The Tamil Saivite poet-saint Appar, in his Tevaram verses on Tiruvarur, records the demographics of devotees in this sacred town back in the 7th century CE. “Executor of divine commands along with celestial damsels who adorn their breasts with rare and big precious stones, devotees who worship you by right; devotees who have loosened matted locks, called maa-viratikal, Brahmins, Saivites, our God, our father in Tiruvarur in whose streets Pasupatar and Kapalikas are eminent.” Saivites from various schools thronged the temple town, he sings, but heading his list however are the “celestial-like damsels”. Referred to as Devaradiyar, Patiyilaar and Manikkam in inscriptions, they have been an integral part of the cultural and religious fabric of Tamil society. This matrilineal community, which had dedicated itself to selfless service in temples and carried forward the legacy of music and dance traditions, was sadly the victim of exploitation and misconception.
The once esteemed status of the Devaradiyars is highlighted by the several inscriptions recording the donations made by them as cash, gold and land to the temples they were associated with. Countless inscriptions have recorded for posterity the magnanimity of the Devaradiyars. The frequency of these inscriptions increased remarkably during the imperial Chola period.
In the sixth regnal year of Kadava ruler Kopperumchingan (c. 13th century CE), a Devadasi by name Aramudaiyar, associated with the Siva temple at Tiruvennainallur, converted a copper pot donated by Tirumalai Alagiyan, son of another Devadasi and made a bell, an incense brazier, a chain lamp and a plate for waving light. Devaradiyars often donated cattle to be raised in the temple to procure oil and ghee to light lamps. During Chola ruler Rajadhiraja’s time (c. 11th century CE), Chathuran Chathuri, a Devaradiyar employed at the Tiruvotriyur Siva temple, gifted 95 sheep to burn a perpetual lamp. Incidentally, she was married to a certain Nagan Perungadan. Similarly, Viragangan, son of Pichiyar, a Devaradiyar employed at the Siva temple of Tiruppulivanam, donated 64 cows and two bulls to ensure a specific quantity of ghee to be given to the temple for burning two perpetual lamps. Apart from ghee and oil to burn lamps, cows were also donated to procure milk for the abhishekam of the deity. During Vikrama Chola’s period (c. 12th century CE), a Madavan Tavamseydal alias Pukkaturai Vallabha Manikkam donated a certain breed of cow that would yield five naali of milk for the abhishekam of Mahalingaswamy at Tiruvidaimarudur.
That Devaradiyars were treated as employees of the temple is clear from inscriptions that mention their salary and in some cases allocation of residences amidst the potters and weavers, who were also employed there. Devaradiyars also contributed to the construction and repair of pillared halls and compound walls of temples. In the 14th century, under Sambuvaraiyar rule, Kadali, daughter of Amarapathy-kathal and granddaughter of Samba, constructed the dance hall in the temple of Siva as Tadakapureeshwarar in Vandavasi village. During the reign of Vikrama Pandya, Vadivudai Mangai, daughter of Maragatha Perumal, repaired the pinnacle stone, beam and roof slabs of a mandapam in the temple of Kannishwara. Donation of gardens, and setting up of corpus deposits to maintain them and pay the gardeners were also undertaken by the Devadasis.
An inscription from the seventh regnal year of Kopperumchingan in the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram records an order to inscribe on temple walls, the gift of a flower garden purchased for providing flowers to the Goddess Thirukamakottam Udaiya Periyanachiyar. This was done by two Devaradiyars. An amount was contributed for the purchase of land and the maintenance of two servants to look after the garden.
Apart from the daily chores of singing and dancing as a part of the ritual services, the Devadasis cleaned the temples and decorated them. They also carried food offerings from the temple kitchen and also the umbrella and whisks of the deity during processions. Sometimes engaged in charge of the temple treasury, they also washed and cleaned the silk robes of the deity. In several instances, epigraphic records throw light on their financial potential to buy and donate agricultural lands and fund restoration of temples and temple tanks.
A very touching account is from Jambunatha Siva temple at Jambai, near Tirukovilur. It narrates the act of Atkondan, who offered himself for the sacrifice ritual for the construction of the dance hall of the temple. Atkondan was the younger brother of Petrazhvi, the Devaradiyar of the temple. In return, a gift of tax-free land of 150 kuzhi was given to Annamali, the younger brother of Atkondan.
From donations to land gifts and dedicated selfless service to literally offering one’s own self, the community of Devaradiyars have played a significant role in the functioning of the temples of Tamil Nadu. Thanks to the Devaradiyars, temples managed to flourish as centres of performing arts. The history of any ancient temple is unfinished without a mention of these noble souls. With changing times, social and administrative reforms, and loss of royal patronage, they might have disappeared from the payrolls of temples, but the temple corridors across the Tamil country stand silent sentinels to the contributions of the Devaradiyars.
Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan
Architect, serves on the government-instituted panel for conservation of temples in TN
(madhu.kalai0324@gmail.com)