Topic started by baba (@ 203.199.84.2) on Sat Aug 31 18:09:41 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Anybody have links,news articls about this place..It supposed to be in nagapattinam..

Responses:

• From: R.Sri Hari (@ modem52.bayrac.eureka.lk) on: Sun Sep 1 11:33:15
  
  Dear Thiru Baba,
  I can give you enough informations on same. Please give me two weeks to post all these informations in this thread.
  
  Anbudan
  
  R.Sri Hari
  
  
• From: R.Sri Hari (@ 203.143.0.44) on: Fri Sep 6 13:47:49
  
  To the attention of Baba
  
  CHULAMANIPANMA VIHARE OF NAGAPATTINAM
  (A Brief Study)
  
  With the beginning of the tenth century the Cholas with their capital in Thanjavur in Tamilnadu, emerged as a powerful ruling dynasty after a long spell in partial obscurity in the political scene of South India.
  
  In the year A.D.985 king Rajaraja Chola-1(A.D.985-1014) ascended the throne as the next successor of the Chola kingdom. He gradually conquered the neighbouring and far lying territories within the Indian continent forming a great Chola empire.
  
  He laid a firm foundation to this empire by the wits of his political ingenuity and well streamlined administrative system backed by a powerful army and naval power which made it to grow steadily into an overseas empire.
  
  During this period in South-East Asia there existed the mighty Sri Vijayan empire ruled by a royal dynasty named the Sailendras. This kingdom of Sri Vijaya was located at the lower part of Sumatra in Indonesia, with its capital in the present Palembang.
  
  At the time of Rajaraja on the Chola throne, king Chulamanivarman (A.D. 998-1008) was ruling the Sri Vijaya empire, which encompassed the whole of Sumatra.
  
  In the same period in Malaysia there existed the famed kingdom of Kadaram covering the present Kedah and Perak states adjoining the sea in the north-west coast of the peninsular Malaysia.
  
  However during the period of Rajaraja Chola, the kingdom of Kadarem too came under the sway of the Sri Vijaya empire of Sumatra, with king Chulamanivarman being the overlord of this kingdom.
  
  The trade of Tamilnadu with Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia increased during the reign of Rajaraja Chola. Many Traders flocked to these countries from the Chola country and found settlements and establised units if their trading guilds.
  
  The Traders from Kadarem and Sri Vijaya too crossed the seas to the Chola country with their commodities of trade. The iron ore and the teakwood from Kadarem being two of the commodioties were known as Kadaraththu Irumbu and Kidaravan in the Chola country.
  
  The good trade relations thus established paved way for better diplomatic understanding between these two countries.
  
  The Traders from Kadarem mainly Buddhists by religion sought the assistance of their overlord king Chulamanivarman of Sri Vijaya who too was a Buddhist, to construct a Buddhist Vihare at Nagapattinam in the Chola country.
  
  The Nagapattinam was the seaport city of the Cholas and was well known to the traders of South-East Asia and China, where traders from eighteen different countries traded in their commodities.
  
  Rajaraja Chola on the request of Chulamanivarman granted land at Shythiriya Sihamani Valanadu at Nagapattinam to build a Buddhist temple under the name of "Chulamanipanma Vihare".
  
  In the year A.D.1006 a village called Aanaimangalam closer to this site was surveyed and donated to upkeep this vihare from its revenues which were exempted from taxes.
  
  In the following years, in A.D.1008 Rajaraja Chola confirmed on copper plates the earlier grants made by him to the "Chulamanipanma Vihare" at Nagapattinam and exempted same from taxes..
  
  While the vihare was still under construction king Chulamanivarman of Sri Vijaya died in A.D.1008, and his successor the son Maravijayotungavarman (A.D.1008-1020) completed the construction of this temple, which was also known as the Rajrajaperumpalli.
  
  In the year A.D.1014 Rararaja Chola died after twenty nine years of rule and was succeeded by his son Rajendra Chola-1 (A.D.1012-1044) on the throne of the Chola empire.
  
  After the ascension of Rajendra Chola, king Maravijayotungavarman of Sri Vijaya requested him to reconfirm the grants made earlier by his father to the "Chulamanipanma Vihare" built at Nagapattinam.
  
  This request was granted and Thuvavuran Annukan the agent of the ruler of Kadarem arranged the record of the history relating to the construction of the vihare, and the grant of the Anaimangalam village by Rajaraja which was written on copper plates by one Thillaiyali.
  
  It is evident there has also been another Buddhist Temple built at Nagapattinam at the request of Maravijayotungavarman during the rule of Rajendra Chola-1. Whether that too was named after the king of Sri Vijaya the Maravijayotungavarman is not known, but it has been called as Rajendra Chola Perumpalli.
  
  At Sri Vijaya with the demise of Maravijayotungavarman in A.D.1020 his son Sangirama Vijayotungavarman (A.D.1020-1022) succeeded on the throne. During his rule however the good hostilities that existed between these two empires broke, probabely due to some sort of interference or hinderence to the flourishing Chola trade which would have sparked off the anger of the Cholas.
  
  The strain in the Chola-Sri Vijaya relationship caused Rajendra -1 to send a big naval expedition with a large fleet of ships to South-East Asia in the year A.D.1022.
  
  The Cholas defeated Sri Vijaya, Kadarem, and many other kingdoms in the present Malaysia, and in Sumatra of Indonesia, and it appears eventually the Cholas handed back the kingdoms to the respective rulers on they accepting the authority and agreeing to pay tributes.
  
