Chithiram Pesuthada

Chithiram Pesuthada Explore the History through the lens of a Heritage Lover. Heritage Sites, Architecture, & Sculptures. And also, Watch our videos, Subscribe and Share.

Passion for visiting ancient sites and interested to know more about them? Hello, this is Suresh Priyan, and welcome to my channel, "Chithiram Pesuthada", earlier called "CookWithBabyma"

I am interested in exploring ancient places, historical places, temples, monuments and mystic sites. This "Chithiram Pesuthada" channel carries my travel experience and learnings with the site. Every video is a n

ew experience, and this will encourage my audience to visit and experience the feel of our antique sites and the history they carry

Support "Chithiram Pesuthada" by sharing your Healthy feedback and inputs. You can reach me at [email protected]

🏛️ Exploring the tapestry of history through the lens of a Heritage Enthusiast and researcher
🕵️‍♂️ Heritage Sites, Architecture, and Sculptures are my language
🖌️ Join me in unravelling the stories etched in stone and culture
🌍

Serapanancheri Veemeeswarar – The Forgotten Gajaprishta Temple of the Cholas!சோழர்களின் கஜபிருஷ்ட ரத்னம் – செரப்பணஞ்சேரி...
21/09/2025

Serapanancheri Veemeeswarar – The Forgotten Gajaprishta Temple of the Cholas!
சோழர்களின் கஜபிருஷ்ட ரத்னம் – செரப்பணஞ்சேரி வீமீஸ்வரர் கோயில்!

What if I told you that a small village near Padappai conceals an apsidal (‘gajaprishta’) Shiva temple, where Chola inscriptions mention lamps lit with offerings of cows, coins, and even women patrons?

Inscription Earliest date: CE 1180 (Kulothunga Chola III, 2nd regnal year). This shows the temple existed earlier.

Village names in inscriptions:
✦ Peruvanjur (oldest name)
✦ Rajakesari Nallur
✦ Rajendra Chola Nallur (CE 1182, Kulothunga III)
✦ Main deity name in inscriptions: Veemeesuramudaiya Nayanar (Vimeeswarar).

🪔 From the Inscriptions:
✦ Endowments for sandhi lamps (ritual lamps), given in the form of cows or coins (pazhankasu).
✦ Donors include local chieftains, Brahmins, and women (e.g., Sivalloka Mudaiyal, wife of Nilakankaraiyar).
✦ Inscriptions specify the number of days of service (like muppathu-vattam pattu naal kaani, nal-loththu naal kaani, etc.), linked to the wages and duties of Brahmins.
✦ Some notable recipients include Bharadwaja Uyyakkondan Pillai, Kengadarapattan, and Thiruvekambamudaiyan, among others.
✦ CE 1222 & CE 1223 – records under Rajaraja III, mentioning Sivabrahmins in two divisions.
✦ CE 1227 – donation from officer Valavatharayan Perarayan (at Virpadai).
✦ Also, an inscription of Vijaya Kanda Gopala (25th regnal year) – endowment of a cow for lamp burning.

🏛️ Architecture:
✦ Core structure: Gajaprishta vimana (apsidal / elephant-back type).
✦ Built in the Pallava period → Renovated during Kulothunga III’s reign.
✦ Layout: garbhagriha + antarala (idai-naazhi) + arthamandapa + mahamandapa.
✦ The Mahamandapa walls are now partly collapsed.
✦ No surviving sculptures in niches (goshtas) of garbhagriha and arthamandapa.

🗺️ Location & Identity:
✦ Serapanancheri today = ancient Peruvanjur.
✦ Belonged to Jayankonda Chola mandalam, Utrukottu Kottam, Velimanallur Nadu.
✦ The name evolved as Peruvanjur → Rajakesari Nallur / Rajendra Chola Nallur → Serapanancheri.

Manimangalam’s Chola Jewel: Rajagopala Perumal Temple!கோயிலல்ல, சோழர் கால சாசனம்!Imagine a temple so old that its walls ...
16/09/2025

Manimangalam’s Chola Jewel: Rajagopala Perumal Temple!
கோயிலல்ல, சோழர் கால சாசனம்!

