Kulakkottan Explained

Kulakkottan
Dynasty:	Chola Dynasty
Father:	Vararamatevan
Religion:	Hindu

Kulakkottan (Tamil: குளக்கோட்டன்) was an early Chola king and descendant of Manu Needhi Cholan who was mentioned in chronicles such as the Yalpana Vaipava Malai and stone inscriptions like Konesar Kalvettu. His name Kulakkottan means 'builder of tank and temple'.

Kulakkottan was the son of Vararamatevan, said to have been ruler of Chola Nadu and Madurai.^[1] The historian and author, Mudaliyar Rasanayagam states that Vararamatevan and Kulakkottan arrived in Trincomalee during the reign of King Pandu of Anuradhapura.^[2] Vararamatevan found the Koneswaram temple destroyed by the Buddhist King Mahasena. He decided to restore it, a work which was later continued by his son.^[3] Kulakkottan was credited with the restoration of the ruined Koneswaram temple and for building Kantale Dam at Trincomalee in, and the Munneswaram temple of the west coast. He is known as the royal who settled ancient Vanniyars in the east of the island of Eelam.^{[4] [5]}

See also

• List of Tamil monarchs
• Early Cholas
• Legendary early Chola kings

Further reading

• News: Jayawardhana . Jayashantha . The Koneswaram Temple . 23 September 2022 . Sunday Observer . 11 September 2022 . en. (A trip to Trincomalee by train – Part 7).
• News: Pieris . Kamalika . Ancient and medieval Hindu temples in Sri Lanka . 23 September 2022 . . Lakehouse Newspapers . 31 July 2009.
• Book: Pillay . K. K. [K.P.K.] . K. K. Pillay . South India and Ceylon . 1963 . University of Madras . Madras [Chennai] . 250247191. [<small>NOTE:</small> The author "Kolappa Pillay Kanakasabhapathi PILLAY", is mostly cited as "K. K. Pillay" or sometimes, in error, as "K. Pillay & K. Pillay"].

Notes and References

1. Book: Patmanātan̲ . Ci . Hindu temples of Sri Lanka . 2006 . Thirukketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society & Kumaran Book House . Colombo . 9789559429913 . 68−70.
2. Book: Rasanayagam . Mudaliyar C. . Ancient Jaffna: Being a research into the history of Jaffna from very early times to the Portuguese period . 1993 . Asian Educational Services . New Delhi . 81-206-0210-2 . 227–271 . 6 November 2022 . VI. Sources and Synchronisms . First published 1926.
3. Book: Vigneswaran . K. . Patmanātan̲ . Ci . Hindu temples of Sri Lanka. Tirukkonesvaram. 2006 . Thirukketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society & Kumaran Book House . Colombo . 9789559429913.
4. Hellmann-Rajanayagam . Dagmar . 1994 . Tamils and the meaning of history . Contemporary South Asia . Routledge . 3 . 1 . 3–23 . 10.1080/09584939408719724.
5. Book: Schalk . Peter . Nākacāmi . Ira (Irāmaccantiran̲) . Irāmaccantiran̲ Nākacāmi . Schalk . Peter . Vēluppiḷḷai . Āḷvāppiḷḷai . A. Veluppillai . 2002. Buddhism among Tamils in pre-colonial Tamil̲akam and Īl̲am: Prologue − The Pre-Pallava and the Pallava period. 159, 503. 1. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis; Historia religionum: 19−20 . . Uppsala . 9155453570. The Tamil stone inscription Konesar Kalvettu details King Kulakottan's involvement in the restoration of Koneswaram temple in 438 A.D.. [Citing: [[K. K. Pillay|Pillay, K. K.]] (1963). South India and Ceylon].