The royal history of Mutharayar
people of south India is to be identified with that of Mutharayar kings in and
around Thanjavoor in Tamil speaking land in South India. The population of
Mutharayar people is quite considerable even today in the areas of Thanjavoor,
Pudukkottai, Narthamalai. The fact is that the ancestors of
Muthurajas/Mutharayars lived in and around in Tamilnadu. We should also
remember that Thanjavoor was the capital city of Mutharayar kings and they were
the first kings to build temples and fort in that region.
Historians believe that
Mutharayars/ Mudirajas are the descendants of Kalabhras and Kalabhras were the
people of great warrior race. The Mutharayars of Kondubalur (8 th -11 th
century A.D) are believed to be the descendant of the mighty warrior race of
Kalabhras.
The various names used to refer
these people of "Raja/ Raya/ Racha/ Rasa/ Arasu. There is a reference to
"Perimbidugu Mutharayan11" who attended the coronation of Nandi
Varmman Pallava malla.
One of the Titles of the
Mutharayar was "Lord of Thanjavoor".
Vijayala Chola who conquered
Thanjavoor from a Mutharayan in the 9 A.D was Pallava feudatory.
A vindication of a law of
nemesis is discernible in the victory of Chola chief over a descendant of the
kalabhras who had over thrown the earlier Chola kingdom.
Narthamalai.
Narthamalai is a place of
historical importance to these people.
Narthamalai has some of the
oldest structural stone temples, built by Mutharayars. this temples has six
large skillfully carved structures of Lord Vishnu in the central hall. A
9 th century Pallava cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva lies to the south, and
in front of this is the Vijayala Choleeswaram. temple. This temple is a
structural stone temple, circular in shape built by the Mutharayars. Vijayala
was the first of the later Cholas and as such this Shiva temple is one of the
earliest Chola creatons. Besides the structural stone temple built by
Mutharayars, there is the life size sculptures carved out of the rock during
the Chola king Vijayalayan. How ever glimpse of artistic greatness that was
still to come can be seen the beautiful figures of the dancers in front of the
vimana, elegantly carved Dwara Palakas and the figures of other Gods.
Narthamalai came under the sway
of the MUTHARAYARS from 7 th-9 th century who were the vassals of the Pallava
kings of Kanchi and Pandya kings of Madurai and was later conquered by the
Cholas of Thanjavoor.
The two rock-cut temples a top
melamalai besides the Vijayaleeswara choleeswaram temples tucked under idyllic
settings are extremely informative and a classic example of the fusion of
different styles of temple architecture prevailing in different parts of the
country. One can not but marvel how in that distant past the Mutharayars whose
contribution to the temple architecture and local government were not given due
recognition and importance has become master builders.
The temple Vijayala
Choleeswaram is a marvelous piece of art built by a Mutharayar chief Ilango Adi
Arayan/ Ilango adi mutharayar(alias) Chathambuthi. This is inferred from an
inscription under one of the Dwara Palakas.
The inscription says that the
temple was originally built by one Sambudi,also called Ilango Adi Arayan, and
that is suffered damage by heavy rains and the same was repaired and rebuilt by
one Mallan - Viduman /Mallan-Vithuman Mutharaya king also called Thennavan
Tamil Adi Arayan in 886 A.D.
The Mutharayars according to
available information had their head quarters at Nemam near Thirukattupally and
held their sway over Thiruchi, Thanjavoor and Pudukkottai regions untill the
emergence of the mighty Cholas of thanjavoor.
During the 7 th centuries
narthamalai was the part of the pallava empire, but was directly administrated
by Mutharayars.
Pazhiyileeswaram is another
rock-cut carve temple with a sivalinga, inside a small sanctum sanctorum with
two beautiful dwara Palakas.
The carve temple known as
pazhiyili iswaram appears to have been executed during the time of the Pallava
Nandi Varmman 111.(about 826-849 A.D.) by a Mutharayar Chief Sattan-Pazhiyili,
son of Videl-Vidugu Mutharayan as stated in the inscription on thos temple
dated in the 7 th year of the Pallava emperor Nripatunga Varmman (about 849-875
A.D./ 855-896 A.D. This region was apparently been disputed by the Pantyas and
the Cholas till about the middle of the 9 th century when Vijayala Chola
incorporated it in the Chola empire after defeating the Mutharayar. The
inscription says that the carve temple was built by the Mutharaya king.
mutharayan and his son Sattan had built the Mukha mandapam, Nandi mandapam, and
Beli peedom at the temple. This inscription helps to read the linage of the
Mutharayar kings, who were the the vassals of the Pallava kings.
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