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[[File:Subrahmanya Temple Saluvankuppam.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Panoramic view of the Subrahmanya Temple at Saluvankuppam]]
[[File:Subrahmanya Temple Saluvankuppam.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Panoramic view of the Subrahmanya Temple at Saluvankuppam]]
The '''Subrahmanya Temple''' at [[Saluvankuppam]] is a shrine dedicated to the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] deity [[Murugan]]. Unearthed in 2005, archaeologists believe that the shrine consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the [[Sangam period]] (the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD) and a granite [[Pallava]] temple from the 8th century AD constructed on top of the brick shrine. Archaeologists of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="thehindu_20050921">{{cite news|title=Remains of ancient temple found|work=The Hindu|author=N. Subramanian|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/21/stories/2005092104692000.htm|date=September 21, 2005}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia_20100801">{{cite news|title=Archaeologists stumble on ancient temples|author=N. Ramya|date=August 1, 2010|work=[[Times of India]]|url=http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=5&edlabel=TOICH&mydateHid=01-08-2010&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar00500&format=&publabel=TOI}}</ref> However, noted Indian archaeologist [[R. Nagaswamy]] is critical of this claim due to lack of references to the shrine in the popular literature of the period.<ref name="timesofindia_20100801" />
The '''Subrahmanya Temple''' at [[Saluvankuppam]], [[Tamil Nadu]], is a shrine dedicated to the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] deity [[Murugan]]. Archaeologists believe that the shrine, unearthed in 2005, consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the [[Sangam period]] (the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD) and a granite [[Pallava]] temple dating from the 8th century AD and constructed on top of the brick shrine. The [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="thehindu_20050921">{{cite news|title=Remains of ancient temple found|work=The Hindu|author=N. Subramanian|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/21/stories/2005092104692000.htm|date=September 21, 2005}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia_20100801">{{cite news|title=Archaeologists stumble on ancient temples|author=N. Ramya|date=August 1, 2010|work=[[Times of India]]|url=http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=5&edlabel=TOICH&mydateHid=01-08-2010&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar00500&format=&publabel=TOI}}{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref> However, noted Indian archaeologist [[R. Nagaswamy]] is critical of this claim owing to lack of references to the shrine in the popular literature of the period.<ref name="timesofindia_20100801" />


The temple was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the Archaeological Society of India based on clues found in a rock inscription which was left exposed by the [[Indian Ocean tsunami]]. Initially, excavations revealed an 8th century Pallava-era shrine. Further excavations at the site clearly pointed out that the 8th century shrine had been built on the brick foundation of an earlier shrine. The brick shrine has been dated to the Sangam period.
The temple was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the ASI based on clues found in a rock inscription left exposed by the [[Indian Ocean tsunami]]. Initially, excavations revealed an 8th century Pallava-era shrine. Further excavations revealed that the 8th century shrine had been built on the brick foundation of an earlier shrine. The brick shrine has been dated to the Sangam period.


The temple faces north unlike most Hindu temples. Artefacts from two phases, the Sangam phase as well as the Pallava phase, have been discovered. The temple is Tamil Nadu's oldest shrine to Murugan.<ref name="toi_20100801">{{cite news|title=New finds of old temples enthuse archaeologists|work=[[Times of India]]|author=N. Ramya|date=August 1, 2010|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-01/chennai/28281794_1_inscription-shore-temple-oldest-temples}}</ref> It is also believed to be one of only two pre-Pallava temples to be found in the state, the other being the [[Veetrirundha Perumal Temple, Veppathur|Veetrirundha Perumal Temple at Veppathur]].<ref name="timesofindia_20100801" />
The temple faces north, unlike most Hindu temples. Artefacts from two phases, the Sangam phase as well as the Pallava phase, have been found. The temple is Tamil Nadu's oldest shrine to Murugan.<ref name="toi_20100801">{{cite news|title=New finds of old temples enthuse archaeologists|work=[[Times of India]]|author=N. Ramya|date=August 1, 2010|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-01/chennai/28281794_1_inscription-shore-temple-oldest-temples}}</ref> It is also believed to be one of only two pre-Pallava temples to be discovered in the state, the other being the [[Veetrirundha Perumal Temple, Veppathur|Veetrirundha Perumal Temple at Veppathur]].<ref name="timesofindia_20100801" />


