Dear Gokul, When you spoke to me y'day, I was literally watching Periyakoil in Thanjai. I didn't want to tell and cause you anxiety!
For Navarathri - Durga- first 3 days - I visited Praythingara - Patteeswaram - Nizumbasoodhani - Kodikkaraiamman - Mariamman - Ae Gouri and of course Thiruvarur - Erisinakkotravai. On the route, I visited innumerable Grama Devathas - near Udayalur - Nandhipuram - Ariyappadai veedu, Pambaippadaiveedu on Friday night. I visited Rajarajan maninadabam (in the basement of the new Tower I worshipped our Thiruvalnchuzhi Kshethrabalagar - in the small temple bearing the insciption of ammangai the diety is removed and kept there - that is Chola's Kaaval Deivam Bairavar - (Poor thing standing there without worship) and collected some old books of Tam. Arch. Deptt - more of Nadana kasinathan (Esalam) & Nagasamy. I felt the influence of Rajendra as well.
While returning, suddenly it dawned on me near Veeranam - Udayarkudi - that RR tried to maintain a good relationship with Sembianmadevi (after GKCpm you will find Vanamadevi village - I was crossing and thinking of Panjavanmadevi!) but was suspecting Madurantaka @ Uthama ( Mazhavarayar Magalar Sembian Madevi Thiruvayiru uditha .... ) and she also reciprocated the same for her & her son's good!!
A friend of mine told me that the prasannam confirmed that indeed Rajarajeswaram is Akasalingam!!!
I sought for an appointment with Prince Bonsle Sahib of Tanjore through Kudavoil Balu.
Incidentally, in Thiruvarur there is an Aksharapeedam! If you look at it, you can make out a 2-D sivalingam carved and removed from the stone and the remaining stone is called Aksharapeedam. Means another Akasalingam in 2-D effect.
As you are aware, when Vishnu takes his famous slanting posture in Thirupparkadal and breathing, on his abdomen, Siva sits and performs penance and his movement is related to Vishnu's breathing movement. Since this form of movement - dance - is effortless, it is known as AJABA (Jaba - with effort) Nadanam. This takes place in Thiruvarur. To symbolise this only, in Chidambaram, Govindaraja Perumal and Nataraja are side-by-side in Chidambaram.
Probably, in Rajarajeswaram, in the First floor dancing hall, in the present court yard, which is uncovered, RR would have planned Rangaraja!! Imagine our beloved Rangaraja lying there idly when the reverbrent Siva is performing 108 poses of dancing !! That would have been a feast!
I am yet to read Pullamangai. Shall reply in detail in due course.
According to Kudavoiul, for reasons best known to RR, he tried a better version of Chidambaram. I am sure, you know Chidambaram temple structure. It is like human body! The Garpagraha is heart - having way in and way out for blood. The number of breathes we make, no. of bones, etc., are statiscally depicted in the Kodungai, rivettes etc. Nataraj had conquered Kali - bay raising his left leg. Even though Poombuhar was Early Chola capital, Chidambaram Nataraja was their Kula-Deyvam.
There are also similarities in RRswam. One reaches the Garbagraham through the side-ways. He chose Mahudabaranam! As per the process, the Lingam is put in position in the initial stage and then the temple is constructed - but Poojas were conducted on day-to-day basis. Imagine now: Such Lingam was probably under the SKY .. Good heavens!!
In this temple there are 108 (of course 81 carved) dancing postures of LORD SIVA - no other Model ?! Imagine the Combination of Akasalingam and each form of Dancing Siva : RAHASYAM is in the form of Golden Vilvams in Chidambaram: Here it is the space between the top of Lingam and Bottom of Uchi. As this is in 3 dimn, this is even supposed to be better than Chidambaram. Know another thing also: Present Chidambaram is after the renovation of Thribuvanachakravarthy ?! Sarabeswarar, Sun chariot and what not.. Latter to RR. He has taken the so called Mahalingam of Thiruvidaimaruthur - Kailasam of Sembianmadevi in Thiruvaiyaru and Chidambaram Akasalingam and overwhelmed them.
I am inclined to think that the Konerirajapuram Nataraja might have been from RRswm - 9 feet dia - biggest in the World! (Chidambaram is 8 feet dia)
I prefer to speculate that Chidambaram should have been another Keezhachalai - Martial Art University like Kandalurchalai - full of Cheras in the East. There was one such University comparable to those of Nalanda & the "Nagareshu" Kanchi - allegedly where Adisheshan taught!
Already the temple is drawing good crowds during Pradhoshams!!
I am trying to map the chola temples with the kings who built these temples. So far I have mapped more than 10 temples and looking to improve the list. If you find any correction on my work or you have more information about these temples, please let me know. I will really appreciate your help.
Good initiative - but would suggest to make it more generic - as earliest inscriptional reference. Since most of these temples were worked upon by successive kings and clans. Some converted to katrali from brick temple etc.