- Kaverippakkam is near madras, had a rashtrakuta temple which was lost.
- Kavirippompattinam is a famous port city on the east coast, near Tarangambadi. It was lost slightly before the pallava age due to a tsunami & sea level rise.
> > > > > > It is slightly misleading to say "Christians demolished this > > > building". Actually what happened was: > > > > > > - That the complex was fully in tact in 18th century as proven by the > > > painting > > > > > > - The tower and the complex had undergone massive destruction between > > > 18th and 19th centuries, possibly by Portuguese and dutch who occupied > > > the city > > > > > > - The tower was in the danger of collapsing > > > > > > - Jesuist missionaries who wanted to build a school there wrote to > > > british govt, first it was refused and then allowed > > > > > > - Sir walter scott was the first britisher to feel extensively for > > > this lost pagoda
Hi Gokul
Are you referring to this work. My reading doesnt confirm to your view.
> On why the structure was brought down ( the reasons) and if it really > was beyond repair.
Oh absolutely. If the govt had the will, it could have been repaired very easily. I did not go too much into post 13th century events in my paper.
But what baffles me is the excellent condition in which the entire complex was - in 18th century (as revealed by the new painting). Within 100 years the entire complex was in shambles - mainly because the china pagoda was put to military use.
The boundaries of choolamani vihara are not mentioned in Rajaraja's grant (largen leyden). But the lands in anaimangalam were occupied by others (!) and the vihara was not getting the revenues properly. The case went all the way to kulothunga who not only conferred all the rights of the earlier grant but also made new grants (smaller leyden).
Here, soolamani vihara takes the name rajarajap perumpalli and the boundaries are mentioned as: a Thamaraikkulam, a sand dune and a peruvazhi. Dr Jayakumar rightly interpreted these and ended up with the court complex opp Nagapaatinam pudhu bus stand.
Friends, I was thrilled to look at this via google earth. The sand dune and the kulam are still available. The peruvazhi has become the main road in which buses ply out of Nagai.
You can precisely see the entire vihara complex boundaries in google earth.