Kundavai Pirāttiyār

Kundavai Pirattiyar
Kundavai Pirattiyar
	Ilaiyapirātti
Born	Ālvār Sri Parāntakan Sri Kundavai Nachiyar; c. 945; Tirukoilur
Spouse	Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan
Dynasty	Chola Dynasty
Father	Sundara Chola
Mother	Vanavanmahadevi
Religion	Saivam

Ālvār Sri Parāntakan Sri Kundavai Nachiyar (Tamil: ஆழ்வார் ஸ்ரீ பராந்தகன் ஸ்ரீ குந்தவை நாச்சியார்; born c. 945), better known mononymously as Kundavai, was a princess of the Chola empire who lived in the tenth century in South India.[1] She was the daughter of Parantaka Chola II and the elder sister of Rajaraja Chola I.[2][3][4] She was born in Tirukoilur and was the second child of Sundara Chola. She had title as Ilaiyapirātti Kundavai Nachiyar.

Early life

Kundavai (also transliterated as Kundhavai or Kunthavai) was born in 945 CE. She was the only daughter of the Chola king Parantaka II (alias Sundara) and queen Vanavan Mahadevi. She had an elder brother - Aditya II, and an younger brother - Rajaraja I.

Personal life

She is the queen of Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan,a feudatory of the Chola kings mentioned in the Tanjore inscriptions.[5] He is also the major for the Sri Lankan front foot troops of Rajaraja l. Territory under his authority was known as Vallavaraiyanadu. He ruled Brahmadesam.

Along with her grandmother Sembiyan Mahadevi, Kundavai brought up her nephew, Rajendra Chola I, who was the son of Rajaraja Chola and Thiripuvana Madeviyar, princess of Kodumbalur. Rajendra I spent most of his childhood in Palayarai with his aunt Kundavai and great-grandmother.

In Popular Culture

Kundavai is the celebrated sister of King Raja Raja Cholan. She was his mentor, guide and counsel since a very young age. She was the one who brought up Rajendra Chola and inspired him to achieve great deeds that are still being sung today. For most people, Kundavai is introduced about her is the utmost respect with which people talk about her. She is quite unique among all the other women during her time. In an era, where royal women were used to forge alliances with other kingdoms and feudal lords, Kundavai's father allows her to exercise her free will. Kundavai is resolved not to get married to any foreign king or lord and wants to stay in the Chola Kingdom for the rest of her life. This deference to her wishes even at such a young age is a mark of respect for her intelligence and wit. Kundavai is highly esteemed all through the kingdom and that's probably why princesses of many royal homes are sent under her care. Almost as a matron, she grooms these princesses in arts, music, and literature.This intelligent princess tackles tricky situations and her adversaries with such grace that you feel like applauding her. She takes the right decisions at the right time.

Life and works

Kundavai commissioned many temples for Siva, Vishnu and Jaina.[6][5] She features in Chola inscriptions.[7][8]

..vessels and ornaments made of gold, silver and pearl and presented to the temples of Kundavai-Vinnagar-Alvar, Iravikulamanikka-Iswara and Kundavai Jinalaya, built by the princess Parantakan Kundavai Pirattiyar, daughter of Ponmaligaittunjiyadevar(Parantaka Sundara Chola).[9]

She built at least two Jain temples, one at Rajarajeswaram later known as Darapuram and the other at Tirumalai.[8] She built a hospital after her father named Sundara Chola Vinnagar athura salai at Thanjavur and donated extensive lands for its maintenance.[10][11] She made lavish donations to the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur during the reign of her younger brother Rajaraja Chola I and her nephew Rajendra Chola I.

One of the inscriptions reads:

Records gift of sheep for lamps to the temple of Kundavai-Vinnagar-Alvar by princess Pirantakan-Kundavai-Pirattiyar. Also mentioned is the senapati, Mummudi-Chola Brahmamarayar who was in charge of the management of the temple[12]

[13] Some of the images or idols set up by princess Kundavai include:[14]

Here is an excerpt from the 29th year of Rajaraja that lists some of her gifts to Brihadeeswarar temple:

