Koranganatha Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the town of Srinivasanallur, about 50 kilometres from
Tiruchirappalli. This temple was managed, maintained and protected by peoples of Muthuraiyar / Muthuraja community who believed as ancestors
Medieval Cholas. The temple was constructed by the
Medieval Cholas and is dedicated to the god
Ranganatha. The temple is protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
History
According to historian Harle, the temple is counted among the four early extant temples of the
Chola Empire, with the other three being
Moovar Koil in
Pudukottai district,
Nageswaran temple at
Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum) or Kudanthai is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the States of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the headq ...
and
Brahmapureeswarar temple
The Brahmapureeswarar Temple is a Hindu Temple located in Thirupattur near Trichy, Tamilnadu, India. Worshippers believe that a person can change his fate by seeking the blessings of Brahma and Brahmapureeswarar Shiva Temple, Tirupattur.
Hi ...
in
Thanjavur district. These temples follow the
Pallava architecture
Pallava art and architecture represent an early stage of Dravidian art and Dravidian architecture, architecture which blossomed to its fullest extent under the Chola Dynasty. The first stone and mortar temples of South India were constructed duri ...
which are relatively small in size. They all have a fair-sized porch, locally called ''ardhamandapa'' attached to the sanctum, both of which are slightly below the ground level in a pit kind of structure. The structures are also predominantly built of stone.
On the Southern wall of the temple, there is an inscription indicating a tax gree gift of 1.5 ''ma'' of garden for the perpetual lighting of the temple by Kachuvan Jatadeva Nilan of Thottiyam village.
Architecture
Some historians believe that the temple is of
Nagara style
Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many varieties of style, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''garbha griha'' or womb-chamber, where ...
in the architecture of the ''
vimana'' among its counterparts. According to Reddy, the temple is typical of Chola art is probably built by
Parantaka I. The total cover length of the temple is and the ''
shikara'' measures . The sanctum is square in shape measuring and it has a small vestibule leading to a four pillared hall. The sculpted figures are heavily ornamented than any other temple figures during the period.
Koranganatha temple is located in Srinivasanallur, a village located in the
Trichy -
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
highway. The temple is dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu in the form of
Ranganatha. The temple has a sanctum with a vimana over the sanctum and a four pillared hall. According to the temple records, the temple has multiple inscriptions from the Chola empire, none of which record or inform regarding origins and construction of the temple. There are multiple images of
Dakshinamurthy,
Bhikshatana
Bhikshatana ( sa, भिक्षाटन; ; literally, "wandering about for alms, mendicancy") or Bhikshatana-murti () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as the "Supreme mendicant" or the "Supreme Beggar". Bhikshtana is depicted as a nude f ...
,
Vishnu and few other legends indicating the various Hindu legends.
[
]
Notes
References
*
External links
{{Tiruchirappalli district, state=collapsed
Hindu temples in Tiruchirappalli district