A. D. 1000 and A. D. 1150, a period which had immediately followed one of great Saiva activity (A.D.950—990). Sri Natha Muni of the rival Vaishnava sect was also a contemporary of the Saiva poet and compiler, Nambiyandar Nambi, as will be shown in the sequel, and he should have been inspired by the Saiva revival of his time to render a similar service to his sect. And the above conclusions seem to receive support from the following statement of the Government epigraphist :- We do not know of any epigraphic evidence earlier than the records of Rajaraja I where the recital of the sacred Saiva hymns of the Devaram are (sic) referred to for the first time as being instituted by him. Rajendra Chola I appears to have supported the cause of Saivaism by going a step further than his father and setting up the images of the famous Saiva Saints in the temple of Rajarajesvarain at Tanjore.' It is therefore pretty clear that the practice of setting up images of the Vaishnava Saints in Vishnu temples might have come into existence some time after A. D. 1025.
The Alvars, who were elevated by the Vaishnava Acharyas to ihe rank of canonized Saints, are twelve in number; and they are being worshipped by them with greater devotion than they would adore their god Vishnu himself. Strictly speaking, the Alvars were only ien, Andal and Madhurakavi being left out of
1. Report dated 28th July 1909, page 103. Even before the 29th year of Rajarajachola images of Sundara, Sambandar, Rajarajachola and his queen Lokamahadevi were set up in the Tanjore temple.
