The fate of Nagapattinam’s lost vihara
The celebrated Anaimangalam copper plates—commonly known as the Leiden plates—are expected to return to India soon. This historic repatriation brings renewed focus onto a centuries-old
The celebrated Anaimangalam copper plates—commonly known as the Leiden plates—are expected to return to India soon. This historic repatriation brings renewed focus onto a centuries-old mystery: what actually became of the grand, Chola-backed Buddhist monastery and the ta free lands recorded in these famous inscriptions? In the 11th century, Rajaraja Chola I donated the village of Anaimangalam and its surrounding lands to the Chudamani Varma Vihara in the port city of Nagapattinam. The construction of this monastery was initiated in 1005 CE by King Chudamani Varman of Kadaram (the Sri Vijaya Kingdom) and was completed by his son, King Maravijayottunggavarman, who dedicated it to his father’s memory. Rajaraja made the land grant during the 21st year of his reign, but following his demise, it was his son, Rajendra Chola I (Madhurantakan), who officially documented the boundaries of the gift on 21 copper plates in 1035 CE. The land was designated as Pallichchandham (ta free land gifted to non-Hindu religious institutions). Decades later, around 1090 CE, the ruler of Sri Vijaya dispatched two envoys to Kulothunga Chola I—Rajendra’s grandson.
The envoys requested a fresh charter to reaffirm the gift, evict external squatters, and hand exclusive territorial custody back to the monastery. Kulothunga issued a secondary set of three copper plates accordingly. Eventually finding their way to Europe, these historic documents were preserved at Leiden University in the Netherlands. They were fully deciphered by epigraphists Pandit Natesa Aiyar in the late 19th century and K.V. Subrahmanya Aiyar in the 1930s. In the late 1960s, historian Achyuthan Govindan Kutty (K.A.) Menon joined the university and conducted extensive research by correlating the plates with later Dutch and local records. “I went there in September 1968,” Mr. Menon explained to The Hindu. “At that time, it was easy to access and examine those copper plates. Since they had already been deciphered, I analysed their data alongside later Nayak-period records and Dutch documents.” Menon published his findings in a research paper titled, “Copper plates to silver plates: Cholas, Dutch and Buddhism,” which provides critical details on the Vihara’s nomenclature, the transformation of the village names, and the eventual destruction of the monastery.
By the 19th century, Buddhism had long vanished from the Coromandel Coast, but the imposing brick skeleton of the monastery still stood. Known locally as the “Pudhuveli Gopuram”, the structure served as a coastal landmark for international ships sailing the Bay of Bengal. In 1846, British civil servant Sir W. Elliot surveyed the ruins, deeply impressed by its unique architectural design. In an 1878 record, Elliot described the Vihara as: “...a somewhat four-sided tower of three stories, constructed on bricks closely fitted together without cement, the first and second stories divided by corniced mouldings, with an opening for a door or window in the middle of each side... The top was open.” Erasure of past Despite its immense archaeological value, the ancient tower met a tragic end. In 1859, French Jesuit priests petitioned to clear the historic structure. Overriding initial hesitations from regional authorities, a final demolition order was signed on August 28, 1867. The three-story tower, which had survived nearly nine centuries of coastal weather and changing dynasties, was completely levelled.
The BriefWire