== Discovery ==
== Discovery ==
[[File:Subrahmanya Temple, Saluvanakuppam front view.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Front view of the Subrahmanya Temple]]
[[File:Subrahmanya Temple, Saluvanakuppam front view.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Front view of the Subrahmanya Temple]]
After the 2004 [[Indian Ocean tsunami]] had subsided, archaeologists discovered rock inscriptions which had been exposed by the tsunami waves<ref name="thehindu_20050727">{{cite news|title=Remains of Subrahmanya temple found near Mahabalipuram|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/12/stories/2005071214881300.htm|work=[[The Hindu]]|author=T. S. Subramanian|date=July 27, 2005}}</ref> close to the hamlet of [[Saluvankuppam]], near the [[UNESCO]]-designated [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|title=Tsunami reveals ancient temple sites|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4312024.stm|author=Paddy Maguire|work==[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]|date=October 27, 2005}}</ref><ref name="currentscience_20110410">{{cite journal|title=Saluvankuppam coastal temple - excavation and application of soil micromorphology|work=Current Science|volume=100|issue=7|date=April 10, 2011|authors=Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Hema Achyuthan, Smriti Haricharan, K. P. Mohandas|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/10apr2011/1071.pdf}}</ref> The inscriptions by the [[Rashtrakuta]] king [[Krishna III]] and the [[Chola Dynasty|Chola]] kings [[Parantaka I]] and [[Kulothunga Chola I]] spoke of a Subrahmanya Temple at Thiruvizhchil (the present day Saluvanakuppam).<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> S. Rajavelu, epigraphist with the [[Archaeological Survey of India]], identified a nearby mound as the site of the temple.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> In 2005, archaeologists unearthed an 8th-century [[Pallava]] temple underneath the mound.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> G. Thirumoorthy, Assistant Archaeologist, ASI believed that the shrine could be the oldest Subrahmanya temple to be excavated in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> There were speculations whether the temple could be one of the "[[Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram|Seven Pagodas]]".<ref name="thehindu_20050727" />
After the 2004 [[Indian Ocean tsunami]] had subsided, archaeologists discovered rock inscriptions which had been exposed by the tsunami waves<ref name="thehindu_20050727">{{cite news|title=Remains of Subrahmanya temple found near Mahabalipuram|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/12/stories/2005071214881300.htm|work=[[The Hindu]]|author=T. S. Subramanian|date=July 27, 2005}}</ref> close to the hamlet of [[Saluvankuppam]], near the [[UNESCO]]-designated [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Mahabalipuram]].<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|title=Tsunami reveals ancient temple sites|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4312024.stm|author=Paddy Maguire|work==[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]|date=October 27, 2005}}</ref><ref name="currentscience_20110410">{{cite journal|title=Saluvankuppam coastal temple – excavation and application of soil micromorphology|work=Current Science|volume=100|issue=7|date=April 10, 2011|authors=Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Hema Achyuthan, Smriti Haricharan, K. P. Mohandas|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/10apr2011/1071.pdf}}{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref> The inscriptions by the [[Rashtrakuta]] king [[Krishna III]] and the [[Chola Dynasty|Chola]] kings [[Parantaka I]] and [[Kulothunga Chola I]] spoke of a Subrahmanya Temple at Thiruvizhchil (the present day Saluvanakuppam).<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> S. Rajavelu, epigraphist with the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI), identified a nearby mound as the site of the temple.