Kodumbalur (கொடும்பாளுர் / Koṭumpāḷūr / कोडुम्पाळूर्) is a hamlet near my birthplace. When something is so near and freely available, you won’t realize its value. This is a general global phenomenon. I am no exception.
It is historically important as it was the headquarters of the Irukkuvels, one of the chieftains of the Chola kingdom. In the popular novel Ponniyin Selvan, Vanathi, Princess of Kodumbalur, was a close associate of the powerful Chola princess Kundavai. She was in love with Arunmozhi Varman, also known as RajaRaja Chola.
According to the epic Cilappatikaram, the protagonists Kovalan and Kannaki crossed this place on their way from Uraiyur (modern-day Tiruchirapalli) – one of the Chola capitals – to Madurai, the Pandya capital. This epic names this place கொடும்பை நெடுங்குளக் கோட்டகம் (Koṭumpai Neṭuṅkuḷak Kōṭṭakam / कोडुम्पै नेडुंगुळक् कोट्टकम्).
Such a busy town is now just a village now. This place has three important archaeological sites:
- The Muvar Kovil (Temple of Three),
- The Aivar Kovil (Temple of Five),
- The Mucukuntesvara Temple.
The Muvar Kovil temple enchants every viewer. It is older than the Thanjavur Brihadisvara Temple (or Big Temple).
But the focus of this post is one of the icons we can see at Kodumbalur: the Kalari Murti idol of Shiva.
The story goes like this: Shiva’s devotee Markandeya was supposed to die at the age of 16. Impressed by his deep devotion, Shiva wanted to help him by challenging Yama, the god of death. Shiva performed a ‘playful dance’ (களிநடனம்) on top of Yama, pushing him away and saving his devotee.
This sculpture at Kodumbalur is considered one of the finest examples of early Chola art and iconography. The representation of Shiva as Kalari Murti is in the first tier of the eastern niche of one of the remaining temples.
Look at the above picture. Shiva is shown in a dynamic, dancing posture, indicating a destructive attitude. However, killing Yama would stop deaths in the universe, destabilizing the equilibrium. Therefore, Shiva is careful not to push Yama to death. He is dancing on his back playfully. Note the smile on Shiva’s face and the horror on Yama’s face. This symbolizes Shiva’s victory over death.
The soft molding of his abdomen, thighs, and legs makes this sculpture unique. The compassion shown on Shiva’s face brings a smile to our faces too!
If you happen to travel to Tiruchi or Madurai, do not forget to visit this beautiful early chola temple. The same form of Shiva is common to see in other places too.
For more reading-
- வரலாற்றுச் சுவடுகளின் சின்னம் கொடும்பாளூர்! – Dinamani
- Kodumbalur – Prof S Swaminathan, M V Kiran
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