I had a quick shower and after breakfast, I took an auto to the Rajagiri Fort. It is just less than two kilometres from the town.

The Gingee Fort is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India. There is a small office and not much could be understood about the fort from the ticket seller. It was around 11 am and it started getting warmer, but thankfully for the previous night’s rain it was relatively cooler for the month of June. I came across a board which just pointed out the various structures in the fort complex. As I walked into the massive entrance, I could see the indomitable hill and the fort on the top.

The Gingee Fort complex is on three hillocks: Krishnagiri to the north, Rajagiri to the west and Chandrayandurg to the south-east. The three hills together constitute the fort complex, each having a separate and self-contained citadel. The fort walls are 13 km and the three hills are connected by walls enclosing an area of 11 square kilometres. The Rajagiri Fort is built on a hillock about 900 feet tall and protected by an 80 feet wide moat. On the top of the hillock, there are minor fortifications. The Rajagiri hill was of more strategic importance compared to Krishnagiri hill. At the foot hills, there are two granaries with vaulted chambers, the royal living quarters, a magazine storage facility, the audience hall and chamber in Indo-Islamic style.

There is a canon like structure in front of the palace called the King’s “ammi” (a small stone used to grind herbs in households) by the locals. The Kalyana Mahal (Marriage Place) of Rajagiri hill is a pyramidal dome on a four storied rectangular open air structure. There are terracotta pipes to keep the place cool even during the peak of summer. The other structures are gymnasium, granary, barracks, the mosque of Mahabut Khan and a royal harem for all the wives and concubines of the ruler.

It is an arduous trek to the top of the citadel. I almost gave up midway to the fort, but the promise of a beautiful vista on the top kept me going.

There were very few visitors as it was a weekday, and a few went all the way to the top. The monkeys (Bonnet Macaques) are used to the visitors and try to snatch anything that is in a plastic cover. It is advisable to carry food and water in a backpack. Keep your bag and camera close to body and be wary of these overenthusiastic monkeys. The trek took uphill took about 2 hours and I came to the final leg of the climb, which is a drawbridge that connects the citadel.

On the top you can see the sprawling plains and the other two forts. One of the interesting views is that of the Venkataramana Temple.

The other structures in the citadel are; a temple for Kamalakani Amman, a smaller granary, a lookout tower and living quarters.

No wonder Chhatrapathi Shivaji considered the Gingee Fort to be most impregnable fort in India.

After spending an hour on the top, I slowly descended the fort. The walk down to was equally hard and it was really tough on my knees. I did not expect such a climb and was not prepared physically for this trek. I got to the bottom of the fort and had a long drink of water. It was about 4 pm and got an auto-rickshaw back to the town.

A few things to consider before taking this trek:
1. Carry enough food and water. There are no facilities catering food or water.
2. Be prepared for a tough trek uphill and be physically fit. (Not advisable for elderly)
3. Get there early and start the trek early, as it gets hotter.
4. Take adequate protection against heat.
5. Carry all valuables, food, and water in a backpack, avoid plastic bags. The monkeys can be aggressive.
6. The visitors/trekkers are not allowed to climb to the citadel after 3 pm.

A brief history of Gingee Fort and its occupants:

Jain Saints had dwelt in the hills of Gingee from 2nd century to 6th centuries, as evident by many stone carvings and other evidences of Gingee being citadel of Jainism. Gingee was under Pallava Emperors between 600 to 900 AD. Chozha Emperors ruled Gingee between 900 to 1103 AD. In the stone epigraphs at Aanangur of Athitya Chozhan (871-907) and of Athiya Chozhan II (985-1013) it becomes crystal clear that Chozha Emperors ruled Gingee. Pandya Emperors, Chozha Rulers and Hoysala Kings ruled between 1014 to 1190 AD. Yadhava kings ruled Gingee between 1190 to 1330 AD. It came under Vijayanagar rule from the fag end of 14th century and for 150 years it was under Vijayanagar rule. In 1677, it was under the control of Maratha King Shivaji. In 1690, it came under the Mughals, when it became the headquarters of Arcot. It changed hands to the French in 1750, and then to the British in 1762.

