In search of imprints of Buddhism : Kiranthi, Santhaithoppu

August 1998

During field study in Vedaranyam area I came to know that there was Buddha statues at Veerankudikadu in Nagapattinam-Venankanni road. 

2007 

During field study I came to know that at Karuvelankadai in the west of Thenpoikainallur in Nagapattinam-Venankanni road there was a Buddha statue.  

October 2012

Mr.K.Ramachandran, Principal Secretary of Nagapattinam Historical Enthusiast's Assocation,  who accompanied us during our field study of November 2011sent me a photograph of Buddha statue and said that Buddha was found at Kiranthi in Kilvelur taluk of Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. Though I came to know about the prevalence of Buddha statues in Veerankudikadu and Karuvelankadai, I waited to see the Kiranthi Buddha. 

30 April 2013

He telephoned me asking to come over there. As he informed me that there was an inscription in the pedestal of the statue I requested Mr.Thillai Govindarajan to accompany me. He accepted my proposal and we planned to leave for Nagapattinam.

1 May 2013

During early morning we started our journey and arrived the bus stand. We came to know that due to the arrest of a leader of a political party, no buses were plying after 4.30 a.m. When we thought of going by train it seemed that it would took more than one hour. Later by chance we got a van and our journey continued. Within an hour or so we reached Tiruvarur. There we saw the movements of bus. After having our breakfast we left Tiruvarur.

Mr.Ramachandran waited for us at Velippalayam. Mr.Thillai Govindarajan got a two wheeler from his relative who were at Nagapattinam. We started from Nagapattinam and reached Kiranthi. As soon as we reached the place, the villagers came very near to Mr.Ramachandran and enquired them about the visit. From their conversation we understood that he visited the place and the people many times. They accompanied us to the place where the Buddha was found. The body of the Buddha and the head portion were found separately.  The Buddha was found lying down. One of the villagers said: "During your earier visit you made to sit the statue. Then on our land became dry and we did not get rain. Only after laying the statue down, it was started raining". Many villagers expressed the same opinion. They feel that only because of this Buddha they get rain. 

During my earlier trips to Tirunattiyatthankudi in Tiruvarur district and Vikramangalam in Ariyalur district I came to know some stories connecting the rain with Buddha. We shall discuss about them later. 

Mr.Thillai Govindarajan and Dr.B.Jambulingam with Kiranthi Buddha

The statue had the iconographical features of the Chola country Buddhas. Since 1993, during my field study at Nagapattinam district, I have seen Buddha statues in Kutthalam, Kurumbur, Buddhamangalam, Poompuhar, Perunjeri and Pushpavanam. Poompuhar Buddha is in standing posture. Other Buddhas are in sitting dhyana posture. In order to read the isncription we wanted chalk piece or kolam powder which were not available at that time. Generally I used have, among other things sacred ash, during my field study. Now it came to our rescue. It was smeared over the pedestal which had scripts. Now it became possible to read the scripts. Mr.Thillai Govindarajan said that the name inscribed on it referred to "Kiranthi Theppillai" and it belonged to 11-12th century CE.     

Local people evinced much interest on the Buddha and they enquired about other Buddhas which I informed to them. I also told the speciality of the Kiranthi Buddha which had a beautiful inscription.  On knowing them they felt much happy. After some time we thanked them for their help and courtesy and took leave of them.  

On the same day Mr Ramachandran he took us to see another Buddha statue at  a place called  Santhaithoppu. The statue was found at Santhaithoppu in Nagapattinam-Velankanni road, just before Velankanni.  It was a headless Buddha, in sitting dhyana pose, with 32" height and 22" breadth. The dharmachakra on his hand was found damaged. It had upper garment. The finger in right hand was found broken. One person belonging to that area said that during his childhood days he used to play near the statue which had beautiful head. He added that a big sandhai (market) will be held there and those who were coming to the market would see the statue with awe and some years back that the head of the Buddha was found missing. While we want to give the press note to the newspapers,  Mr Ramachandran wanted to give first the information of Kiranthi Buddha and he told that at a later date we could write about Santhaithoppu Buddha. we left from the place with a heavy heart. 

Mr.K.Ramachandran, Mr.Soundararajan and Dr.B.Jambulingam

After seeing the Buddhas,  we went to see Mr.Soundarrajan, an enthusiast of history, who accompanied me during Valivalam field study. As told by Mr. Ramachandran we prepared a press note about the finding of Kiranti Buddha for which touch up was given by him. in consultation with him prepared the draft news so as to give them to the newspapers. He praised us much for our work. After having his blessings we thanked him,  left for Thanjavur and arrived during night.  After some days the news was  about the finding of Kiranthi sent to newspapers and later they appeared in many dailies

8 ஏப்ரல் 2023
After completing my field trip to Puthur, I wanted to return to Thanjavur. Instead, as I thought of the Kiranthi and Santhithoppu Buddhas and the press news given about Kiranthi Buddha and the then experiences I had with Santhaithoppu Buddha, one decade back, I changed my plan. Through Tiruvarur I went to Nagapattinan by bus. 

After reaching Nagapattinam bus stand, I went to the place nearby where Buddha vihara was said to have been existed.  

Outside its campus I relaxed for some time and went inside the area. I saw the court buildings. Now, the remnants of Buddha could be seen only in Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu. But that is not the case with Nagapattinam vihara. In the campus Integrated Court, Office of the Executive Engineer of PWD, Treasury, Velipalayam Police Station, and other offices were found. When I was standing there, I felt as I was some hundred years back with history, where Buddha vihara said to have been exited. Then I came to present day. I felt some kind of satisfaction which could be realised while visiting the places of historical importance. 

Now when I was planning to return to Thanjavur, Santhaithoppu Buddha, and the comments of the Curator about it, came to my mind. Once again there was change in my plan.  On 1st February 2022 Dr M.Marudhu Pandiyan (Curator, Government Museum, Madurai and Government Museum, Tiruvarur) sent to me a photograph of headless Buddha and informed me that the Buddha was from Santhaithoppu near Velankanni and was exhibited in the Government Museum, Nagapattinam. At that time I reminded him that we saw Buddha in May 2013 when I went to see the Kiranthi Buddha.

Under these circumstances I wanted to see the Buddha in the Nagapattinam museum. On an auto, which was standing outside the campus, I let from there and reached the museum. As it was a government holiday the museum was found closed. From outside I saw the museum and through the closed gates I saw the Buddha. From there I photographed the Buddha. 

Though headless, the Buddha was very beautiful to look at. It was found in sitting dhyana pose. I felt happy to see the same Buddha which I saw at Santhaithoppu during my field study, some years back.  From there I returned and reached the railway station, by walk. Mr K.Ramachandran came there to see me. We discussed about our research for some time. 

I did not think my visit to see the Puthur Buddha, that too to confirm the dollar which was sculpted in the neck, would take me to Nagapattinam. This field visit gave me full satisfaction as I could get the glimpse of the campus of vihara and the Santhaithoppu Buddha in the museum. Then I returned to Thanjavur. 

2023

This Buddha image is documented in the Tamil and English editions of my book (Chola Nattil Bautham,  Pudhu Ezuthu, 2022, p.61, 77), (Buddhism in Chola Nadu,  Pudhu Ezuthu, 2023, p.88, 144).

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Thanks : Mr K.Ramachandran, Mr Thillai Govindarajan, Mr Soundararajan, Mr Ananthapuram Krishnamurti, Mrs Selvarani Saravanan and Mr V.Chitravelu and dailies.
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Updated on 26.12.2025.