Imagine a temple so old that its walls record the names of kings, land gifts, and temple expansions — how many temples do you know that are living history in stone?

Directions / Location:
✦ Village: Manimangalam, Kanchipuram (Chingleput) district, Tamil Nadu.
✦ About 10 km west of Vandalur railway station.

Highlights Not to Miss:
✦ The main deity: Rajagopala Perumal (also known historically as Dvara-pati / Dvaraka-pati / Vanduvarapati) — links to Krishna
✦ Intricate niche sculptures: Vishnu, Vishnu-Durga, Tumbikkai Alvar, etc.
✦ The historical Pulimugamana Sopanam (stone staircase with a tiger’s head at the base) was built during Rajaraja III’s 18th year by his brothers, Brahmapriyan and Ahavamalladevan.
✦ Records of massive land grants (e.g., 4,450 kulis) and donations for temple rituals and lamps.
✦ Multiple older names & changing epithets of the village/temple: Ratnaagrahara, Lokamahadevi Chaturvedi Mangalam, Rajasulamani Chaturvedi Mangalam, Pandiyanai-irumadi-ven-kanda-Chola Chaturvedi Mangalam.

Architectural Wonder:
✦ The temple reflects the Later Chola architectural style (period of Kulottunga I through Rajendra III, ca. A.D.1070-1280) with its structural stone work and sophisticated ornamentation.
✦ Carved niches (devakoshtas) and sculptured figures placed in those, finely aligned; detailed embellishments around the mandapa and sanctum walls.
✦ The stone staircase (“pulimugamana sopanam”) is both utilitarian and decorative.

Little History:
✦ Manimangalam was already known in the Pallava period, and was the site of a battle where Pallava king Narasimhavarman I defeated Pulakesin II.
✦ The temple’s structure in its present form existed before ~ A.D. 1024 (6th year of Rajakesarivarman).
✦ Over time, successive Chola rulers contributed land, money, and renovations to the temple. It was under Rajadhiraja I, Vira Rajendra, Kulottunga I, Rajaraja III, etc.

Dharmeswarar Temple: Stones Speak History in Manimangalam!பல்லவ வெற்றியை தாங்கி நிற்கும் மணிமங்கலம்!Every carved stone h...
14/09/2025

Dharmeswarar Temple: Stones Speak History in Manimangalam!
பல்லவ வெற்றியை தாங்கி நிற்கும் மணிமங்கலம்!

Every carved stone here is a page in the history book of South India — let’s read what the ancients have left for us.

Directions / Location

✦ Approximately 10 km west of Tambaram, near the Mudichur–Padappai road in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu.
✦ The temple is situated in open green fields, accessible by local roads, and is located close to Chennai suburbs, yet it retains a rural calm.

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Highlights Not to Miss

✦ The Gajabrishta (elephant-back or apsidal) vimana — rare and striking.
✦ Nandi Mandapa and Bali Peetam are located outside the inner prakara wall, with a small wall opening that allows Nandi to view the sanctum.
✦ The carved window in the outer wall has 12 square openings.
✦ Separate south-facing shrine of Goddess Vedhaambigai.
✦ Stone idols in koshta niches: Ganesha, Dakshinamurthy, Vishnu, Brahma, Durga, etc.
✦ The large Peepul tree at the entrance, the peaceful courtyard, and the temple pond.

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Architecture Wonder

✦ The temple exhibits Chola-period style but retains key adornments and structural elements of older traditions.
✦ The Gajabrishta form of the vimana, granite pillars, and detailed koshta sculptures are architectural elements that show advanced craftsmanship.
✦ The mandapas (pillared halls) and steps, although some are damaged, still showcase precise stone carving techniques.

