Vijayalaya Choleeswaram
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Vijayalaya Choleeswaram in
Narthamalai Narthamalai, a cluster of small hills, is 25 km from Trichy on the Trichy-Pudukottai highway in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Here can be seen some of the oldest rock cut cave temples, as well as the longest rock-cut edicts, similar ...
, a panchayat town in
Pudukottai district Pudukkottai District is one of the List of districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Pudukkottai is the district headquarters. It is also known colloquially as ''Pudhugai.'' Pudukkottai district i ...
in the South Indian state of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. Constructed in the Dravida style and rock cut architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the 9th century by
Mutharaiyar dynasty The Mutharaiyar dynasty was a royal south Indian dynasty that governed the Thanjavur, Trichy and Pudukottai regions between 600 and 850 CE. Origin The origin of the Mutharaiyar is shrouded in mystery. Historian T. A. Gopinatha Rao equates the ...
kings, the cardinals of
Pallavas The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahanas, Satavahana dynasty, with whom they ...
, with later expansion from the
Cholas The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...
. The rock-cut architecture is an early example of Cholan Art, continuing the tradition of the Pallavas. The other portions of Narthamalai houses the 8th century Jaina Abode, the Aluruttimalai Jain Caves. There are also two rock-cut caves, one of which houses twelve life size sculptures of
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. The temple is considered one of the oldest stone temples in South India. The temple is maintained and administered by Department of
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
as a protected monument.


History

Narthamalai was originally called Nagaratharmalai on account of the business men (called ''
Nagarathar The Nagarathar (also known as Nattukottai Chettiar) is a Tamil people, Tamil caste found native in Tamil Nadu, India. They are a mercantile community who are traditionally involved in commerce, banking and Money-Lending, money lending. They u ...
'' in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
) who were active in business in the Trichy – Pudukottai – Madurai regions. The Nagarathars are attributed to the major contributions in terms of the canals, temples, and religious establishments in the region. Narthamalai was ruled from the 7th to 9th centuries by the
Mutharaiyars The Mutharaiyar dynasty was a royal south Indian dynasty that governed the Thanjavur, Trichy and Pudukottai regions between 600 and 850 CE. Origin The origin of the Mutharaiyar is shrouded in mystery. Historian T. A. Gopinatha Rao equates the ...
who were feudatories of the
Pallavas The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahanas, Satavahana dynasty, with whom they ...
. The region was later captured by
Medieval Cholas Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century CE and established one of the greatest empires of South India. They successfully united South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influen ...
. Though the temple is called Vijayalaya Choleeswaram, the temple was originally built by
Muttaraiyar Muttaraiyar may refer to: *Muttaraiyan (title), a title used by various officials in the Chola government during the medieval period *Muthuraja, a Tamil speaking community prevalent in southern India *Mutharaiyar dynasty The Mutharaiyar dynast ...
lieutenant, Sattan Paliyili, during the seventh regnal year of
Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...
king Nripatungavarman during 862 CE. As per some accounts, the temple is believed to have been built by the first king of
Medieval Cholas Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century CE and established one of the greatest empires of South India. They successfully united South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influen ...
,
Vijayalaya Chola Vijayalaya Chola (Tamil: விஜயாலய சோழன்) was a king of South India () who founded the imperial Chola Empire. He ruled over the region to the north of the river Kaveri. Dark age of Cholas The ancient Chola kingdom once ...
(848–891 CE), but the view is highly debated. As per the inscriptions, immediately after the construction, the temple was damaged by rains and lightning. The restoration work was carried out by Tennavan Tamiladirayan. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by archaeological department of India as a protected monument.


