Searching Ramayanam in Tirunelveli district epigraphs. Read about Cholan Thalai Konda veera pandiyan. while searching, found one of our earlier discussions on - any vaishnava king?
Yes - there were vaishnava kings. Pandya Parantaga Nedunchadayan declares himself as a Vaishnava. ( He had also given grants to many siva temples. Kumbhakonam Nageswaran ( our Ramayana temple) is one such siva temple. Tirupptahur siva temple also recieved a grant)
He claims to have constructed a big Vishnu temple in Kanchi. Intrestingly the word Chadayan ( Jadila) means lord Siva.
Thaazhsadaiyum - niilmudiyum : This was Peyaazhwar's Song on Thiruvenkatavan Thaazhsadayan is Shivan NiiN Mudi is Thirumaal Nedunjadai = NeeNmudi = Thirumal.
Dear Gokul Pallava Nandi was Thirumangaiazhvar's direct disciple. He mentions about Nandi in many of his pasurams. I think you knew about Azhvar's four assistants. It is said that one of themstayed with Nandi after Azhvar.
It is difficult to contemplate Sri Kulasekhara azhvar on historical grounds. Other than his own pasurams we do not have any other historical records - except that chera kings called themselves "Kulasekhara vamsam".
King rajasekhara who issued vazhappalli copper plates is the first king who comes to light based on inscriptions.
Our member Mr Srihari has written an excellent posting on Chera-Chola relationships.
Kulasekhara Azhvar is believed to have been laid to rest at Mannargudi if I remember correct. There is a record of a late chera king providing some nivandhams to this temple during rajendra period. I always wondered why a chera king should come here - but later on learnt that this could have been due to the Kulasekhara association.
The Thiruvanchikulam & even in sri rangam we have separate shrines of Kulasekhara. These are not the final resting places.
The existence of Sri Kulasekhara perumal is not being disputed. His period & historically placing him among the perumal kings of kerala - tracing his ancestry - is what I mean by 'historically locating' the king. This is certainly not possible at the moment.
Going by his own words, he actually won over cholas and pandiyas. And yet he declared (Thirumalai Pasuram)... "... I do not need the riches of heavens.. I just wish to be a small fish in the koneri pond of thirumala!"
IN all vaishnavite temples, the steps right in front of god's sanctorum is called "Kulasekhara Padi" because it was he who sang..