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Little History

✦ Manimangalam was once known as Grama Sikhamani Chathurvedhi Mangalam, meaning a village granted to Vedic scholars.
✦ The temple is Chola in its construction, with evidence of land, lamp, and ritual grants by the Chola, Pandya, and other rulers.
✦ Connected with major political events: the area witnessed the 7th-century battle between Pallavas and Chalukyas.
✦ Over centuries, local communities, chieftains, and kings have maintained, endowed, and preserved the temple — indicated by multiple inscriptions in Tamil and Sanskrit.

Moodevi: Forgotten Mother Goddess of Manimangalam!தமிழர்களின் மூத்த தெய்வம்!Did you know that midway between Chennai and...
13/09/2025

Moodevi: Forgotten Mother Goddess of Manimangalam!
தமிழர்களின் மூத்த தெய்வம்!

Did you know that midway between Chennai and Tambaram lies a deity often overlooked — but one who once embodied prosperity itself?

📍 Directions:
The image/statue of Jyestha Devi is located in Manimangalam, near Dhanalakshmi Engineering College, in Tamil Nadu. It lies in a field (i.e. not in a formal, well-maintained temple) next to some open land.

🌟 Highlights Not to Miss
✦ The statue: the icon of Jyestha Devi standing with her one or two attendants, believed to be Manthan and Agni. Manthan is missing or broken.
✦ The setting: open sky, green fields, the simplicity of worship. Although there's no grand temple or priest, villagers still worship her.
✦ Sculptural style: features of 'Thavvai' / 'Moodevi' are distinctive: a voluptuous body, pronounced breasts, and a pregnant belly in many representations. Tamil archaeology connects these to fertility and abundance.
✦ The names & identity: known as Jyestha Devi, Thavvai, Moodevi, sometimes 'Sēṭtai' or 'Kēṭtai' in old Tamil/archaeological inscriptions.

What / Who: An ancient mother goddess figure in Tamil tradition. She is often regarded as the elder sister of Lakshmi in the Puranic and local mythic frameworks. Her identity merges with natural abundance, fertility, and the wealth that precedes visible prosperity.

Rare Pallava Gaja Lakshmi of Pushpagiri!புஷ்பகிரியின் அபூர்வ கஜலட்சுமி!Did you know? Near Chennai lies a forgotten jewel...
10/09/2025

Rare Pallava Gaja Lakshmi of Pushpagiri!
புஷ்பகிரியின் அபூர்வ கஜலட்சுமி!

Did you know? Near Chennai lies a forgotten jewel—a Pallava-era Gaja Lakshmi, carved with elegance, unlike anywhere else in the region.

Directions / Location:
📍 Pushpagiri village, about 5 km from Manimangalam, near Padappai, Kanchipuram district.

Uncommon in Chennai Region:
Gaja Lakshmi panels are rare in and around Chennai, making this depiction exceptionally valuable.

Unique Iconography:
She is seated gracefully on a throne, holding lotuses in both hands—an elegant two-armed Lakshmi, unlike later multi-armed forms.

Flanked by Elephants:
Two elephants stand on either side, symbolizing prosperity and divine blessing.

Pallava Signature Style:
The long, tapering crown she wears is a hallmark of Pallava artistry.

Compact yet Striking:
Though small in size, the carving captures the refined aesthetic of early Pallava sculptors.

✨🙏 Chithiram Pesuthada wishes you a Blessed Ganesha Chaturthi! 🙏✨May Lord Ganesha remove obstacles, bring wisdom, and sh...
27/08/2025

✨🙏 Chithiram Pesuthada wishes you a Blessed Ganesha Chaturthi! 🙏✨

May Lord Ganesha remove obstacles, bring wisdom, and shower your life with prosperity & happiness.
🌸🐘✨

“விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தி நல்வாழ்த்துகள்!”

— Team Chithiram Pesuthada

From Purandara to Bhuteshvara – The Lineage of Kadwaha!If I told you that this quiet village once housed one of the most...
24/08/2025

From Purandara to Bhuteshvara – The Lineage of Kadwaha!

If I told you that this quiet village once housed one of the most influential Shaiva monasteries of medieval India, would you believe it? Behind these ruins lies a story of saints, kings, battles, and resilience against invaders.

