Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

>
> I don't think Buddha is officially in the Avatar's list, it must have
> been introduced later (Idaichergual).
>
hi thiru

your post was too tempting not to post a reply - just winding up a
short visit to chennai and heading back home...

what do you mean by later day insert....

the earliest inscription listing the ten avatars of vishnu ( in
sanskrit) is in mallai ( adi varaha mandabam) - and it lists the ten
avatars as below.

matsyah kurmo varahazcha narasimhazcha vamana
ramo ramazcha ramazcha buddha kalkicha daza

buddha takes the place of krishna !! you are now talking 1300-1400
years ago

There is a series of miniature sculptures in tanjai big temple -which
depict the story of shiva tripurantaka - shiva destroying the three
cities ( not the famous mural but sculpture)...it is a kind of story
board type of narration....without going into much detail - its
depicts buddha in three of the reliefs....ie it actually shows buddha
playing a part in that story / victory of shiva... which is 1000 years
ago.