Hail! Prosperity! Until the twenty-ninth year (of the reign) of Ko-Rajakesarivarman alias Sri-Rajarajadeva who..-
Arvar Parantakan Kundavaiyar, (who was) the venerable elder sister of the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva and the great queen of Vallavaraiyar Vandyadevar
..gave three thousand five hundred karanju of gold, which was a quarter superior in fineness to the (gold standard called) dandavani, and one thousand five hundred karanju of gold, which was one (degree) inferior in fineness to the dandavani, – altogether, five thousand karanju of gold.[15]

Hail ! Prosperity! Until the third year (of the reign) of Ko-Parakesarivarman, alias the lord Sri-Rajendra-Soradeva,-
Arvar Parantakan Kundavaiyar, (who was) the venerable elder sister of the lord Sri-Rajarajadeva (and) the great queen of Vallavaraiyar Vandyadevar gave-

..One sacred girdle (tiruppattigai), (containing) ninety-seven karanju and a half, four manjadi and nine tenths of gold. Six hundred and sixty-seven large and small diamonds with smooth edges, set (into it), – including such as had spots, cracks, red dots, black dots, and marks as of burning, – weighed two karanju and a quarter and six tenths (of a manjadi). Eighty-three large and small rubies, viz., twenty-two halahalam of superior quality, twenty halahalam, twenty smooth rubies, nine bluish rubies, two sattam and ten unpolished rubies, – including such as had cavities, cuts, holes, white specks, flaws, and such as still adhered to the ore, – weighed ten karanju and three quarters, three manjadi and two tenths. Two hundred and twelve pearls, strung or sewn on, – including round pearls, roundish pearls, polished pearls, small pearls, nimbolam, ambumudu, (pearls) of brilliant water and of red water, such as had been polished while still adhering to the shall, (and pearls with) lines, stains, red dots, white specks and wrinkles, – weighed eighteen karanju and two manjadi. Altogether, (the girdle) weighed one hundred and twenty-nine karanju and seven tenths (of a manadi), corresponding to a value of four thousand and five hundred kasu..

One ring for the foot of the goddess, (containing) seventy-one karanju and a half and two manjadi of gold. Four hundred and fifty-nine diamonds, set (into it), viz., four hundred and fifty diamonds with smooth edges, and nine small square diamonds with smooth edges, including such as had spots, cracks, red dots, black dots, and marks as of burning, – weighed (one) karanju and a half, three manjadi and nine tenths. Thirty-nine large and small rubies, viz., ten halahalam of superior quality, eight halahalam, nine smooth rubies, three bluish rubies and nine unpolished rubies, – including such as had cavities, cuts, holes, white speeks, flaws, and such as still adhered to the ore, – weighed three karanju and three quarters, three manjadi and six tenths. Altogether, (the ring) weighed seventy-seventy-seven karanju, four manjadi and (one) kunri, corresponding to a value of a five hundred kasu.[15]

Kundavai spent the last days of her life with her nephew Rajendra Chola I at the palace in Pazhaiyarai.[11][16][17]

..run-tiru-amudu sëd-arulavaum ăga nellu padin kalam-āga ōrādaikku nellu nūrru irubadin kalamum udaiyār sri-Rājarājadēvarkku mun pirand-arulina sri ālvār sri-Kundavai Pirāttiyār pirand-arulina avitta-tirunālāl tingal oru nāl tiru-vilā elund-arulavu.[18]

References

Lalit kalā, Issue 15, page 34
Early Chola art, page 183
A Topographical List of Inscriptions in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala States: Thanjavur District, page 180
Worshiping Śiva in medieval India: ritual in an oscillating universe, page 5
South Indian Inscriptions – Vol II-Part 1 (Tanjore temple Inscriptions)
Women in Indian life and society, page 49
Śrīnidhiḥ: perspectives in Indian archaeology, art, and culture, page 364
Encyclopaedia of Jainism, page 1000
A topographical list of inscriptions in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states, Volume 2, page 206
Ancient system of oriental medicine, page 96
Great women of India, page 306
A topographical list of inscriptions in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states, Volume 2, page 207
Portrait sculpture in south India, page 34
Middle Chola temples:Rajaraja I to Kulottunga I (A.D. 985–1070), page 42
South Indian inscriptions: Volume 2, Parts 1–2
Encyclopaedia of Status and Empowerment of Women in India: Status and position of women in ancient, medieval and modern India, page 176
Middle Chola temples: Rajaraja I to Kulottunga I (A.D. 985–1070), page 381
Śāṅkaram: recent researches on Indian culture, page 97