THEVARAM HYMNS ON COPPER PLATES TESTIFY TO ANCIENT INSCRIPTIONS IN CHIDAMBARAM TEMPLE

Among the bronze idols unearthed recently in the Sattainathar or Thoniappar temple in Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district are the copper plates with Thevaram hymns inscribed on them.

This is the first-time copper plates with Thevaram hymns are discovered in Tamil Nadu and they have proved to be a testament to stone inscriptions in the Chidambaram temple that talks about the practice of inscribing Thevaram hymns on copper plates.

It is not clear whether these plates are actually from Chidambaram, which were shifted to Sirkazhi in a time of crisis, or a different set of plates prepared exclusively for the Sirkazhi temple.  

“This is absolutely a humongous collection. A total of 413 plates are in good shape. Around 80 to 90 plates are broken. I read the hymns of Thirunavukkarasar while others had read hymns by Thirugnanasambandar before me. We cannot read them quickly because the plates are not clear because it was covered with a green mass. I assume the collection will also contain hymns of Sundarar,” said Madhusudanan Kalaichelvan, a historian, epigraphist, and heritage enthusiast, who was invited by the head of the Dharmapuram Adheenam to study the discovery. All important Siva temples in Tamil Nadu had a collection of manuscripts of Thevaram hymns and special pujas were performed for them. “Special grants had been given for the worship which was known as ‘Thevara Nayagam’. The practice of performing pujas for the manuscripts is still followed,” explained Mr. Kalaichelvan. 

The practice of inscribing Thevaram hymns on copper plates is known through the inscriptions of Naralokavira, who was the commander-in-chief under Chola emperors Kulotunga I and his son Vikrama Chola. He had contributed immensely to many temples, especially the temple at Chidambaram, where he set up some metal images.  

“He constructed a beautiful mandapam for reciting Thevaram of Thirugnanasambandar and inscribed the hymns of all the three Saivite minstrels —Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundarar,” said R. Kalaikovan, director, Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research Centre.  

He is the son of Dr. Rajamanikkanar, who in his book Periyapurana Ararichi (Research on Periyapuranam), has rendered into simple Tamil the inscriptions of Naralokavira, which detail his contributions to the Chidambaram temple. The first part is in Sanskrit and the second is in Tamil. 

Legend has it that Nambiandar Nambi, a Tamil scholar who lived in the period of Raja Raja I, compiled the entire collection of Thevaram hymns that remained uncared-for at the Chidambaram temple.

Dr. Kalaikovan said the Nambiandar Nambi was an apocryphal story since the practice of singing Thevaram hymns dated back to the period of Pallavas. “There are inscriptions in many temples which talk about the practice of singing them during temple rituals to the accompaniment of musical instruments,” he said. 

He also rejected the theory that these plates could be from the Chidambaram temple. “There is absolutely no basis for it because the Sirkazhi temple is under the control of the Dharmapuram Adheenam. Authorities would have never allowed shifting of the plates from Chidambaram,” he said. 

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