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> In 2005, archaeologists unearthed an 8th-century [[Pallava]] temple under the mound.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> G. Thirumoorthy, ASI Assistant Archaeologist, believed that the shrine could be the oldest Subrahmanya temple to be excavated in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> There were speculations on whether the temple could be one of the "[[Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram|Seven Pagodas]]".<ref name="thehindu_20050727" />
[[File:Saluvanakuppam vel.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Stone ''[[vel]]'' on a brick platform at the entrance to the shrine]]
[[File:Saluvanakuppam vel.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Stone ''[[vel]]'' on a brick platform at the entrance to the shrine]]
However, further excavations revealed that the 8th-century temple was constructed over the remains of an older brick temple. According to Thirumoorthy, the ''[[garbhagriha]]'' or ''sanctum sanctorum'' of the brick temple was filled with sand and covered with granite slabs on which the newer temple was constructed.<ref name="frontline_20051104">{{cite journal|title=Another surprise in Mamallapuram|work=[[Frontline]]|author=T. S. Subramanian|vol=22|issue=22|date=November 4, 2005|url=http://www.flonnet.com/fl2222/stories/20051104005113000.htm}}</ref> Sathyamurthy, Superintendent, ASI Chennai Circle, felt that the brick temple could be dated to the [[Sangam period]] as the shrine faced north unlike modern temples which face either east or west.<ref name="thehindu_20100813">{{cite news|title=Much more than stone|work=The Hindu|date=August 13, 2010|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/13/stories/2010081351260800.htm|author=S. Sivakumar}}</ref> This proved conclusively that the temple was constructed before the 6th or 7th century AD when the ''shilpi shastras'', the canonical texts of temple architecture, were written.<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> Estimates of the age of the brick shrine range from 1700<ref name="thehindu_20070317">{{cite news|title=Pillars with inscriptions of Pallava, Chola kings found|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/17/stories/2007031701111600.htm|date=March 17, 2007|author=T. S. Subramanian}}</ref> to 2200 years.<ref name="bbc" />
However, further excavations revealed that the 8th-century temple was constructed over the remains of an older brick temple. According to Thirumoorthy, the ''[[garbhagriha]]'' or ''sanctum sanctorum'' of the brick temple was filled with sand and covered with granite slabs upon which the newer temple was constructed.<ref name="frontline_20051104">{{cite journal|title=Another surprise in Mamallapuram|work=[[Frontline]]|author=T. S. Subramanian|vol=22|issue=22|date=November 4, 2005|url=http://www.flonnet.com/fl2222/stories/20051104005113000.htm}}</ref> Sathyamurthy, Superintendent, ASI Chennai Circle, felt that the brick temple could be dated to the [[Sangam period]] as the shrine faced north unlike modern temples which face either east or west.<ref name="thehindu_20100813">{{cite news|title=Much more than stone|work=The Hindu|date=August 13, 2010|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/13/stories/2010081351260800.htm|author=S. Sivakumar}}</ref> This proved conclusively that the temple was constructed before the 6th or 7th century AD when the ''shilpi shastras'', the canonical texts of temple architecture, were written.<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> Estimates of the age of the brick shrine range from 1700<ref name="thehindu_20070317">{{cite news|title=Pillars with inscriptions of Pallava, Chola kings found|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/17/stories/2007031701111600.htm|date=March 17, 2007|author=T. S. Subramanian}}</ref> to 2200 years.<ref name="bbc" />


