Dadapuram Sri Kari Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Villupuram

Address

Dadapuram Sri Kari Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Dadapuram, Tindivanam Tehsil, Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu 604207

Diety

Sri Kari Varadharaja Perumal Amman: Sri Devi, Sri Bhudevi

Introduction

Dadapuram village is located in Tindivanam Tehsil of Viluppuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. Dhadapuram is the gram panchayat of Dadapuram village. About a kilometre and a half to the south-west of the Siva temple of Sri Manikantesvaram lies the temple of Sri Kari-Varada Perumal, dedicated to Vishnu, the bestower of grace on Gajendra. On the evidence of the inscriptions on the walls of this temple and those of the Manikantesvaram, this temple can be identified as that of Kundavai Vinnagar Alvar. The temple consists of the garbhagriha, the ardhamandapa and the mukhamandapa as in the local Siva temple. It is a dvi-Stalam structure surmounted by a semi-circular sikhara and a stupi. There are devakoshtas surmounted by makara-toranas on all the free sides of the garbhagriha and the ardhamandapa. All the niches are now empty. There is a fine kodungai (kapotam) adorned with kudus on the top of the first stalam and a yali frieze above it. Salas and kutas are found on the second tala. Among the vimana devatas may be mentioned Vishnu on Garuda, and Rajamannar. Sculptures of Hanuman perhaps adorned the edges; one such could be seen over the kodungai of the second Stalam.

Puranic Significance

The earliest of these of the twenty-first regnal year of Rajaraja I gives a list of vessels and ornaments made of gold, silver and pearls presented to the temples of Kundavai Vinnagar, Ravikula Manikkesvaram and Kundavai Jinalaya, “built by the princess Pirantakan Kundavai Pirattiyar, the daughter of Ponmaligai-tunjina devar, in the city of Rajarajapuramin Nallur nadu, a sub-division of Venkunrak-kottam. It mentions an official called Parakrama. The year of this inscription may be taken as the probable date of completion of this stone temple. Of the two inscriptions of the twenty-third regnal year of Rajaraja I, one mentions a gift of ninety sheep for a lamp by a maid-servant of the king, and the other records that the dancing girls attached to both the temples should accompany the Gods in procession and sing and dance during the hunting festival of the Vishnu temple. Incidentally, the inscription states that Senapati Mummudi-sola Brahmamara-yan was in charge of the management of this temple. This royal officer is the same person as Sri Krishnan Raman alias Mummudi-sola Brahmamarayan, the Senapati and the perundaram of Rajaraja I.

Special Features

There are two inscriptions of Rajendra I. The first, of the fourth regnal year, relates to a gift of sheep for ten lamps to the temple of Kundavai Vinnagar Alvar by Kundavai Pirattiyar herself. The other, of the eleventh regnal year, stops with the mention of the name of the king.