uraga and AlavAy

Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan Palaniappa at AOL.COM
Fri Apr 2 01:17:58 UTC 1999


In a message dated 3/31/99 8:08:19 AM Central Standard Time,
jlc at CCR.JUSSIEU.FR writes:

> How do you link this with Akam 181 (16-17)
>  which seems to mention the presence of Shiva
>  (of the 4 veda-s)
>  in a place called AlamuRRam (Banyan Yard?)
>  which is apparently connected with pukAr
>  and the Chola?
>   ...............
>   nAn2 maRai mutu nUl mukkaN+ celvan2
>   AlamuRRam kavin2 peRa+ taiiya

This shows another instance of dakSiNAmUrti being worshipped in CT times. As
has been noted in other postings, the dakSiNAmUrti seems to have been the
more popular form of ziva which had come to be worshipped in the Tamil
region. Just as Madurai had an Alavay, pukAr had an AlamuRRam in CT times.
(That is why the author of puR.247 is called maturaip pErAlavAyAr, where the
name must refer to the dakSiNAmUrti deity. Only as the popularity of zaivism
and the mythology associated with the deity at AlavAy grew, Alavay must have
come to signify Madurai as a whole.) We also have AlaGkATu (banyan forest)
which was praised by kAraikkAl ammaiyAr, perhaps the earliest exponent of
zaiva bhakti.

It will be interesting to explore the reasons for the popularity of the
dakSiNAmUrti form in the Tamil region.

Regards
S. Palaniappan





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