Archaeologists believe that the brick shrine was destroyed either by a cyclone or a tsunami which took place 2,200 years ago.<ref name="bbc" /> The Pallavas built a granite temple on the brick foundation in the 8th century AD, which, too, might probably have been destroyed by a tsunami.<ref name="bbc" /> Archaeologists believe that the second tsunami must have occurred in the 13th century AD as the latest inscriptions which speak of the shrine have been dated to 1215.<ref name="toi_20100801" />
Archaeologists believe that the brick shrine was destroyed either by a cyclone or a tsunami which took place 2,200 years ago.<ref name="bbc" /> The Pallavas built a granite temple on the brick foundation in the 8th century AD, which also was likely to have been destroyed by a tsunami.<ref name="bbc" /> Archaeologists believe that the second tsunami must have occurred in the 13th century AD as the latest inscriptions which speak of the shrine have been dated to 1215.<ref name="toi_20100801" />


== Historical background ==
== Historical background ==


While the city of Mahabalipuram was constructed by the Pallava king [[Narasimhavarman I]] in the 7th century AD, there are evidences that a small port might have functioned at the site even earlier.<ref name="currentscience_20040510">{{cite journal|title=Underwater investigations off Mahabalipuram|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/may102004/1231.pdf|work=Current Science|volume=86|issue=9|date=May 10, 2004|authors=Sundaresh, A. S. Gaur, Sila Tripati, K. H. Vora}}</ref> [[Megalith|Megalithic]] burial urns dating to the very dawn of the [[Christian era]] have been discovered near Mahabalipuram.<ref name="currentscience_20040510" /> The Sangam age poem ''[[Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai]]'' describes a port called ''Nirppeyyaru'' which some scholars identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram.<ref name="currentscience_20040510" /> [[Sadras]] near Mahabalipuram has been identified as the site of the port of Sopatma mentioned in the ''[[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]]''.<ref name="currentscience_20040510" />
Although the city of Mahabalipuram was constructed by the Pallava king [[Narasimhavarman I]] in the 7th century AD, there is evidence that a small port might have functioned at the site even earlier.<ref name="currentscience_20040510">{{cite journal|title=Underwater investigations off Mahabalipuram|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/may102004/1231.pdf|work=Current Science|volume=86|issue=9|date=May 10, 2004|authors=Sundaresh, A. S. Gaur, Sila Tripati, K. H. Vora}}{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref> [[Megalith]]ic burial urns dating to the very dawn of the [[Christian era]] have been discovered near Mahabalipuram.<ref name="currentscience_20040510" /> The Sangam age poem ''[[Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai]]'' describes a port called ''Nirppeyyaru'' which some scholars identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram.<ref name="currentscience_20040510" /> [[Sadras]] near Mahabalipuram has been identified as the site of the port of Sopatma mentioned in the ''[[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]]''.<ref name="currentscience_20040510" />


== Inscriptions ==
== Inscriptions ==


There are plenty of rock inscriptions near the temple. The discovery of three granite pillars with inscription of grants made to the shrine led to the discovery of the temple itself.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> While one pillar contains an inscription recording the donation of ten ''kazhanchus'' (small balls<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />) of [[gold]] by one Kirarpiriyan of Mahabalipuram in 858,<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> another records the donation of 16 ''kazhanchus'' of gold in 813 for the maintenance of a lamp by a [[Brahmin]] woman named Vasanthanar.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> The third pillar has an inscription by [[Raja Raja Chola I]].<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />Apart from these, there are five other pillars with inscriptions by the Pallava kings [[Dantivarman I]], [[Nandivarman III]] and [[Kambavarman]], the [[Rashtrakuta]] king [[Krishna III]] and the Chola king [[Rajendra Chola III]].<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />
There are many rock inscriptions near the temple. The discovery of three granite pillars with inscription of grants made to the shrine led to the discovery of the temple itself.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> While one pillar contains an inscription recording the donation of ten ''kazhanchus'' (small balls<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />) of [[gold]] by one Kirarpiriyan of Mahabalipuram in 858,<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> another records the donation of 16 ''kazhanchus'' of gold in 813 for the maintenance of a lamp by a [[Brahmin]] woman named Vasanthanar.<ref name="thehindu_20050727" /> The third pillar has an inscription by [[Raja Raja Chola I]].<ref name="thehindu_20070317" /> Apart from these, there are five other pillars with inscriptions by the Pallava kings [[Dantivarman I]], [[Nandivarman III]] and [[Kambavarman]], the [[Rashtrakuta]] king [[Krishna III]] and the Chola king [[Rajendra Chola III]].<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />


== Architecture ==
== Architecture ==
Line 26: Line 26:
[[File:Garbagriha Saluvankuppam temple.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The ''[[Garbhagriha]]'' or ''sanctum sanctorum'' of the Subrahmanya Temple, Saluvankuppam. While the thin, tabular bricks at the top were laid by the [[Pallavas]], the larger bricks underneath date from the [[Sangam period]]]]
[[File:Garbagriha Saluvankuppam temple.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The ''[[Garbhagriha]]'' or ''sanctum sanctorum'' of the Subrahmanya Temple, Saluvankuppam. While the thin, tabular bricks at the top were laid by the [[Pallavas]], the larger bricks underneath date from the [[Sangam period]]]]


