The Colas c33.29

c33.29

The impression of the tolerance and eclecticism that generally characterised the religious outlook of the time is strengthened by a study of the pantheon which included an assortment of all conceivable deities to whom worship was offered throughout the country. Besides images of Śiva in his various aspects⁴³ like Kirātārjunīya, Bhikṣātana, Kalyāṇasundara, Pañcadēha, Lingapurāṇadēva, Umāsahita, Naṭarāja, Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Śrī Kaṇṭha and so on, the icons presented to the great temple of Tanjore by its royal patrons included images of Gaṇapati, Subrahmaṇya, Mahā Viṣṇu and Sūrya.⁴⁴ There were also images of Śaiva saints receiving regular worship among them like Caṇḍēśvara, the three authors of the *Dēvāram*, Meypporuḷ-nāyanār, Śiṟuttoṇḍar, Śīrāḷar⁴⁵ and others. Among goddesses are mentioned Kāla-piḍāri, Durgā-Paramēśvari and Ēmaḷattu Durgaiyār Ōṅkārasundari.⁴⁶ The Tanjore inscriptions mention incidentally other minor deities worshipped in several outlying villages; these village deities comprised many forms of Piḍāri, Śēṭṭaiyār (Jyēṣṭhā)⁴⁷ and others, whose shrines are called *tirumuṟṟam* as distinguished from the *Śrī Kōyil* of the higher pantheon. The seven Mothers⁴⁸ are mentioned in other inscriptions, as also Kṛṣṇa,⁴⁹ Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa,⁵⁰ and Hanumān.⁵¹ Tiruvoṟṟiyūr offered worship to all the sixty-three Śaiva saints,⁵² and Kāḷahasti kept the memory of a local legend fresh in the name of a garden called after Kaṇṇappar.⁵³ Eṇṇāyiram, a strong centre of Vaiṣṇavism, allotted shares from the lands of the village to the shrines of Śrī-Mūlasthānam-uḍaiyār, Sarasvati, Śrībhaṭāraki, Mahāmōḍi, Sūryadēva, Saptamātargaḷ, Mahāśāstā, Durgā, Jyēṣṭhā and the gods of the *Śēris*.⁵⁴ To complete the picture of practical popular religion it may be added that pilgrimages to specially sacred places were known and the charity of some took the form of providing amenities for the pilgrims *en route* to and from Tirumalai (Tirupati).⁵⁵ The regular sacrifice of a goat on every Tuesday to Muṇḍēśvari by the Kurava women of the *nāḍu* is recorded in a Mysore inscription of the time of Rājēndra I.⁵⁶