📍 Location: Kadwaha (earlier Kadwaya), Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh.

Once the primary seat of the Mattamayura Shaiva ascetics, a powerful sect active across central India. The place developed around a monastery (Matha) and the Bhuteshvara Shiva temple, forming a Shaiva religious nucleus between the 9th–13th centuries.

⭕ Highlights Not to Miss:
✦ The Matha – the earliest Mattamayura monastery, an impressive two-storeyed, 93-feet-square structure with a courtyard surrounded by cells.
✦ Bhuteshvara Temple – Shiva temple in pancha-ratha plan, richly carved with apsaras, vyalas, dikpalas, and deities like Ganesha, Chamunda, and Parvati.
✦ Ornamented doorframe – with Shiva Natesha on lalata-bimba, navagrahas, dvadasha Adityas, and river goddesses Ganga–Yamuna.
✦ Mosque beside Temple – built during Alauddin Khalji's invasion, showing layers of conflict and continuity.
✦ Fortified monastery – battlements enclosing the sacred Matha.

⭕ Historical Evidence & Details:
✦ Founded by the Mattamayura saints: lineage starting from Kadambaguhadivasin, later expanded by Purandara (9th c. CE).
✦ Supported by kings like Avantivarman (Chalukya) and Hariraja, who gifted villages to the sect.
✦ The Matha remained active until the 16th Century CE, evident from pilgrim inscriptions.

⭕ Some key inscriptions:
✦ 10th Century CE fragmentary stone inscription – mentions Purandara, the first Mattamayura at Kadwaha and Ranod.
✦ 1309 CE (VS 1366) – Bhuteshvara worshipping the lingam despite repeated invasions.
✦ 1569 CE (VS 1626) – mentions king Jayantavarmana and the reigns of Gopala & Ksh*tipala.
✦ Loose slabs – record names of pilgrims, poets like Sripala Mishra, and genealogies of Brahmanas.

⭕ Why Should I Visit This Site?
✦ To witness India's earliest Shaiva matha architecture.
✦ To see layered history: Shaiva saints, royal patronage, invasions, resilience, and sacred continuity.
✦ To experience a fusion of art, religion, and power – from exquisite temple sculptures to fortress enclosures.

Kadwaha is more than ruins – it is a living testimony of spiritual authority, artistic brilliance, and historical endurance—here, faith shaped stone, and stone preserved faith.

📜 The Vinnakovaraiyar Inscription – A Pallava-era Record of Charity!📜 விண்ணக்கோரை யார் கல்வெட்டு – பல்லவர் கால அர்ப்பணிப...
20/08/2025

📜 The Vinnakovaraiyar Inscription – A Pallava-era Record of Charity!
📜 விண்ணக்கோரை யார் கல்வெட்டு – பல்லவர் கால அர்ப்பணிப்பு!

Epigraphy Details:
🔹 Issuer: Vijaya-Dantivikramavarman (son of Nandivarman II, Pallava king)
🔹 Date: 6th regnal year of Vijaya-Dantivikramavarman (9th century CE)
🔹 Donor: Vinnakovaraiyar (a local chieftain)
🔹 Donation: 16 kalanju of gold (One kalanju was 5.2 gms)
🔹 Beneficiary: Offerings to the goddess Erruk-Kunranar-Bhattari in memory of Udaradi & Nambi (warriors fallen in battle)

🔹 Purpose:
✦︎ Food offerings to the goddess
✦︎ Feeding of pilgrims
✦︎ Managed by the assembly (sabha) of Aruvagur in Singapura-nadu

🔹 Location of Inscription:
✦︎ Not directly under Tondur Vishnu's feet (as commonly claimed)
✦︎ Instead, carved on a separate boulder amidst houses, ~10 feet above ground level
✦︎ Village reference: Aruvagur (likely modern Arugavur, Gingee taluk)

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Kamadhenu Nagar, Porur
Chennai
600116

Telephone

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