The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity [[Murugan]] and faces north. The ''garbhagriha'' or ''sanctum sanctorum'' is 2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide and is made of 27 courses of bricks.<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> The bricks used are similar to the ones used in other Sangam age sites such as [[Puhar]], [[Urayur]], [[Mangudi]] and [[Arikamedu]].<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> A stone ''[[vel]]'' is positioned at the entrance of the shrine.<ref name="thehindu_20100813" /> During the excavations, a terracotta plaque depicting a ''Kuravai Koothu'', a dance which is mentioned in the 1st century AD Tamil epic ''[[Silappadhikaram]]'', was discovered.<ref name="thehindu_20100813" />Sathyamoorthy feels that there may not have been any idol in the square ''garbhagriha'' as it is too small to house one. The temple is surrounded by a ''prakara'' or a compund wall dating from the Sangam period.<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> According to Thirumoorthy, the shrine is "the biggest brick temple complex dating to the pre-Pallava period".<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />
The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity [[Murugan]] and faces north. The ''garbhagriha'' or ''sanctum sanctorum'' is 2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide and is made of 27 courses of bricks.<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> The bricks used are similar to the ones used in other Sangam age sites such as [[Puhar]], [[Urayur]], [[Mangudi]] and [[Arikamedu]].<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> A stone ''[[vel]]'' is positioned at the entrance of the shrine.<ref name="thehindu_20100813" /> During the excavations, a terracotta plaque depicting a ''Kuravai Koothu'', a dance which is mentioned in the 1st century AD Tamil epic ''[[Silappadhikaram]]'', was discovered.<ref name="thehindu_20100813" /> Sathyamoorthy feels that there may not have been any idol in the square ''garbhagriha'' as it is too small to house one. The temple is surrounded by a ''prakara'' or a compund wall dating from the Sangam period.<ref name="thehindu_20050921" /> According to Thirumoorthy, the shrine is "the biggest brick temple complex dating to the pre-Pallava period".<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />


The temples is built on a cushion of [[alluvium]] on which a layer of man-made bricks were laid.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" /> On top of this were another four layers of man-made bricks separated by four layers of laterite.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" /> There were two types of bricks used: large-sized [[laterite]] bricks of the Sangam period and thin, tabular bricks of a later age.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" /> The bricks were plastered together with lime.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" />
The temples is built on a cushion of [[alluvium]] on which a layer of man-made bricks were laid.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" /> On top of this were another four layers of man-made bricks separated by four layers of laterite.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" /> There were two types of bricks used: large-sized [[laterite]] bricks of the Sangam period and thin, tabular bricks of a later age.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" /> The bricks were plastered together with lime.<ref name="currentscience_20110410" />
Line 32: Line 32:
== Artefacts unearthed ==
== Artefacts unearthed ==
[[File:Saluvankuppam artifacts.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Potsherds and granite slabs unearthed at the excavation site. Some of the potsherds have been dated to the Sangam period]]
[[File:Saluvankuppam artifacts.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Potsherds and granite slabs unearthed at the excavation site. Some of the potsherds have been dated to the Sangam period]]
A terracotta ''[[Nandi]]'' (the bull of the god [[Shiva]] - father of Murugan), head of a woman, [[terracotta]] lamps, potsherds and a ''[[shivalinga]]'' (aniconic symbol of Shiva) made of green stone are some of the important artefacts found at the site.<ref name="thehindu_20070317" /> The ''Nandi'' is the first one made of terracotta to be found.<ref name="thehindu_20070317" /> While most of the items unearthed belong to the Sangam period, artefacts of a later period including a [[Chola Empire|Chola]] copper coin have also been found.<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />
A terracotta ''[[Nandi]]'' (the bull of the god [[Shiva]] – father of Murugan), head of a woman, [[terracotta]] lamps, potsherds and a ''[[shivalinga]]'' (aniconic symbol of Shiva) made of green stone are some of the important artefacts found at the site.<ref name="thehindu_20070317" /> The ''Nandi'' is the first one made of terracotta to be found.<ref name="thehindu_20070317" /> While most of the items unearthed belong to the Sangam period, artefacts of a later period including a [[Chola Empire|Chola]] copper coin have also been found.<ref name="thehindu_20070317" />


