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{{Short description|12th century general in the Chola army}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Naralokaviran
| allegiance = [[Chola Empire]]
| battles = * [[Pandya]] Wars
* Chera Rebellion
}}
'''Naralokaviran,''' also known by the title '''Kalinga Rayan,''' was a general in the [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] army during the reign of [[Kulottunga Chola I|Kulothunga I]] (1070 – 1120) and his successor [[Vikrama Chola]] (1118 – 1135).<ref name="priestguide">{{Cite book |author= |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/26946 |title=Aghorasiva's Mahotsavavidhi |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2010 |isbn=9780195378528 |editor-last= |editor-first= |page=19 |translator-last=Davis |translator-first=Richard H. |trans-title=A Priest's Guide for the Great Festival}}</ref> He led many Chola campaigns in the deep south and distinguished himself in the [[Pandya]] Wars.<ref name="tillai">{{cite book |author1=Natarajan |first=B. |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/600979465/Tillai-Nataraja-B-Natarajan |title=Tillai and Nataraja |publisher=Mudgala Trust |year=1994 |location=Madras (India) |page=50}}</ref> He had many titles such as "Madurantaka Ponnambala-koothar", "Sabharnataka", "Kalinga Rayan", "Porkoyil-Thondaiman", "Koothan", "Thondaiyarkon", and the "Lion of Kalinga".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0">{{cite book |author=Natarajan |first=B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lA4uAAAAMAAJ |title=The City of the Cosmic Dance: Chidambaram |date=1974 |publisher=Orient Longman |page=71-72|isbn=978-0-88386-611-5 }}</ref>

Naralokaviran is also known for subduing the rebelling medieval [[Chera Perumal|Chera]] king of [[Kerala]] for his Chola overlord. The port of [[Kollam|Quilon]] was recovered by the Pandya-Chola forces in c. 1097 AD.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Narayanan |first=M. G. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0YDCngEACAAJ |title=Perumals of Kerala |publisher=CosmoBooks |year=2013 |isbn= 978-81-88765-07-2|location=Thrissur (Kerala) |pages=125–28 |chapter= |orig-year=1972}}</ref><ref>It was earlier assumed that the Cholas under Kulottunga oversaw two expeditions to south Kerala (c. 1077– 1081 and c. 1097 AD).</ref> However, the Cheras were able to recover [[Kollam|Quilon]]-[[Thiruvananthapuram|Trivandrum]]-[[Nagercoil]] region around 1100/02 AD (and thus "fixing the southern limit of the country at Kottar").<ref name=":3" /> These losses were later (c. 1102 - c. 1118) recovered by Jatavarman Parakrama [[Pandya dynasty|Pandya]] for [[Vikrama Chola]].<ref name=":3" />
== Family and residence ==
Naralokaviran was the headman of Arumbakkam and a resident of Manavil in Manavil Nadu in Thondai Mandalam. He maintained a large fief at Manavil.<ref name=":0" /> A son of Naralokaviran called Surainayakan alias Madhavarayan is known from inscriptions. He, too, served as an officer under [[Vikrama Chola]].<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last1=Balasubrahmanyam |first1=S. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ujVAAAAMAAJ |title=Later Chola Temples: Kulottunga I to Rajendra III |last2=Natarajan |first2=B. |last3=Ramachandran |first3=Balasubrahmanyan |publisher=Mudgala Trust |year=1979 |pages=20 and 177}}</ref>
== Religious contributions ==
Naralokaviran is known for a number of benefactions to [[Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram|Nataraja Temple]] in [[Chidambaram]]. He was responsible for the construction of two large temple gateways and for the expansion of the goddess shrine within the temple complex. He took interest in festivals and made contributions for the provision of lamps on the processional routes, watering the streets during the festivals, a bull vehicle for the deity to ride during the Bhikshatana procession and a bugle inlaid with gold to herald the arrival of god [[Shiva]].<ref name=priestguide/> During the reign of Vikrama Chola, Naralokaviran built the "hundred-pillar hall" and named it after his overlord ("Vikrama Chola").<ref name=tillai/>
== Inscriptions ==
Naralokaviran figures in many inscriptions of [[Kulottunga Chola I|Kulothunga I]] (1070 – 1120) and his successor [[Vikrama Chola]] (1118 – 1135)

* Earliest reference: An inscription dated to of the 28th regnal year of Kulothunga I (1098 AD) (begins with the phrase "Pugal madu") from Neyvanai in South Arcot district states that some lands were renamed as Sungamtavirtta-sola-nallur (after the Chola king) and were donated to Porkudangudutta-aruliyadeva at Thirunelvennai upon request by Naralokaviran.<ref name=":1" />
* Naralokaviran continued to serve Kulothunga's successor [[Vikrama Chola]] (1118 – 1135) as well. He figures in an inscription of the 4th regnal year of Vikrama Chola (begins with the phrase "Pumadu Punara") from Thiruvarur [that states that Naralokaviran bought some lands from the sabha of Thirunallur; for providing garlands of red lilies to the Sri-mulasthanam Udaiyar (god) of Thiruvarur].<ref name=":1" />
* Latest reference: Another inscription of the 6th regnal year of Vikrama Chola (also begins with the phrase "Pumadu Punara") from Thribhuvani (Pondicherry) states that Naralokaviran set up some land for a temple site, a hall and a flower garden and dedicated it to Arulakara-Iswaram Udaiyar for the prosperity of the Chola king and the village.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |author=Sastri |first=K. A. Nilakanta |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.511960 |title=The Colas |publisher=University of Madras |year=1937 |volume=II (Part II) |pages=576, 614 and 618}}</ref>
He is the subject of a bilingual metrical composition in Sanskrit and Tamil, an excerpt as follows:

{{quote|'The koothan with the lance, who brought the whole earth under the shade of the umbrella of his overlord is our chief, the chief of the people of Manavil.'<ref>{{cite book |author=Sastri |first=K. A. Nilakanta |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.6951 |title=Studies in Cōḷa History and Administration |publisher=University of Madras |year=1932 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.6951/page/n13 187]}}</ref>
|author=|title=|source=}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== See also ==
*[[Karunakara Tondaiman]]
*[[Chola]]
*[[Tondaiman]]
[[Category:Chola generals]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]

Naralokaviran - Revision history

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