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        Will you believe that Tambaram and its adjoining areas were flourishing urban centres even a millennium ago? Specially for people who had settled here a few decades back when the neighbourhood was only a big, calm village it may sound astonishing. But that is the fact. Tambaram and many other localities in the vicinity like Madambakkam were well developed urban places even a thousand years ago.
 

FROZEN IN TIME: An artistic depiction of an ancient temple.	WAVES OF PAST: Ramachandran recounting historical incidents

        S Ramachandran, formerly Epigraphist with the Archaeological Department, Government of Tamilnadu and a historian said that the word Tambaram is a corruption of the town's ancient name 'Taampuramana Gunaseela Nallur'  Evidence for this could be found in the 13th century inscriptions that were found at the ancient Siva Temple at Tirusulam.

        The etymological import of the olden name suggests that the place was a busy urban centre. High rise buildings, palatial bungalows must be common. 'I could visualise a vibrant economy with agriculture and many other trades prospering in those golden olden days,' the historian said.

        He also explained that Tambaram and other nearby areas were networked by extensive lakes which were the lifeline of the then society.

        The place near the hillock, just behind the present day government Sanatorium Ayotidasar Hospital and MEPZ, was in fact a large lake. It might have extended upto New Colony, Chrompet in those days. Agriculture and allied industries and the society as a whole is likely to have witnessed good times, Ramachandran said.
 

Madambakkam's antiquity         Madambakkam, near Tambaram is a very early settlement and has a hoary history behind it. The former official of the State archaeology department says that the word Madambakkam originally meant a place where multi-storied buildings abounded. The place finds a mention in Thevaram hyms as early as in 7th century AD.          Significantly, a grand temple dating back to 13th century, built by the Hoysala kings was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India in the past decade. 'This also supports the view that places like Tambaram and Madambakkam were vivacious urban centres in those days,' he said. Interestingly, a large migration of Telugu speaking Yadavas happened during the 14th century AD.          At this time, the name Madambakkam came to be known as one referring to a place where there were a lot of bovines. That the name of the ancient temple of this place is known as 'Thenupureeswarar Temple' lends credence to this view. Thenu refers to Kamadhenu or cow population. Hence, the deity of the place where cows were in plenty was referred as Thenupureeswarar.

        Tirusulam Inscriptions

        The inscriptions that were found in Tirusulam temples offers fascinating insights into the life and times of the past. For instance, the ancient name of present day irusulam is Tiruchuramana Thiruneetru Sozha Nallur  Inscriptions dating back to 12th and 13th centuries found in the Tirusulam Siva Temple evidence this.
 

PICTURE OF PERFECTION: A Pallava period rock-cut cave temple. Many temples were vandalised during the tumultuous periods of history. Pallavaram rock-cut temple was one among them.

        From where came the name 'Tambaram'?

        Commenting on the origins of the name Tambaram, the senior archeologist said that in the past the names of many towns and villages in Tamilnadu had originated from the name of the presiding deity of the ancient temple of that place.

        He opined that the place could have been named after a chief deity of Tambaram's ancient temple. It is possible that Tambaram could have been a derivate of Taamapureeswaram  from Taamapureeswarar . There is another possibility. That is, Dhama in Sanskrit and Taambu in Tamil means rope. 'There might have been coir manfucaturing cottage industries and hence the name Tambaram,' he said.
 

Story behind Chennai's vicinities         Interestingly, several localities of present day Chennai have an ancient past and interesting anectodes behind its names. A verse from Sangam age Tamil work of Purananooru (Verses 175, 389, Author: Kallil Aathiraiyanar) suggests that the heartland and peripheries of Chennai were bustling towns even two millenium ago.          It speaks of Aadan Nungan, a chieftain who ruled regions of present day Chennai with Tirupati (Vengadam) as his capital. Endai vaazhi aadan nunga en nenjam thiraporu nir kaanguvarae.          'My beloved Aadan Nunga, people who open my heart would see you in it.' This verse line hints that Nungambakkam and suburban Adambakkam could have been under the reign of Adan Nungan and that these places may have been named after him. So far as the suffix 'Bakkam' (early word Pakkam, its corruption is Bakkam) goes, it refers to busy urban centres near a sea coast. Chepakkaam (Chepauk in English) could have come from Serppaanpakkam. Serppan refers to a local coastal settlement chief. Meenambakkam is very likely to be a corruption of Meenavanpakkam. Kodambakkam may be the present day name for Kodampakkai as evidenced by some 13th century inscriptions.

        The Mughal invasion

        When asked whether there was no solid evidence to prove the history behind the name of Tambaram, Ramachandran, patiently turned back for us the pages of history. He explained that towards the end of 17th century, Zulfiqar Khan, general of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb invaded many parts of Tamilnadu like Gingee, Kanchipuram, Chengelpet and the regions of present day Tambaram and nearby settlements like Pallavaram.

        Inscriptions depicting the invasion led by Khan were found in Kundrathur temples and in a Kanchipuram mosque. Seethakathi Nondi Nadagam also speaks of the conquest.

        During and after this Mughal conquest, many temples were razed down and sculptures were destroyed in this region as Aurangazeb was an iconoclast, the historian said and opined that many precious information housed in temples were thus lost for ever.

        'Had such temples been spared in this area, perhaps we might have got interesting information related to the past including the origins of Tambaram,' he said. Referring to the well documented conversion of Pallava king Mahendravarman's rock cut cave temple in Pallavaram - belonging to 7th century AD - to a Muslim place of worship, (and vandalism committed there) Ramachandran said that such things were common place especially during the reign of Aurangazeb. He also referred to the mottai gopuram of Madambakkam Thenupureeswarar temple as a possible victim of invasion.

        S Ramachandran is a resident of Chrompet. He can be contacted at 2223 5172.