Pidari Ekaveeri: fierce goddess, captivating smile and Raja Raja’s mother-in-law grant

Pidari Ekaveeri idol at Sadaimudinathar temple in Tiruvalanchuzhi near Kumbakonam. | Photo credit: R. Vengadesh

In the precincts of the ancient Sadaimudinathar temple at Tiruvalanchuzhi, near Kumbakonam, stands a remarkable image of Pidari Ekaveeri, a deity whose significance is illuminated by temple inscriptions. Celebrated in the hymns of Shaiva saints and renowned as an architectural marvel of the Chola period, the temple is also home to inscriptions that reveal an equally fascinating chapter in its religious history.

The inscription records that she donated 40 gold to six Brahmins – Thalaisenan Valanchuzhian, Ezhuvan Thalaisenan, Sathan Patta Somasi, Patta Somasi Selvan, Aramudhu Tiruvikraman and Nakkan Pandithan – for conducting Avapala Anjanai, a special worship.

R. Kalaikovan from Dr. The Rajamanickanar Center for Historical Research, which identified a dilapidated shrine hidden under thick vegetation in the Tiruvalanchuzhi temple complex and studied its inscriptions, said the annual interest from this endowment was 30 kalams of rice. This income was earmarked for the performance of Avapala Anjanai, during which food and betel were offered to the deity while an eternal lamp was lit.

Dr. Kalaikovan further noted that when during the reign of Rajendra II. resettled temple endowments, the annual allotment of 15 kalam paddy continued to be set aside for the worship of Pidari Ekaveeri, proving the continuity of the cult throughout the subsequent Chola reigns.

Today, the Pidari Ekaveeri is identified as Ashtapuja Durgai as she is depicted with eight arms and now stands outside the sanctum sanctorum of the Vandarkuzhali shrine.

Remains of an old shrine that housed the idol of Pidari Ekaveeri. | Photo credit: R. Vengadesh

Originally, the deity was inside a dilapidated shrine. After this shrine collapsed, the image was moved to its current location. The overgrown remains of the old shrine, still hidden under the thorn bushes in the temple complex, silently bear witness to its forgotten past.

Chola art

The sculpture itself is a masterpiece of Chola art. The goddess is elegantly seated in utkuti asana, her face adorned with a calm and captivating smile that contrasts strikingly with her wild iconographic features. Her tousled locks spread majestically, crowned by a skull embraced by two snakes. An owl adorns her right ear, while a tiny human figure hangs from her left ear as an earring. Instead of a sacred thread, she wears a garland of skulls across her torso, which combines beauty, strength and esoteric symbolism into a single impressive image.

Dr. Kalaikovan pointed out that although several inscriptions of the Chola period refer to Pidar deities, the corresponding images have rarely been identified. “Even in temples where Pidari images survive, there are no inscriptions to confirm their antiquity. However, at Tiruvalanchuzhi we are able to directly link the inscriptions to the deity still enshrined in the temple. The Pidari Ekaveeri is probably the oldest identifiable Pidari image in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Thus, the Pidari Ekaveeri painting is much more than just an outstanding piece of Chola sculpture. Along with inscriptions documenting its royal patronage and ritual traditions, it constitutes an invaluable historical record that preserves one of the earliest identifiable traditions of Pidari worship in Tamil Nadu and offers a rare window into the religious life of the Chola age.

Published – 05 Jul 2026 23:35 IST