Tirujnana Sambandar

In news– Recently ten antiquities (sculptures), including Tirujnana Sambandar retrieved from Australia and the United States were handed over to the Government of Tamil Nadu.

A brief note on some of the returned antiquities-

Dvarapala: Retrieved in 2020 from Australia, this stone sculpture belongs to the Vijayanagar dynasty dating to the 15th-16th century. The sculpture was burgled from Moondreeswaramudayar Temple, Tiruneveli in1994.
Nataraja: Retrieved in 2021 from the US, this image of Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva, in his divine cosmic dance form. It is dateable to the 11th-12th century. The sculpture was burgled from the strong room of Punnainallur Arulmigu Mariyamman Temple, Thanjavur, in 2018.
Kankalamurti: Retrieved in 2021 from the US, Kankalamurti is depicted as a fearsome aspect of Lord Shiva and Bhairava. The idol is dateable to the 12th-13th century, and was stolen from Narasinganadhar Swamy Temple, Tirunelveli in 1985.
Nandikeshvara: Retrieved in 2021 from the US, this bronze image of Nandikeshvara, dateable to the 13th century. This sculpture was stolen from Narasinganadhar Swamy Temple, Tirunelveli, in 1985.
Four-armed Vishnu: Retrieved in 2021 from the US, dateable to the 11th century, and belonging to the later Chola period. It was stolen from Arulmigu Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ariyalur, in 2008.
Goddess Parvati: Retrieved in 2021 from the US, the image depicts a Chola-period sculpture dateable to the 11th century. This sculpture was also stolen from Arulmigu Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ariyalur in 2008.

About Tirujnana Sambandar-

Thirugnana Sambandar was a Shaiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived sometime in the 7th century CE.
He was one of 63 Saivaite saints, called Nayanmars, and one of the three who rendered the hymns of ‘Thevaram’.
He was born in Sirkazhi and was a popular 7th-century child saint who lived just 16 years.
He is one of the Muvar, the three principal saints of South India.
Information about Sambandar comes mainly from the Periya Puranam, the eleventh-century Tamil book on the Nayanars that forms the last volume of the Tirumurai, along with the earlier Tiruttondartokai, poetry by Sundarar and Nambiyandar Nambi’s Tiru Tondar Tiruvandadi.
Recently, a Standing child Sambandar statue was retrieved in 2022 from Australia and the sculpture is dateable to the 11th century.
It was stolen from Sayavaneeswarar Temple, Nagapattinam, between 1965 and 1975.
The legend goes that after receiving a bowl of milk from Goddess Uma, the infant Sambandar devoted his life to composing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva.
The surviving compositions of Sambandar are preserved in the first three volumes of the Tirumurai, and provide a part of the philosophical foundation of Shaiva Siddhanta.
The sculpture displays the saint’s childlike quality, while also empowering him with the maturity and authority of a spiritual leader.