On Sunday (April 16th), approximately 23 Panchaloka statues, 50 Peetams, and 493 copper plate inscriptions with Thevaram Thirupathigams were discovered at Sirkazhi Shri Brahmapureeshwarar/Sattainadhar temple in the presence of SrilaSri Darumai Adheena Gurumanigal.
Sri Sattainathar Temple, in Sirkazhi, Nagapatinam district, is a 1,000-year-old temple with Somaskandar as Utchavar. Many saints, including Tirugnanasambandar, Manickavasagar, Arunagiriar, Gananathar, Nambiandar Nambigal, Pattinathar, Sekkizhar, Arunachala Kavi Rayar, Marimutha Pillai, and Muthu Thandava Dikshithar, have praised the Lord of the Temple. Saint Tirugnana Sambandar is said to have sung his first hymn to Lord after Mother Uma fed Him milk in the golden vessel while he was crying as a child on the steps of the temple’s tank. The milk contains the Saraswatha power that turned the child into an exceptional poet. Acharya Adi Sankara mentions this event in the 75th verse of Soundarya Lahari.
In the verse, Ganasambandar is referred to as Drivida Sishu. The child mentions Lord Shiva wearing the earring with sacred ashes all over His body and one who stole his heart in his first verse. He refers to the location as the prestigious Brahmmapuram. This is the 14th Shiva temple praised in Thevaram hymns on the northern bank of the Cauvery.
For the past one year, renovation work has been going on in the Sirkazhi Sattainathar temple in view of the consecration ceremony. In this case, on Sunday, 1000-year-old Chola copper plates, Panchaloga statues, and Peethams bearing Tamil Thevaram hymns of 7th-century poet GnanaSambandhar were discovered at a depth of about 2 feet when a hole was dug near the gate of the west tower inside the temple to build a Yaagasala (where rituals are performed).
It was initially thought that these were from the 13th century. They were later kept safe inside the temple. Based on the instructions of S. Thamaraipandian, project coordinator for the protection, maintenance, and documentation of temples and monasteries operating under the HR&CE department, a team of six people, including inspectors I. Shanmugam, K. Tamil Sandhya, Inscription specialist G. Viswanathan, and Inscription maintainer K. Prakashkumar, visited the site yesterday to study the unearthed artifacts.
They traveled from Chennai to Sirkazhi Sattainathar Temple to inspect the Copper plates. It has been revealed that these Copper inscriptions weigh 400 grams each and measure 68 cm long and 7.5 cm wide.
The team also looked for any manuscripts within the temple. During the search, 765 palm leaf manuscripts were discovered, which contained information about the temple’s lease and budgeting procedures.
These artifacts discovered at the Sirkhazhi temple are significant and have the potential to shed light on Chola period.
(with inputs from Hindu Tamil)
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