Daksinamurti in the Subrahmanya Temple of Kannanur

The note provides a brief description of a stone image of Daksinamurti (Shiva as teacher) situated in the southern niche of the Subrahmanya temple at Kannanur in the Pudukottai state. Few South Indian temples can be dated precisely, but this temple can be assigned to the late ninth century on palaeographic grounds based on inscriptions of the Chola ruler Aditya Chola I, who ascended the throne around 871 CE. The temple, located about 23 miles southwest of the state capital, is constructed entirely of granite without mortar; though dedicated to Subrahmanya (Murugan), its architectural features resemble a Shiva temple. It has a bell-shaped shikhara and a stone stupi. Unusually, instead of a peacock, elephant figures appear at the cardinal points on the roof and in front of the deity—a feature mentioned in early Tamil literature. The Daksinamurti image sits under a banyan tree; he wears a jata-mukuta (matted-hair crown) and bears a third eye (lalatanetra). He has four arms: the front right hand holds chin-mudra, symbolising knowledge, while the front left rests on his thigh; the back right may hold a rosary; the back left holds a serpent. His left leg hangs down, pressing on the apasmara (dwarf demon representing ignorance), while the right leg is crossed over the left thigh. The note acknowledges that the image is remarkably well-preserved given its age. The temple’s unusual features and early date make it an important example of early Chola architecture and iconography.

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