Uthiramerur

Uthiramerur உத்திரமேரூர்
panchayat town
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Kancheepuram
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	25,194
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)

Uthiramerur is a panchayat town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

History

Uthiramerur temple

The Pallava king Nandivarman II established it around 750 A.D.It was ruled by the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Sambuvarayars, the Vijayanagara Rayas and the Nayaks.^[2]

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[3] Uthiramerur had a population of 23,653. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Uthiramerur has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 59%. In Uthiramerur, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Importance

Stone edicts and carvings found in Uthiramerur have shown clues of local self governance during Chola imperial period (). The elections were held by a method called Kudavolai. The edicts are called Uthiramerur Kalvettu after the place. On the walls of the village assembly (grama sabha mandapa), which was a rectangular structure made of granite slabs, are inscriptions saying that the village had an electoral system and a written constitution prescribing the mode of elections. This inscription, dated around 920 A.D. in the reign of Parantaka Chola, is an important historical record.^[4] Recently the Kailasanathar temple in the town has been restored to its original beauty with help from the REACH foundation().^[5]

Perumal temple

The town is a home for one of the famous hindu temples called Uthiramerur Sundara Varada Perumal temple. This temple is about 1200 years old and is said to have been constructed by the mason Paramesa Vathan who was extremely skilled in Vastu shastra, under the palallava king Nandhi Varma Pallava. The main deity in this temple is Lord Sundara Varada Perumal. This temple has numerous inscriptions — those of the great Raja Raja Chola (985-1015 A.D.), his able son, Rajendra Chola and the Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya. Both Rajendra Chola and Krishnadeva Raya visited Uthiramerur. The rituals in this temple are performed as per Vikhanasa Aagama following the Krishna Yajurveda.

Legend

Legend has it that, if a village has more than 1000 Brahmin houses, then it should have a Vishnava temple built as per the instruction from Marichi Maharshi and based on the architecture written in the in-scriptures by Brigu Maharshi. Both Marichi Maharshi and Brigu Maharshi are two of the four main disciples of Sri Vikhanasacharya or Sri Vikhanasa Maharshi from whom the Vikhanasa Aagama was born.

Temple Gopuram

This temple's gopuram is seen to have rebuilt in 1998. The rebuilt Galigopuram showcases the rich sculptures of some of the Hindu gods (mostly the reincarnations of Lord Vishnu). It showcases Kshira Saagara Madhanam, Sri Vikhanasa Acharya with his four disciples ( Brigu, Marichi, Atri, Kasyapa ), Goda devi, Sudarshana, Sri Rama Parivar and many other sculptures resembling vikhanasa sutra.

Vimanam

Another special thing about this temple is that there will be 9 Mula Virats (main deities) under the same vimanam. Four Perumal vigrahas facing in four different directions around mula virat along with four more Perumal statues one stair up.

Very few temples in south has the architecture like this. One such notable temple is Asta Lakshmi Temple in Chennai besent nagar.

Politics

Uthiramerur assembly constituency is part of Kanchipuram (Lok Sabha constituency).^[6]

References

External links