Kundavai Pirāttiyār
Kundavai Pirattiyar commonly known mononymously as Kundavai, was a princess of the Chola empire who lived in the tenth century in South India. She was the daughter of Parantaka II and Vanavanmahadevi. She was born in Tirukoilur and was the second child of Parantaka II. She had title as "Ilaiyapirātti Kundavai Nachiyar". Life. Kundavai (also transliterated as Kundhavai or Kunthavai) was born in 945 CE. She was the only daughter of the Chola king Parantaka II and queen Vanavan Mahadevi. She had an elder brother – Aditya II, and a younger brother – Rajaraja I. Kundavai married Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, a  member of the Bana Dynasty, a feudatory of the Cholas mentioned in the Tanjore inscriptions. He was also the commander of the Chola infantry that fought in Sri Lanka in the days of Rajaraja l. The territory under his authority was known as 'Vallavaraiyanadu', and occasionally 'Brahmadesam'. Along with her great-aunt Sembiyan Mahadevi, Kundavai brought up her nephew, Rajendra I, who was the son of Rajaraja I and "Thiripuvana Madeviyar", princess of Kodumbalur. Rajendra I spent most of his childhood in Pazhaiyarai with Kundavai and Sembiyan Mahadevi. In popular culture. Kundavai is celebrated as mentor to Rajaraja I. Her  influence continued into the next generation as she helped rear Rajendra Chola. Uniquely for her era, where royal women were used to forge alliances, Kundavai's father allowed her to exercise her free will, whereupon the princess resolved to stay in the Chola kingdom all her life. Esteemed throughout the Chola realm for her taste and learning, Kundavai was requested to look after the daughters of other royal clans, tutoring them in art, music, and literature. Life and works. Kundavai commissioned many temples for Siva, Vishnu and Jain. She features in Chola inscriptions. She built at least two Jain temples , one at Rajarajeswaram later known as Darapuram and the other at Tirumalai. She built a hospital after her father named Vinnagar athura salai at Thanjavur and donated extensive lands for its maintenance. She made lavish donations to the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur during the reign of her younger brother Rajaraja Chola I and her nephew Rajendra Chola I. One of the inscriptions reads: Here is an excerpt from the 29th year of Rajaraja that lists some of her gifts to Brihadeeswarar Temple: Kundavai spent the last days of her life with her nephew Rajendra I at the palace in Pazhaiyarai