Dr.R.Nagaswamy

The Banapuresvara temple, in Kumbhakonam town is of historic interest to students of Chola art. It points to not only the development of Kumbhakonam township but also a perceptible change in the art of Kumbhakonam. There are ten inscriptions on the walls of the temple copied and published by the Tamilnadu State Department of Archaeology, in the volume on Kumbhakonam inscriptions¹. Before the temple is studied it would be advantageous to study the inscriptions.

The earliest inscription on the temple is dated in the 9^th year of Kulottunga Chola III, 1187 CE². There are four inscriptions of this ruler including two of his own royal orders. The other six inscriptions are records of the reign of Kulottunga 's son and successor Rajaraja chola III. The earliest inscription refers to the purchase of a land with houses and house-sites in the town of Kumbhakonam by one Rajaraja Vanakovaraiyan from the members of a family who also held some distinguished posts under the Colas³. The family members who sold the land were called Anukkap-pallavariayar, verily close officers of the king. The land measuring about 5 velis inclusive of some houses, house-sites, wells, canals etc., were bought by the Vanakovaraiyan for a sum of 8000 kacus. This land along with some more lands measuring 18 velis in all were now bought by Vanakovariyan and a sale deed obtained. The inscription stops with the purchase and sale deed.

The next record dated in the 11^th year of the same ruler is the royal order⁴. It states that the purchaser Vanakovaraiyan informed the king that the land was separated from Kumbhakonam and constituted into a new colony under the name Somanatha mangalam, and some more land in Arrur was gifted to the Somanatha temple in Somanatha mangalam as the property of the God. The King approved the above and now ordered that the same should be inscribed on the walls of the temple. The Royal secretary of the King and other high officers signed the order. It is clear from these transactions that the Vanakovariyar purchased the land for establishing the new colony Somanatha-mangalam and built the temple of Somanatha-dèva and that the present Bana-puresvara temple is the Somanatha-dèva temple mentioned in the inscriptions. This is further confirmed by all the other records which refer to the transactions relating to the Somanatha temple.

The next inscription is dated in the 15^th year of the king⁵. The same Vanakovaraiayan obtained a flower garden situated in Kumbakonam but belonging to the Rajarajèsvara temple (of Darasuram) and got it deleted from the registers of the Darasuram temple. He now constituted the new colony Somanatha-mangalam for the Somanatha-deva temple, its front yard, its sacred tank, and servants quarters around (ma¶ha-vil¡kam). This land was now exempted from paying tax and its old name was also changed into Somanatha-mangalam. Consequently the revenue division was also changed. It was decided each veli of land should pay 40 kalams of paddy. The record is damaged in places. However it is clear that Vanakovraiyar obtained necessary approval from the king and got the new colony completed by the 15^th year (1193 CE) of the King .

Five of the other records are dated in the reign of Rajaraja Chola III in his 4^th and 6^th years⁶. All these, record purchase of lands and endowment made to the temple of Somanatha. The last inscription is a fragment recording a poem to be engraved. It is thus clear there was originally a vast land serving as a flower garden for the Darasuram temple in the town of Kumbhakonam. This part of the Kumbhakonam was bifurcated in the 10^th year of Kulottunga III (1188 CE) and a new village settlement created with the Somanatha temple also built in that year. The village was called Somanatha-mangalam. It goes in modern times by the name Banaturai and the temple Banapurèsvara. As the new colony and the temple were brought into existence by Vana-kovaraiyan, it is possible that the settlement came to be called Vana-puri after this chief and the temple assumed the name Bana-purèsvara.

The temple is a modest structure and has undergone recently renovation. It is a three storied vimana built of stone unto the ceilings of the first floor. It is not possible to say whether the superstructure is brick or stone. However the karna-kutas and mukha-badras are well articulated projecting from the walls distinctly. While the ground floor is square in form the griva and the sikhara are circular in shape and would thus fall into the category of Vesara vimana. The garbhagraha is preceded by an agra-mandapa which in turn has a preceding mandapa now called Nritta mandapa. The vimna raises on an upa-pitha which now lies mostly buried. The surrounding ground level has risen. The adhisthana is the kapota bandha variety with padma-jagati and vritta kumuda. The vritta kumuda has three different flutings -the horizontal and vertical fluting and also plain kumuda form. The niches on the walls of the vimana carry the following images. Ganèsa (original) in the south mandapa niche, Dakshinamurti in the south vimana niche, Ardha-naresvara at the back niche, while the northern vimana niche that would carry Brahma is now empty and finally Durga in the northern niche of the mandapa. The agra mandapa niches housing Ganesa and Durga are flanked by niches which are now empty. The Ardha-naresvara image at the back niche doesn't seem to be original as it shorter compared to the niche. It is possibly brought from some other place and placed here. The Durga sculpture is an exceptionally beautiful image and a classic example of Kulottunga III's time. Similarly the image of Dakshinamurti is another very fine sculpture of Kulottunga III's period. The Candikesvara shrine is also original though its superstructure has changed. The front Nritta mandapa adorned with ornate pillars is original and as is the custom of the age, the entrance to the mandapa is by side steps which has now been replaced by front steps. The enclosure and the entrance seem to have been rebuilt and probably the area has shrunk during the centuries. Interestingly the Goddess is called Soma-kalambika. It may be said the Somanatha temple (the modern Bana-puresvara temple) is the finest example Kulottunga III's period in the town of Kumbhakonam.

The name Somanatha occurring for the colony and the temple in the reign of Kulottunga III deserves special attention. A number of places and temples came to be called Somanatha mangalam and Somanathèsvara in and around Kumbhakonam in the reign of Kulottunga III⁷. There is a Somanathesvara temple at Palaiyarai⁸. The present Achyutamangalam near Nannilam was called Somanatha mangalam and the temple called Somanatha deva temple⁹. It is known that Kulottunga III 's Rajaguru was one Somanatha dèva. The great temple built by Kulottunga III at Tribhuvanam near Kumbhakonam was consecrated by this Somanatha who was also called Ìsvara Siva, the son of ár¢ka¸¶a Siva¹⁰. This Somanatha was a great scholar who interpreted the Upanishads in terms of Saiva philosophy. He is also credited with a work called siddhanta ratnakara. The Tribhuvanam inscription giving these information also calls him Ërya Somanatha, the son of ár¢ka¸¶a Sambhu¹¹. It is now known that ár¢ka¸¶a Sambhu hailed from Radha country (Bengal) and was the builder of the Achyuta-mangalam temple¹². The Great temple of Tribhuvanam itself was under the guidance of Somanatha who was also a Bengali guru. Obviously the Somanatha-mangalam and Somanath&egrevesvara temple that came into existence in the time of Kulottunga III were after this Rajaguru Somanatha. It is not unlikely he was responsible for its consecration. I have suggested earlier that the Somanatha temple at Palaiyarai came into existence in the time of Kulottunga III¹³. I have also shown that Rajaraja II, the builder of the temple at Darasuram had a Bengali Rajaguru and that the Darasuram temple also was guided by a Bengali guru¹⁴. It would appear that the art of Bengal as patronized by the Pala dynasty of Bengal left its impact on chola art. For example the sculptures at Tanjore built by Rajaraja and the one at Gangaikonda-chola-puram built Rèjendra have a rough finish but from the time Bengali gurus are seen predominantly guiding the temple activities the sculptures are given a very high polish. It is well known that the Pala sculptures have a high polish and the Chola sculptures of the 12^th and 13^th cent have the Pala finish. It is in all likely hoods due to Pala influence.

It is of interest to mention that there exists in Kumbhakonam another temple called Somèsvara adjacent to the famous temple of Sarangapani. This Somesvara should not be confused with the Somanatha temple of the inscription. There is no inscription on the walls of this Somèsvara temple. The temple itself carries some portrait like sculptures on the walls flanking the main niches of the vimana. The sculptures are of 10^th cent but the temple seems to have been rebuilt intelligently integrating the above mentioned sculptures into the fabric of the temple. the adhistana has a well pronounced padma jagati topped by a vritta kumuda with well formed taranga motif. This motif seems to be late but the adhisthana part gives a misleading picture of early date. Above the adhistana the wall is certainly a later building. But there is feeling that the original height of the strucutre has been reduced in the rebuilding. Judging from the portrait like sculpture the wall should have been some-what taller. The portrait-like sculpture of which six are in position seems to suggest that are the Dikpalas and certainly of 10^th cent, following closely the Nagesvara temple sculpture. Though these do not come near the Nagesvara sculptures they seem to be nearer in time. Why this temple came to be called Somèsvara is not known. The notice board placed at the entrance states that this temple was also known as Karonam.(Kayarohanam) The Tevaram hymns do sing of a Karonam temple of Kudantai (Kumbhakonam) . There is another temple in Kumbhakonam called Kasi Visvanatha temple which is also identified with Karonam. This needs to be studied in detail. However the Somèsvara temple is different from the Somanatha temple of the inscription, built in the reign of Kulottunga III.