Puducherry ( Pondichery) - Am heer due to a sudden work
evening had been to Vedapuresswara/varadaraja perumal temple. I have read that these temples were demolished by french in one early morning and due to public protest reconstructed. Vedapaureswarar in anew place and perumal at the old place.
With the hew learnings this time i enquired, though the temples are around 300 years old, the moortis are much older. Then came the surprsie story ( new for me)
The french allowed the perumal temple to be reconstructed at the the same site and vedapureeswarar next to it.
The small narasimhar idol of the perumal temple was safe and they started construction of the temple.
1. When the dug the foundation of Garudan sannidhi - there came a 7 feet tall beautiful Vishnu with his consorts. Beautiful idol
2. Next to him came Parvati - 4 feet with a akshamala and lotos on upper hands
3. Further digging led to a safe room wheer all bronze idols of a siva temple were kept.
4. They collected the remaining idols from the original siva temple in the shore and sent a team to Kasi for a lingam.
5. The siva temple was ready and the idol did not reach the temple in time and were comtemplating a postponement.
6. Lord siva appaeared in a devotees dream and advised him to dig at the new siva temple complex at a particular place ( where alagu vinayagar shrine is present) and a siva lingam came out. 7. Kumbabishegam was over and the kasi lingam came only at the end of mandalabishegam. it is kept in a separate shirine. 8. in 1910s one stone box was found in the sea shore. on opening a beautiful ram, lakshman, seetha bronzes were found and kept in perumal temple. 9. the same year, one cuddalore farmer found an hanuman idol while digging and it was also installed in the temple.
i am hearing this for the first time. any news on this
( village deities will continue once i return back)
I dont think there was any protest when the vedapureeswarar temple was demolished over night by the French Governor (i think Duplex). Prapanjans novel 'Vaanam vasappadum' deals about this incident, which is based on Ananda Rangam Dairy kurippu... The French Dubashi Ananda Rangam Pillai has recorded every days activity of his life, for 25 years, which a historic milestone of Tamil history. In that he mentions that the Governors wife wanted to demolish the temple and a mosque near a church and overnight did it. But the hindus keep mum (as usual) but the muslims stand up united. So the temple gets demolished ant he mosque is saved.
Not sure whether this is the same story as you heard.
The details were given by the archaka of perumal temple. he showed me the places where the idols were unearthed. Perumal temple was rebuilt at the same site. Siva temple was rebuilt next to vishnu temple, which inncidently had another previous temple, found out while digging. The Vedapureeswarar temple was near sea shore and was demolished like our Kapali temple.
if you could get a copy of the anandarangam pillai diary, check. Looks the gap between the destruction and construction is 30-40 years. henec he might not have written.
Talk to the gurukkals - they may give more details.