A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c18.22

c18.22

The temple was not merely a place of worship; it filled a large place in the cultural and economic life of the people. Its construction and maintenance offered employment to numbers of architects and craftsmen who vied with one another in bold planning and skilful execution. The making of icons in stone and metal gave scope to the talents of the best sculptors of the country; some of the larger bronzes cast in the Chola period take their place among the wonders of the world for the mass of metal manipulated as well as for the grace of form attained in the result. The daily routine, especially of the larger temples, gave constant employment to numbers of priests, choristers, musicians, dancing-girls, florists, cooks and many other classes of servants. The periodical festivals were occasions marked by fairs, contests of learning, wrestling-matches and every other form of popular entertainment. Schools and hospitals were often located in the temple precincts, and it also served often as the town hall where people assembled to consider local affairs or to hear the exposition of sacred literature. The large endowments in land and cash bestowed on each temple by successive generations of pious donors tended to make it at once a generous landlord and a banker whose aid was always available to those that needed it. The practice of decorating images, particularly those used during processions, with numerous jewels set with precious stones encouraged the jeweller's art to a considerable extent. There can be no better record of the details of the economy of a large temple than is provided by the numerous inscriptions of the Great Temple of Tanjore. There the gifts of Rājarāja came largely from booty captured in successful warfare and included well over 41,500 *kalañjus* of gold, or, taking a *kalañju* to be about 70 grains, well over 500 lbs. troy weight. The value of jewels was 10,200 *kāśus*, equal to half as many *kalañjus* in gold. Of silver he gave 50,650 *kalañjus* or over 600 lbs. troy weight. He set apart lands in villages throughout his dominions, including Ceylon, with an annual income of 116,000 *kalams* of paddy, equal at the then prevailing prices to 58,000 *kāśus*, besides a cash income of 1,100 *kāśus*. For the service of the temple, 400 *devadāsis* were impressed from those attached to other temples in the empire, each one receiving a *pangu* (share) consisting of a house and one *vēli* of land yielding a net revenue of 100 *kalams* of paddy a year. About 180 further such shares were set apart to maintain 212 male dancing-masters, musicians, drummers, tailors, goldsmiths, accountants, and so on. These men-servants included three people to sing the Āriyam and four others the Tamil, which apparently are the two systems of music called ahamārgam and dēśi elsewhere. A choir of 50, on a daily wage of three kurunis of paddy, recited the Tiruppadiyam to the accompaniment of musical instruments. This choir had the additional privilege of filling vacancies by co-option if any of their number died or emigrated without leaving behind a suitable relative to take his place. Rājarāja’s elder sister Kundavai was another generous contributor to temple funds. On one occasion she presented gold weighing nearly 10,000 kalañjus and utensils valued at 18,000 kāśus. Others, too—queens, high officials and regiments of soldiers—made gifts which have been recorded with equal care and precision on the walls and pillars of the temple. Cash endowments, which amounted to several thousands of kāśus, were loaned to numerous village assemblies at rates of interest fixed in kind or money, and generally about 12 per cent per annum. Camphor, cardamom-seeds, champak-buds and khus-khus roots were among the products provided for by means of cash endowments.