The valour of Raja Desingh: After the rule of Nayaks in Tamil Nadu, the Delhi Sultanate waged a series of battles to gain total control of the Southern lands. They met stiff resistance from a small chieftain. The gallantry displayed by Raja Desingh (Raja Tej Singh) at the young age of 22, against the powerful Nawab Sadatulla Khan of Arcot in a struggle that was hopeless from the outset (Desingh’s army consisted of only 350 horses and 500 troopers, while the Nawab’s army had 8,000 horsemen and 10,000 sepoys) is still talked about in the form of ballets in and around Gingee till date. Raja Desingh was killed in the battle and his young wife committed ‘Sati’. The fortress of Gingee lost its pre-eminent position and political importance within a few years with the end of the Rajput rule.

More photos will be uploaded to our Flickr account – the link will be posted soon.

Photographs and Text by Sastha Prakash for http://realindia.in/

Historical data collected from various web sources.

The Hill Palace, Kerala’s first heritage museum noted for royal collections of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi, is today the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. Built in 1865, the palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style of Kerala, sprawled over 52 acres. On display in the full-fledged Ethno-archaeological museum are oil-paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, belongings of the Kochi royal family and royal furniture including the simhasana (throne). Also exhibited are over 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from Japan and China, Kudakkallu (tomb stone), Thoppikkallu (hood stone), menhirs, granite, laterite memorials, rock-cut weapons from the Stone Age, wooden temple models, plaster cast models of objects from Mohenjodaro and Harappa of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The museum also houses a gallery of contemporary art.
The architecture, the gardens and the ambiance was truly grand. The solid gold crown with valuable stones inlaid was the highlight of the exhibits. There is a Durbar Hall where the erstwhile King of Kochi decided to join the Indian Union and the first Princely state in India to do so.

We started to the Palaikari fisheries village and with difficulty we found the place tucked away in a by-lane. But we were not lucky, the place had exceeded its daily quota of people they can cater to. We were in a quandary and wondering where to go. I called up a good friend and he advised us to go to Fort Kochi. I have been to Fort Kochi quite a few times and my friends had visited once a long time back. We reached Fort Kochi at around 2 pm and our first visit was to the Jewish Synagogue in the Jew Town. We found the synagogue closed and the staff gone for lunch. We walked down to the nearby Udupi restaurant and had a very simple lunch, and topped it off with ice cream as desserts. We walked down to the Dutch Palace. It contains one of the most beautiful mural collection in Kerala. The exquisite murals are a delight and hats off to the masters whose works still survive from the 17th-18th centuries.

Dutch Palace / Mattancherry Palace – (Though the Dutch Palace has been named so, it was the Portuguese who built it and the Dutch merely did some cosmetic renovations and repairs). During the early decades of the 16th century, the Portuguese had plundered many temples in Kochi. In 1555, they built the palace and presented it to King Veera Kerala Varma with the hope of establishing trading relations with the kingdom. The palace is a two-storied structure, built in traditional Kerala naalukettu (quadrangular) model with four separate wings opening into a central courtyard. While the central courtyard houses a temple of the royal deity Pazhayannur Bhagavathi. The walls of the palace interiors decorated with intricate mythological mural paintings in rich warm colours. The mural paintings in the Royal Bed Chamber depict the entire story of Ramayana. The painting covers about 100 square meter and it is believed to be done between the 17th and 18th century. The murals that adorn the staircase walls are of Hindu gods and goddesses while the Royal Ladies room on the ground floor has paintings depicting the story of Kumarasambhavam by the great writer Kalidasa. There are five other panels in the room depicting Krishna Leela and Shiv Leela.

We walked back again to the Jewish Synagogue and we were amazed by the history of the synagogue, and the history of the Kerala Jews. There are a few Jews still living in Kochi.

Mattancherry / Paradesi Synagogue – The Jews of Fort Kochi, who fled their homeland – Israel during the Diaspora embraced Fort Kochi as their second home. The synagogue is situated at one end of the Jew Street in the Jew Town enclave of Mattancherry in Fort Kochi. It was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudans or Cochin Jewish community on the land gifted by King Rama Varma. The clock tower was built in 1760 by Ezekiel Rahabi an affluent Jewish businessman. Inside the synagogue, the décor is complete with the glass chandeliers and blue willow-patterned Chinese floor tiles. The Scrolls of the Law is housed here and the several gold crowns received as gifts and the brass-railed pulpit, and the copper plates proclaiming the privileges of the Jews of Kerala written in Tamil. Most of the Jewish settlers here have now left for their homeland—Israel.

