Rajagopalaswamy on Thanjavur Nayak coins

The deity Rajagopalaswamy is a form of Lord Krishna. The Rajagopalaswamy temple is located at Mannargudi town, Tamil Nadu.

The Thanjavur Nayaks are ardent devotees of Rajagopalaswamy. They ruled over Thanjavur from 1540 – 1675AD 

It saw the Golden Age of the growth of the establishment of temples in Thanjavur district and Sri Rajagopalaswamy temple is a proof of such dynamic activity.

Following are some Thanjavur coins with Rajagopalaswamy on the Obverse:

The Tuluva dynasty came to rule over the Vijaya Nagar Empire as the third dynasty. Achyuta Deva Raya of the dynasty appointed his wife's sister's husband Sevappa Nayak as the ruler of Thanjavur.

Sevappa Nayak – 1540 – 1580 AD. was the founder of Thanjavur Nayak dynasty. This dynasty ruled over Thanjavur for about 150 years and reached the highest watermark of supreme grace and glory in Art, literature, Architecture and Sculpture.

Achuthappa Nayak who hailed in this dynasty 1580 – 1600 made so many renovations and expansions to several temples with the able and masterly guidance of Govinda Dikshita.

The doyen of the Nayak dynasty Raghunatha Nayak – 1600 – 1634 AD. established and renovated many temples. Some of the mandapas of Sri Rajagopalaswamy temple were raised during this period.

Vijaya Raghava Nayak 1633 – 1673, also hailed as Mannar Dasa had this temples as the ancestral shrine. The current temple structure, hall of 1000 pillars, main gopuram(temple gateway tower) and the big compound wall around the temple was built by the king Vijayaraghava Nayak.

Sharing a painting of Rajagopalaswamy made by Keshav Venkataraghavan: