Studies in Cola History and Administration c10.16

c10.16

The *Sabhā* was only one among several corporations organized on more or less similar lines, though doubtless the most important among them as administering the general affairs of the locality and looking after local interests as a whole. The details of the constitution of the *Sabhā* of Uttaramerūr and its standing committees will form the subject of a full discussion later. Some attention may be given here to the other bodies which shared with the *Sabhā* the tasks of managing local concerns and ensuring local well-being. We have just noticed the authorities called Māhēśvaras and Sthānattār who were particularly concerned with the daily affairs of the temple of Tiruppulivalam-uḍaiyār. The Pērilamaiyār, who are once said to be ‘ of two sides ’, the Śraddhāmantar, the Vīragaṇattar, the Kāḷigaṇattar, and the Śrī-kṛṣṇagaṇattar, as also the Śrī-vaiṣṇava Vāriyar appear to be instances of religious corporations of a quasi-public character which received the recognition due to the public importance of their work and the degree of success that attended them in its performance. The occurrence of *gaṇa* and *vāriyar* in these names must be noticed.