In search of imprints of Buddhism: Puthur

Of all the field trips the one which stands in my mind was that of Puthur. During my two decade old research that was the very first time that I pedalled nearly 25 kms to see a Buddha  at Puthur in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. The pains which I faced during that trip left me when it - the news of the finding of a Buddha - was informed through media. 

APRIL 1999
During my field work at Puthakaram and Pushpavanam I had the chance of going to I.Sengatti-Kaduveli. At that time Mr Govindaraj from the area enquired about my research. Then he asked me if I had seen the Buddha at Pushpavanam. When I told him that I would be going there to see it he informed me that there was a Buddha in Puthur. He also gave me the location of the place in detail. At that time only I came to know about the Buddha. Though I tried my level best to go over there, due to want of time I could able to go upto Pushpavanam only.   So many Buddhas were found in Tiruvarur district. I was eagerly waiting for the chance to see the new Buddha. 

JUNE 1999
When I went to Mannargudi to see the Buddha found in the Jain temple, I planned to go over to Puthur. I enquired about the route from Mannargudi. The information pertaining the location of the area differed with that of Mr Govindaraj. Anyway I proceeded on a Mannargudi-Tirutturaippundi bus and got down at Vadivaikkal. There I met Mr Singaravelan of Malavarayanallur, who voluntarily came forward to find the Buddha. During my earlier trip to this area I visited the library - Siddhartha Library - maintained by him  in his village. His involvement on Buddhism and on my research impressed me much. As we could not able to know the distance and fix the time limit, we took bicycles so as to reach the spot. On the route to Alathur through Vikrapandiam we reached Alathur. We saw some other statue there. My primary aim was to see the Buddha. Mr Singaravelan was also on the same thinking and we did not thinking anything else. After a long journey we reached Tirunellikkaval. Though no Buddha was found there, we were informed that there was a Buddha in Puthur. Now we were nearing the spot. When we enquired about the Buddha, one villager asked us: "Do you go to see the Buddha which was worshipped by the women in order to get married?". We came to know the beliefs the locals had on the Buddha. After crossing Tirunellikkaval railway station we reached the spot at Puthur where the Buddha was found. During my Seeyatthamangai-Tirumarukal field work I covered the area of 16 kms by walk and on bicycle. But this was a different journey on bicycle only. 



Puthur Buddha
 Photo: Jambulingam
We arrived the spot and found the Buddha in sitting dhyana posture. We started asking the locals about the Buddha. Mr Viswanathan said, "While digging for tank the statue was found and that place was called as Buddhankuttai. As the nose of the Buddha was found deshaped and with the help of sculptor some touch up was made on the nose of the Buddha. Later a small shrine was built for keeping the Buddha and offered worship. After some time the temple was ruined. During Vaikasi Purnima special pujas are done to this Buddha". Mr Sivagurunathan of that place said. "The girls who were not in a position of getting married, would get married after worshipping the Buddha". He also show the photograph of her daughter who got married after worship. Sacred ash was found over the forehead and chest of Buddha. Regular iconographic  features of Buddha of Chola country such as ushnisha, smiling face and elongated ears - were found. The villagers started to offer us water, buttermilk and so on. Their devotion to Buddha and their involvement on our research were touching.  After sharing some more time with time, we left from that place and reached Vadivaikkal. Mr Singaravelan who accompanied me during this 25 km journey said that he felt very happy and thanked me.  After my reciprocation I started to leave. The shop owner who gave us bicycle for hire enquired about our trip and wondered about the distance we covered. After completing the journey I felt some irritation and pain in my legs.  Later I arrived Thanjavur.  The pain which I suffered became lesser when the news about the finding of the Buddha in Puthur was widely published in the media.  

DECEMBER 2008
While I went to Nilappadi to attend the marriage of my relative I went to Puthur. Now Mr Ramachandran of Historical Enthusiasts Association accompanied me. Same Buddha. Same worship. Same belief. Same villagers. Now I met Mr Sivagurunathan, who reminiscenced our earlier trip. When I looked into the Buddha I found a dollar shaped ornament, which I missed to see last time. While giving finishing touches to the nose the dollar might have been added, I felt. I also met the villagers and left that place. Puthur is one of the places where Buddha is worshipped even now, which was vouchsafed through the field study.    

My thanks are 
To Malavarayanallur Mr Singaravelan who accompanied during my 25 km journey
To Mr Viswanathan, Mr Sivaguarunathan and the villagers of Puthur
To Mr Ramachandran of Historical Enthusiasts Association 
To the dailies including the following dailies and TV channels. 


1.Buddha worship near Tiruvarur, Dinamani, Tamil daily, 31.10.2000
2.Chola Era Buddha found near Tiruvarur, Dinamalar, Tamil daily, 31.10.2000
3.5' Buddha found near Tiruvarur, Dinaboomi, Tamil daily, 1.11.2000
4.Buddha statue found near Tiruvarur: Tamil University Scholar, Dina Thanthi, Tamil daily, 1.11.2000
5.Buddha statue found in Puthur near Tiruvarur: Worshipped by the locals, Tamil Murasu, Tamil daily, 2.11.2000
6.Fresh evidence of Buddhist hold over Chola ethos, The New Indian Express, 3.11.2000
7.Buddha statue found near Tiruvarur, Dinakaran, Tamil daily,
8.As seen in the South, The Hindu, 24.11.2000
9.Buddha worship in Chola country, Malai Sudar, Tamil daily, 30.11.2000