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
Line 40: Line 40:
== External links ==
== External links ==
{{commonscat}}
{{commonscat}}
* {{cite web|title=World Heritage Sites - Mahabalipuram - Excavated Remains|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram_remains.asp}}
* {{cite web|title=World Heritage Sites – Mahabalipuram – Excavated Remains|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram_remains.asp}}


== See Also ==
== See Also ==

Revision as of 16:28, 24 June 2012

File:Subrahmanya Temple Saluvankuppam.jpg
Panoramic view of the Subrahmanya Temple at Saluvankuppam

The Subrahmanya Temple at Saluvankuppam, Tamil Nadu, is a shrine dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan. Archaeologists believe that the shrine, unearthed in 2005, consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the Sangam period (the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD) and a granite Pallava temple dating from the 8th century AD and constructed on top of the brick shrine. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in Tamil Nadu.[1][2] However, noted Indian archaeologist R. Nagaswamy is critical of this claim owing to lack of references to the shrine in the popular literature of the period.[2]

The temple was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the ASI based on clues found in a rock inscription left exposed by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Initially, excavations revealed an 8th century Pallava-era shrine. Further excavations revealed that the 8th century shrine had been built on the brick foundation of an earlier shrine. The brick shrine has been dated to the Sangam period.

The temple faces north, unlike most Hindu temples. Artefacts from two phases, the Sangam phase as well as the Pallava phase, have been found. The temple is Tamil Nadu's oldest shrine to Murugan.[3] It is also believed to be one of only two pre-Pallava temples to be discovered in the state, the other being the Veetrirundha Perumal Temple at Veppathur.[2]

Discovery

Front view of the Subrahmanya Temple

After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami had subsided, archaeologists discovered rock inscriptions which had been exposed by the tsunami waves[4] close to the hamlet of Saluvankuppam, near the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram.[5][6] The inscriptions by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III and the Chola kings Parantaka I and Kulothunga Chola I spoke of a Subrahmanya Temple at Thiruvizhchil (the present day Saluvanakuppam).[4] S. Rajavelu, epigraphist with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), identified a nearby mound as the site of the temple.[4] In 2005, archaeologists unearthed an 8th-century Pallava temple under the mound.[4] G. Thirumoorthy, ASI Assistant Archaeologist, believed that the shrine could be the oldest Subrahmanya temple to be excavated in Tamil Nadu.[4] There were speculations on whether the temple could be one of the "Seven Pagodas".[4]

Stone vel on a brick platform at the entrance to the shrine

However, further excavations revealed that the 8th-century temple was constructed over the remains of an older brick temple. According to Thirumoorthy, the garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum of the brick temple was filled with sand and covered with granite slabs upon which the newer temple was constructed.[7] Sathyamurthy, Superintendent, ASI Chennai Circle, felt that the brick temple could be dated to the Sangam period as the shrine faced north unlike modern temples which face either east or west.[8] This proved conclusively that the temple was constructed before the 6th or 7th century AD when the shilpi shastras, the canonical texts of temple architecture, were written.[1] Estimates of the age of the brick shrine range from 1700[9] to 2200 years.[5]

Archaeologists believe that the brick shrine was destroyed either by a cyclone or a tsunami which took place 2,200 years ago.[5] The Pallavas built a granite temple on the brick foundation in the 8th century AD, which also was likely to have been destroyed by a tsunami.[5] Archaeologists believe that the second tsunami must have occurred in the 13th century AD as the latest inscriptions which speak of the shrine have been dated to 1215.[3]

