Written by London swaminathan
swami_48@yahoo.com
Date: 8 April 2019
British Summer Time uploaded in London – 18-00
Post No. 6242
Pictures shown here are taken from various sources including google, Wikipedia, Facebook friends and newspapers. This is a non- commercial blog. ((posted by swamiindology.blogspot.com AND tamilandvedas.com))
Where is Uttaramerur?
It is near Chengalpatu in Tamil Nadu. It is a two and a half hour drive from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
What is the wonder there?
A 1000 year old Choza period inscription describes procedure of democratic election.
The first reference to a democratic assembly is found in the oldest book in the world -The Rig Veda. It talks about Sabha and Samiti. Sabha is used even today in Tamil and Hindi for assembly and legislature. Samiti is used in English as Committee (Samiti=C/Somittee)
What else is there?
The town has over ten temples and they are all ancient temples with over 100 inscriptions.
Anything else interesting?
Yes. An inscription talks about cure for snake poison and another describes the qualification for the appointment of a professor. References to Vedagamas are there. Inscriptions cover four Palaava Kings from Nandhivarman of 750CE. Choza and other inscriptions are there.
Where is the election inscription?
It is in Vaikundaperumal (Vishnu) Koil, well preserved by the department of archaeology.
Other important temples:
Sundaravaradaraja Perumal (Vishnu) temple
Kailasanathar (Shiva) temple
Kedareeswara Temple (Shiva)
Saptamata Temple
Balasubrahmanyam Temple
The temples have beautiful paintings of Apsaras and sculptures etc. The village has been there for over 2000 years. But Nandivarman donated it to Vedic Brahmins in the eighth century.
Mahabharata is enacted in the village every year.
After I visited the temple in March 2019, I came back to Chennai and met Dr R Nagaswamy, eminent archaeologist and historian. He gave me his book about Uttaramerur in Tamil and English. It gives full details about the temples and the inscriptions.
Along with my pictures I have added a few pages from his book. One must read the book before visiting the town to get the full benefit of the visit.
Following pictures re taken by me last week:-
I Met Dr R Nagaswamy on 2nd April, 2019 at his residence in Chennai.
My brother Professor S Suriyanarayanan accompanied me.
Tamil and Vedas 