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பௌத்த சுவட்டைத் தேடி: புதூர்
திருவாரூர் மாவட்டம் புதூரில் புத்தரைப் பார்க்க 25 கிமீ மிதிவண்டியில் பயணித்தது மறக்கமுடியாத அனுபவம். இந்த அனுபவம் பற்றிய தமிழ் வடிவம் இம்மாதம் 1ஆம் தேதி வெளியாகியுள்ளது. 
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PREACHING OF BUDDHA
          THE EVIL-DOER LAMENTS HERE AND HEREAFTER

Here he suffers, hereafter he suffers. In both states the evil-doer suffers. "Evil I have done" (thinking thus), he suffers. Furthermore, he suffers, having gone to a woeful state.  - The Dhammapada 17

STORY
The Venerable Devadatta made an unsuccessful attempt to kill the Buddha. In his old age, he repented and desired to see the Buddha. While he was being carried on a litter to see the Buddha, he died on the way under tragic circumstances.    
(The Dhammapada, Narada Thera, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, ROC, 1993)

Comments

  1. 25 KM on by cycle. Your appetite for new Bhudha statues is to be congratulated/
    Thank you sir

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  2. Cycling is almost forgotton in this time like Budhdha.
    The author bringing back all the glorious matters.

    The photo is not clear, the statue is adorned with Viboothi or sandal and kumkum.
    Hence, the statue is not easily identifiable.
    I have a doubt whether this statue is Jain or Budh?

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  3. So far I have seen nearly 60 Buddha statues in the Chola country. Vibuthi was found on the forehead. I saw the statue in person and confirm that it was Buddha.

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  4. நன்றி அய்யா, புத்தருக்கு பட்டை போட்டு வைத்திருக்கிறார்களே, முருகன் சமண துறவி என்று சென்னையில்; உள்ள ஜெயின்(வேப்பேரி) கோவில் துறவி ஒருவர் கூறினார்.

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  5. புத்தரின் நெற்றியிலும் மார்பிலும் திருநீறு பூசியுள்ளனர். இவ்வாறு களப்பணியின்போது சில இடங்களில் பார்த்துள்ளேன். முருகன் ஒரு சமணத் துறவி என்பதான கருத்து அவரவர் பார்க்கும் நோக்கில் அமைவதாகும். நன்றி.

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. மனிதன் தனது கலாச்சாரத்திற்கு ஏற்றறார்போல பட்டைபோட்டு, சந்தனம் வைத்து வணங்கினாலும், பகவான் புத்தர் எல்லாவற்றையும் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டு எதிலும் கலாச்சாரம், ஏற்றத்தாழ்வு, சாதி, மதம், பார்க்காமல் எல்லா உயிர்களையும் அன்போடு முழுமையாக ஆசிர்வதிக்கிறார், இப்படி எல்லா உயிர்களையும் சமமாக கருதி அன்போடு ஆசிர்வதிப்பவரையே நாம் கடவுள் என்கிறோம். - நம் தமிழ் கலாச்சார பகவான் புத்தரை பற்றி கண்டுபிடித்து சொன்னதற்கு உங்களுக்கு மிக்க நன்றி ! (http://www.bodhidharma.co.in)

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  8. என் பயணத்தில் தொடர்ந்து வரும்படி கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன். தங்களைப் போன்றோரின் துணை நான் மென்மேலும் பயணிக்க உதவும். தங்களின் கருத்திற்கு நன்றி.

    ReplyDelete
  9. இத்தளத்தினைக் காணவும். நன்றி
    http://thanjavur14.blogspot.in/2014/02/blog-post_23.html

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  10. தங்களின் மூலமாக தஞ்சாவூர் புத்தகத் திருவிழாவில் திரு துரைராஜ் அவர்களின் அறிமுகம் கிடைத்தது. தொடர்ந்து தாங்கள் தந்துள்ள இணைப்பின்மூலமாக அவரது வலைப்பூவினைக் கண்டேன். வலைப்பூ உறவுகளை விரிவாக்கும் தங்களின் அன்பு பாராட்டத்தக்கது. நன்றி.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sir, I would like to meet you. My contact number is 979 123 9333. Kindly reply or call me.

      Delete
  11. அன்பின் ஜம்புலிங்கம் - தங்களீன் இதே தலைப்பில் தமிழில் எழுதிய பதிவினைப் படித்து மகிழ்ந்து மறுமொழிகள் ஏற்கனவே இட்டுள்ளேன் - மீண்டும் அங்கு சென்று படித்து மறுமொழிகளையும் படித்து மகிந்தேன் - நல்வாழ்த்துகள் - நட்புடன் சீனா

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  12. தமிழ்ப்பதிவில் தங்களின் கருத்துக்களைப் படித்தேன். தாய்லாந்தைச் சேர்ந்த பௌத்த ஆய்வாளர் எனது ஆய்வேட்டைக் காணவந்தபோது அது தமிழில் இருக்கவே, அதன் மொழிபெயர்ப்பை விரும்பினார். அவர் விருப்பப்படியும் பிற நண்பர்களின் வேண்டுகோளுக்கிணங்கவும் அதனை ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்த்தேன். சோழநாட்டில் பௌத்தம் வலைப்பூவைப் பார்த்த தமிழ் தெரியாத நண்பர்கள் அதன் ஆங்கிலப்பதிப்பை வெளியிடும்படி கேட்டுக்கொள்ள ஆங்கிலத்திலும் எழுதிவருகிறேன். இந்நிலையில் எனது பதிவினை ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் முதல் தேதியன்று தமிழிலும் 15ஆம் தேதியன்று ஆங்கிலத்திலும் பகிர்கிறேன். அன்புக்கு நன்றி.

    ReplyDelete

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