  However over a period of time gradually the good relations between the Chola country and Kadarem was re-established. During the rule of Kulothunga Chola - 1 (A.D.1071-1120) the king of Kadarem through his envoys Rajavidyadara Sri Samandan and Abimanothunga Samanthan in the year A.D.1091 requested him to reconfirm on copper plates the earlier grants made to the Buddhist temples Rajendra Chola Perumpalli and Rajaraja Perumpalli alias Sailendra Chulamanivarma Vihare built by his predecessors at Nagapattinam in Shythiriya Shihamani Valanadu of the Chola country.
  
  This request was granted by Kulothunga Chola, and in the year A.D.1090 the officers Rajavallaba Pallavaraiyan and Rajendrasinga Muvendavelan arranged confirmation of same on copper plates.
  
  Towards this period the seaport city of Nagapattinam was renamed as Cholakulavalli Pattinam after one of Kulothunga's consorts, and Shythiriya Shihamani valanadu as Keyamanikka valanadu.
  
  These temples no longer exist today. However among the Bronze Buddha Statues excavated in this area by the Archaeological Department. two of them have the following inscribed words on their pedestal confirming the location of the Chulamanipanma Vihare and that they were kept enshrined in them.
  
  (1) "......Chola Perumpalli Alvaar......" (seated Buddha)
  (2) "......Chola Perumpalli Nayakar....." (standing Buddha)
  
  Trust this meets with your requirements.
  
  Anbudan
  
  R.Sri Hari
  
  
  
• From: AK (@ 203.116.61.131) on: Mon Sep 9 05:11:46
  
  HI Sri Hari,
  
  Your knowledge of and love for Tamil History is amazing. Hats off!
  
  AK
  
  
• From: Kanthavelu Nadarajah (@ edtntnt10-port-213.dial.telus.net) on: Mon Sep 9 10:01:14
  
  R. Sri Hari,
  The true Tamil patriot! Congrats!
  
  
• From: R.Sri Hari (@ 203.143.0.44) on: Mon Sep 9 10:32:27
  
  Dear A.K & Kanthavelu Nadarajah,
  I thank both of you very much for your complimentary remarks.
  
  R.Sri Hari
  
  
• From: Kanthavelu Nadarajah (@ amhg414fy365k.ab.hsia.telus.net) on: Mon Sep 9 17:08:50
  
  Youm are very welcome.
  
  
• From: mmc (@ dialpool-210-214-130-116.maa.sify.net) on: Sat Sep 14 02:08:01
  
  It is said that King Ashoka (3rd century BC) built a Buddha Vihara initially in Nagapattinam.
  
  During Rajaraja Chola's time , a Vihara is said to have submerged in sea with a part of the then Nagapattinam town.It is not known as to whether that is the original vihara built by Ashoka or its the original Sudamani Vihara.
  
  The portugese destroyed a Buddhist Vihara nearby sea which acted as a lighthouse guiding ships during the Naicker period.That Vihara is said to have had a passage to the submerged Vihara.
  
  There is this legend wherein the Thirumangai Alwar with the help of locals plundered a Buddhist Vihara and made the flagmast of the Sriraingam Temple with the gold obtained from the Buddhist statue...most probably this must have been the Vihara built by Ashoka.
  
  In a coastal town of China still a Buddha statue from the Vihara is kept and is said to have been made of a precious metal(read the story alongwith the photo longtime back in Rani- when a tamil traveller found out this accidently when he visited the southern coast of china or somewhere).
  
  
• From: baba (@ host194.pteens.com) on: Sun Sep 15 13:43:33
  
  Thanks sri for that wonderful info.I do have one more doubt..this viharam features in two tamil historical novel I guess..one is ponniyin selvan and mannan magal by sandilyan..In PS it was said sudamani viharam exists before the rule of Arunmozhi ie Rajaraja..I guess buddhism survived till that peroid in tamil nadu..so I think SV formed well before Rajaraja reign..somebody correct me if I am wrong..
  
  
• From: rrc (@ ) on: Sun Apr 18 13:36:12
  
  Dear Mr. Srihari,
  Gokul forwarded this to me.
  Very well represented. Authentic. I have read every piece of the contents in original sources.
  
  For Mr. Baba's doubt : Yes, Kalki did make a mistake of mixing up Soodamani Viharam. Same way Easana Siva Pandithar who was priest of RR's Big Temple figures in Arumozhi (early) period. But these things are put to kindle more interest of the readers. To criticise at least someone reads more about these.
  
  We can also consider the possibility of cultural exchanges : Like such Kings permitted construction of Chola Temple in their empire, Chozhas permitted the Buddhist temples. I always visualise Poombuhar & Nagai Angaadis as Chennai's Burma Bazaar - which sells materials all over the East - but still known as Burma Bazaar. Kind of symoblic notation. Obviously such Importers - who helped the Kingdome, had a say in getting certain demands fulfilled even in monarchy!
  
  I will post related materials later.
  
  Very interesting. Fondly, RRC
  
  
• From: Malaysian (@ ) on: Fri May 28 05:39:57
  
  http://www.spitfirebikers.com/gallery/albums/album71/dsc00767.jpg
  http://p.vtourist.com/312204.jpg
  http://p.vtourist.com/1/312205.jpg
  
  Picture of Lembah Bujang, Kedah - Malaysia
  
  
• From: s.saravanakumar (@ ) on: Thu Sep 2 02:07:53
  
  i see ur work. it's nice. i want some details of cholas kingdom and also i want some maps of about cholas kindom please send me the details for the cholas kingdom. or send me related web sites for this topics. thanking u
  
  
• From: 55 bghyuhwxqz (@ dialpool-210-214-122-103.maa.sify.net) on: Thu Sep 23 07:40:19
  
  hg bbgb ytbvhttug
  
  guubujtughygnbgr
  
  
• From: Prem Anand (@ cache138.156ce.maxonline.com.sg) on: Sat Sep 25 17:50:39 EDT 2004
  
  I could only remember Kalki's epic when I hear this name. Thanks for the history behind it.
  
  

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