in the temple worked.

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The Hindu : Friday Review Chennai / Heritage : Voyage of discovery

The book cover

I catch up with him, and ask him how these gifts' worked, and his
explanation shows that our kings knew how to make temples self-sustaining.
A donor who wished to sponsor an eternally-lit lamp at the temple, would gift
sheep. Anyone who wished to make a living through sheep rearing, would be
given a flock of 96, which would consist of a certain number of rams, ewes
of fertile age, and lambs too. He could sell or use the meat and milk of the
sheep. All he had to do in return was to supply ghee everyday for the lamp
of the donor.
If at some point he wanted to give up sheep rearing, he could return the
flock to the temple. Only, he had to make sure that the flock that he
returned had the same number of rams, ewes of fertile age and lambs that
he had received from the temple. Thus ghee for lamps was ensured, as was
employment to many. Maybe such explanations will be included in the future
editions of the book.
Balasubramanian's book, which costs Rs. 600, was released recently in
Thanjavur, by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. C opies can be had from the
author. Phone: 9843666921
***
Who killed Aditya Karikalan?
W ho killed Raja Raja I's brother Aditya Karikalan? The needle of suspicion
pointed to Uthama C hola, according to K.A. Nilakanta Sastri. There were
some who felt Raja Raja had a hand in the murder.
Kudavayil Balasubramanian has published a paper, on the basis of the
Udayargudi inscriptions, in which he points out that neither Uthama C hola
nor Raja Raja had a hand in the murder. The killing of Aditya Karikalan was
an act of revenge against him by the Pandyas, for his cutting off the head of
the Pandya King and keeping it on public display.
The plot
The assassination plot against Aditya Karikalan was masterminded by three
brothers, whose names are mentioned in the Udayargudi inscriptions. The
three plotters would not have dared to remain in the C hola territory after
committing the murder, argues Balasubramanian. That is why there are no
inscriptions that mention what punishment was handed down to them.
But the Udayargudi inscription clearly states that the lands of even their
distant relatives were confiscated by the government. This confiscation took
place long before Raja Raja's time, ruling out the suggestion that Uthama
C hola had deliberately spared the plotters. The Udayargudi inscription says
that in Raja Raja's second regnal year, a portion of the confiscated land was
sold to Vyazha Gajamallan, and two officials were sent down to supervise
the terms of the sale.
The averment that Raja Raja was kind to the plotters because they were
Brahmins, is absurd, according to Balasubramanian. Brahmins were not just
advisors to kings, but even fought in armies, and would be killed by the
enemy forces.
Inscriptions say that Raja Raja killed many Brahmins who were in the
C halukya army. So had Raja Raja or Uthama C hola been able to capture the
assassins, they would not have shown them any lenience on account of their
caste.
S.K.
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