Chudamani Vihara was a Buddhist vihara (monastery) in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India. Chudamani Vihara was constructed in 1006 CE by the Srivijayan king Sri Vijaya Maravijayattungavarman with the patronage of Rajaraja Chola I.Keay, John, India: A History, pp 222-223 The vihara building survived in dilapidated condition. Since 1856, about 350 Buddha bronzes have been found at Nagapattinam, dating from the 11th to the 16th century.
History
According to the copperplate record of Chola king Rajaraja, the Sailendra king, Sri Mara-vijayottunga-varman constructed the vihara with the support of Rajaraja. These copperplates were part of the collection of Leiden University (Holland) until 2026, when they were restituted to India.
One statue, now at John D. Rockefeller Collection of Asian Art in New York, has an inscription that mentions that this Buddha was created to be carried in a procession during the temple’s sacred festival. The inscription has been translated by Vidya Dehejia as:
Well-being [and] prosperity. The nayakar [Buddha], of all of the eighteen countries, of the metalworkers. The procession image, for the sacred festival of the alvar temple, which was caused to be taken in procession by the respected one (utaiyar) endowed of the four gunas from Cirutavur; [in] the perum-palli (great place of worship or great vihara) of the metalworkers, [in] the perum-palli of Rajendra Chola.Asia Society: The Collection In Context
Notes
References
External links Buddha 14th century Formerly in the collection of Mrs. W. van Hoogstraten-Fetlaer, Netherlands. Bodhi's Tamil Afterglow Outlook India, 7 July 2004 Nagapattinam Buddhas at the Chennai Museum Buddha Shakyamuni Norton Simon Museum Buddha Shakyamuni Art Institute of Chicago procession Buddha John D. Rockefeller Collection of Asian Art in New York Buddha, 12th century Art Institute of Chicago Tracing the Sri Lanka-Kerala link Hindustan Times 23 March 2006