Architecture

The temple is located in
Narthamalai Narthamalai, a cluster of small hills, is 25 km from Trichy on the Trichy-Pudukottai highway in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Here can be seen some of the oldest rock cut cave temples, as well as the longest rock-cut edicts, similar ...
, a rockyhill in
Pudukottai district Pudukkottai District is one of the List of districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Pudukkottai is the district headquarters. It is also known colloquially as ''Pudhugai.'' Pudukkottai district i ...
in southern
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. The other portions of Narthamalai houses the 8th century Jaina Abode, the Aluruttimalai Jain Caves. There are also two rock-cut caves, one of which houses twelve life-size sculptures of
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. The temple is considered one of the oldest stone temples in South India. The central shrine is surrounded by eight shrines, out of which six are still present. The main shrine faces west and the sanctum houses the image of
Lingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...
, the aniconic representation of Shiva. The walls of the sanctum are plain, unlike later Chola temples that have niches to house different images. The sanctum is approached through an Arthamandapa – a hall supported by pillars. The pillars are ornamental, rectangular shaped on the bottom and the top, and octagonal shaped in the middle. The
vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...
, the shrine over the sanctum has a semi-spherical shape, having four storeys. The sanctum is guarded by
Dvarapalas A Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka (Sanskrit, "door guard"; IAST: ' ) is a door or gate guardian often portrayed as a warrior or fearsome giant, usually armed with a weapon - the most common being the ''gada'' (mace). The dvarapala statue is a widespre ...
on either sides. The inscriptions are made on the base of the Dvarapalas. There are also two rock-cut caves, one of which houses twelve life size sculptures of
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. The two circular pilasters with circular shafts on four sides of the ''vimana'' indicates the antiquity of the temple. The feature is possibly termed ''Vrittasputitas'' in ''silpa'' texts like ''
Shilparatna {{Use Indian English, date=December 2019 Shilparatna is a classical text on traditional South Indian representational-performing arts. It is particularly influential in painting and theatrical performance. It was authored by Srikumara in 16th cen ...
''. Such a feature is otherwise found only in few other temples like
Neyyadiappar Temple, Tillaistanam Neyyadiappar Temple, Tillaistanam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the village of Thillaisthanam also known as Tillaisthanam or Thiruneithanam in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Shaivism as one of the Sa ...
,
Tiruttalinathar Temple Tiruttalinathar temple is a Siva temple located in Thiruputhur near Karaikkudi. This temple is regarded as the 6th of the Tevara Stalams in the Pandya kingdom of Tamil Nadu. The temples Rameswaram and Tiruvadanai are the other Shivastalams ne ...
in
Thiruputhur Tiruppathur, also spelt Thiruppathur / Thirupputhur, is a Taluk, Town Panchayat in Sivaganga district in the India state of Tamil Nadu. It is in Sivaganga district, 27 km from Sivaganga and 22 km from Karaikudi. It is famous for Thi ...
, central shrine in
Moovar Koil Moovar Koil or "The Three temples" is a Hindu temple complex situated in the village of Kodumbalur, 36 kilometres from Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, India. These temples were constructed by the Chola feudatory and Irukkuvel chieftain Boothi Vikram ...
in
Kodumbalur Kodumbalur is a village in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the site of the Moovar Koil temple complex. Location It is located at a distance of 35km from Trichy and 40km from Pudukkottai. The name Kodumbalur has been mentioned in the Tamil epic Cilappa ...
, Anantheswara temple in Udayarkudi and
Kampaheswarar Temple, Thirubuvanam The Kampaheswarar Temple or kampa-hara-ishvarar ( kampa-hareswarar ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is situated in Thirubuvanam, a village in Thanjavur district in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu, on the Mayiladuthurai-K ...
.


Gallery

File:Vijayalaya Choleeswaram Nandhi.jpg, Nandhi at Narthamalai temple File:Vijayalaya Choleeswaram.jpg, Full view of Vijayalaya Choleeswaram File:N-TN-C150 Rockcut Vishnu temple.jpg, 12 live sized images of Vishnu File:Sculpture at narthamalai,india.jpg, Thuvara Balagar Sculpture File:Shiva Lingam At Narthamalai.jpg, Shiva Lingam At Narthamalai


Significance

The temple in a combined rock-cut and Dravidan architecture is an early example of Cholan Art, continuing the tradition of the Pallavas. It is believed that the temple was the inspiration for the
Gangaikonda Cholesvarar Temple The Brihadisvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital, this Chola dynasty era temple ...
built by
Rajendra Chola I Rajendra Chola I (; Middle Tamil: Rājēntira Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Rājēndradēva Cōla; Old Malay: ''Raja Suran''; c. 971 CE – 1044 CE), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola (Middle Tami ...
(1014-44 CE). The sanctum (''garbhagriha'') has four storeys in Omkara, shape of Hindu symbol Om. There were originally eight subsidiary shrines around the temple, out of which six still exist. Each of them is identical, with a semi-spherical top, and a four pillared Madapa at the front. The Vimana, the shrine over the sanctum has sculptures of Uma, Shiva,
Dakshinamurthy Dakshinamurthy () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all types of knowledge. This aspect of Shiva, as the original guru, is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. Thi ...
, and
Saptamatrika Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group o ...
s. The individual images retrieved from the place are maintained in the Pudukottia Government Museum. The temple is the foremost structural of the Chola kings, who would later on go on to make
Great Living Chola Temples The Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed between early 11th and the 12th century CE, the monuments include: * Brihadisvar ...
in the next 300 years, declared as
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as a
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s. The temple is first among South Indian temples to incorporate dravida and Vasara styles to be incorporated in the vimana.


References


Further reading

*


External links

{{Hindu Temples in Pudukkottai District Hindu temples in Pudukkottai district Shiva temples in Pudukkottai district Archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu 9th-century Hindu temples Chola architecture