Historical background

Although the city of Mahabalipuram was constructed by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I in the 7th century AD, there is evidence that a small port might have functioned at the site even earlier.[10] Megalithic burial urns dating to the very dawn of the Christian era have been discovered near Mahabalipuram.[10] The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai describes a port called Nirppeyyaru which some scholars identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram.[10] Sadras near Mahabalipuram has been identified as the site of the port of Sopatma mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.[10]

Inscriptions

There are many rock inscriptions near the temple. The discovery of three granite pillars with inscription of grants made to the shrine led to the discovery of the temple itself.[4] While one pillar contains an inscription recording the donation of ten kazhanchus (small balls[9]) of gold by one Kirarpiriyan of Mahabalipuram in 858,[4] another records the donation of 16 kazhanchus of gold in 813 for the maintenance of a lamp by a Brahmin woman named Vasanthanar.[4] The third pillar has an inscription by Raja Raja Chola I.[9] Apart from these, there are five other pillars with inscriptions by the Pallava kings Dantivarman I, Nandivarman III and Kambavarman, the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III and the Chola king Rajendra Chola III.[9]

Architecture

A portion of the brick prakara or compound wall of the Subrahmanya Temple
The Garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum of the Subrahmanya Temple, Saluvankuppam. While the thin, tabular bricks at the top were laid by the Pallavas, the larger bricks underneath date from the Sangam period

The temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan and faces north. The garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is 2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide and is made of 27 courses of bricks.[1] The bricks used are similar to the ones used in other Sangam age sites such as Puhar, Urayur, Mangudi and Arikamedu.[1] A stone vel is positioned at the entrance of the shrine.[8] During the excavations, a terracotta plaque depicting a Kuravai Koothu, a dance which is mentioned in the 1st century AD Tamil epic Silappadhikaram, was discovered.[8] Sathyamoorthy feels that there may not have been any idol in the square garbhagriha as it is too small to house one. The temple is surrounded by a prakara or a compund wall dating from the Sangam period.[1] According to Thirumoorthy, the shrine is "the biggest brick temple complex dating to the pre-Pallava period".[9]

The temples is built on a cushion of alluvium on which a layer of man-made bricks were laid.[6] On top of this were another four layers of man-made bricks separated by four layers of laterite.[6] There were two types of bricks used: large-sized laterite bricks of the Sangam period and thin, tabular bricks of a later age.[6] The bricks were plastered together with lime.[6]

Artefacts unearthed

Potsherds and granite slabs unearthed at the excavation site. Some of the potsherds have been dated to the Sangam period

A terracotta Nandi (the bull of the god Shiva – father of Murugan), head of a woman, terracotta lamps, potsherds and a shivalinga (aniconic symbol of Shiva) made of green stone are some of the important artefacts found at the site.[9] The Nandi is the first one made of terracotta to be found.[9] While most of the items unearthed belong to the Sangam period, artefacts of a later period including a Chola copper coin have also been found.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e N. Subramanian (September 21, 2005). "Remains of ancient temple found". The Hindu.
  2. ^ a b c N. Ramya (August 1, 2010). "Archaeologists stumble on ancient temples". Times of India.[dead link]
  3. ^ a b N. Ramya (August 1, 2010). "New finds of old temples enthuse archaeologists". Times of India.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i T. S. Subramanian (July 27, 2005). "Remains of Subrahmanya temple found near Mahabalipuram". The Hindu.
  5. ^ a b c d Paddy Maguire (October 27, 2005). "Tsunami reveals ancient temple sites". =BBC.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e "Saluvankuppam coastal temple – excavation and application of soil micromorphology" (PDF). Current Science. 100 (7). April 10, 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |authors= (help)[dead link]
  7. ^ T. S. Subramanian (November 4, 2005). "Another surprise in Mamallapuram". Frontline (22). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |vol= ignored (|volume= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c S. Sivakumar (August 13, 2010). "Much more than stone". The Hindu.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h T. S. Subramanian (March 17, 2007). "Pillars with inscriptions of Pallava, Chola kings found". The Hindu.
  10. ^ a b c d "Underwater investigations off Mahabalipuram" (PDF). Current Science. 86 (9). May 10, 2004. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |authors= (help)[dead link]

External links

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See Also

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