The convention among art historians is to begin Nataraja studies with Citamparam. Historically and mythologically, this is a misconception. The earliest mention of Kuttan/Nataraja appears in a fifth- or sixth-century ce literary work, the Alankattumuttatiruppatikam of [Karaikkal]-Ammaiyar, and the theme continued to persist through the ages, being particularly exalted in the hymns of the Tevaram, the first seven compilations of the Saiva canon. The Cidambaramahatmya is a work of the fourteenth century ce or later. Scholarly research has depended more on Sanskritic sources (e.g. Sivaramamurti 1974; Smith 1998) than on the earlier Tamil material. This article says why studies pertaining to Nataraja should begin with Alankatu, the earliest sthala extolled in the Tamil hymns, considered the original base of the Nataraja tradition. It cursorily reflects on the available epigraphical sources. The other dancing venues of the Lord, Tillai/Citamparam, Alavay/Maturai, Nelveli and Kurralam, were added in due course, making with Alankattu a list of five dancing halls (pancanrtyasabha). The article examines a group of five stucco images that appear in the frontal projection of the mandapa to the Alankatu temple.
Forty years ago Prof. George W. Spender wrote an article on the Śaiva tiruttalams (called divyadeśa in Vaiṣṇava tradition) and suggested a complimenting work could be undertaken on the sacred venues of Viṣṇuism. The present article fulfills the longfelt need of scholars in Indian religious and more relevantly art historical studies. Based on the first-hand materials derived from the Vaiṣṇava canon, Nālāyirativviyapirapantam, it presents the historical sequence of the evolution of the 108 divyadeśas. The earliest of these had their origin by about the 4th-5th century CE and reached maturation by about the early half of the 9th century CE. The stages of evolution are earmarked. However, what the Vaiṣṇava mystics, the Āḻvārs, saw during the centuries down to the 9th are not the kṣetras (sacred space of the temple) or sthalas (sacred venues) that we find today. The temples had undergone spectacular changes through the centuries as could be proved with case studies of either Vēṅkaṭam or Allikkēṇi. A handful of the sthalas were purely imaginary on part of the mystics. The text is duly illustrated with modern photographic evidences and a map. The parochial views of some American scholars are discussed to point out their inability to deal with the original sources in Tamil and consequently their views on Viṣṇuism or Śrīviṣṇuism happens to be biased. Keywords: Vaiṣṇava-divyadeśas, Viṣṇuism, Āḻvārs, Śrīvaiṣṇavism, Bhakti, Nālāyira- divya-prabandham.
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