We got to meet some interesting Kashmiri shopkeepers, who have made Kochi their home and selling curios to tourist. They offered us tea, we politely declined. Got back to our car and drove down to Fort Kochi Beach. We parked our car in Vasco da Gama square and walked around the place. It was teaming with travellers, street vendors, street salesmen, tea-shops, fishermen, tourists, and touts. The square was also a venue for a religious equality event organised by some local activists. We were drowned in the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the carefree environment of the beach. Walking down the beach, we saw the sun slowly setting in the west into the Arabian Sea. What a spectacular ending to a beautiful day!

It was about 6:45 pm and we thought it was not prudent to drive back to Thrissur. We stayed at the Tom’s Old Mansion homestay after approaching a couple of Realindia listed homestays. It was a clean place and priced quite reasonably. After freshening up, we walked back to the Vasco da Gama square and went shopping for clothes for the next day (we thought it would be just a day trip). There was an open restaurant and we had our dinner. The food was okay, but the service took a long time and that was a blessing in disguise to rest our weary legs. Later, we popped by the beach and watched some ships coming into the harbour and leaving to distant lands. It was a long day and we went back content to our homestay.

We woke up at 5:30 am the next day, and again left to the beach to see the sunrise, but the East being inland it was not so spectacular as the sunset.

We had one of the nicest morning teas from a Thattu Kada (street food vendor). Got back to the homestay and freshened ourselves, and after my shower… I walked down the lanes of Fort Kochi and got some interesting pictures of the streets, some churches, birds going about their morning food gathering, and some interesting people too.

For breakfast, we went to posh bakery/restaurant next door… a huge group of westerners followed us and the poor waiter could not handle the crowd. We left the place and went back to the Thattu Kada (street vendor) and had a sumptuous breakfast of Puttu, Kadala, Nool Puttu, Velaiappam, Pathiri (all Kerala’s native breakfast items), and tea. My friend remarked it just cost us one continental breakfast in that bakery/restaurant.

We came across the residents and tourists using the humble bicycle. We were not aware of the fact that bicycles were rented out. Came across some tourists riding bicycles and enjoying the very act of riding one. It is very advisable to see sights in Fort Kochi on a bicycle and connect with our inner child.

After the satisfying breakfast, we went over to the St Francis Church and we were amazed at the architecture and the sheer history of this place, being the first European church built in India.

St. Francis Church – The St. Francis Church is believed to be one of the oldest churches built by the Europeans in India and was originally built in 1503. The church witnessed various European invasions and during the Dutch invasion of Kochi in 1663, it came under their possession. In 1804, the Dutch surrendered the church to the Anglican Church following the British invasion of Kochi in 1795.  The church was renamed and renovated in 1886. The Church of South India (CSI) took over the administration and management of the church in 1949. The church has a lofty structure with a gabled timber framed roof covered with tiles. There is also a cenotaph and it was built in 1920 in remembrance of the Kochiites who laid down their lives in World War I. Vasco da Gama died on his third visit to Kochi and was buried in this church for 14 years and the remains were taken back to Portugal.

It was about 10:30 am and we went back to the homestay and checked out, and drove back to Thrissur happy with the impromptu visit to Fort Kochi.  Our trip was full of unexpected moments and sights, great street food, and meeting lots of wonderful people. Fort Kochi has always been a bohemian and cosmopolitan town with its mix of locals, traders, and tourists, a true melting pot of cultures.

Factual Text source: Kerala Tourism website, Wikipedia and other web sources.

Pictures by: Sastha Prakash for http://realindia.in/

Dinesh PG has quite evocatively reproduced portraits on paper, using charcoal powder, of the victims of ‘acid’ attack and very well emphasised the saying ‘eyes are the windows to the soul.’

Venue: Lalitha Kala Academy Hall, Thrissur, Kerala
Dates: Ends on 24th October, 2016
Artist: Dinesh PG, 094472 38833.

Some photos from the exhibition:

Legend: One of the nine planets, Angaraka (Sevvai, Mars), suffered from leprosy and was cured by Lord Siva here and from then on it is treated as one of the Navagraha Temples for planet Mars. Parvati, the consort of Siva, presented the vel (spear) to her son, Lord Muruga, to slay the demon Surapadman. Subramaniya killed the Asura, but the army was badly injured in this war and Lord Siva as Vaitheswaran cured them.

Vaitheeswaran Koil has a five-tiered gopuram (tower). There are shrines for Siva, Subramanya, Nataraja, Somaskanda, Angaraka ( Sevai, Mars), Durga, Dakshinamoorthy, Surya (Sun), Thaiyalnayaki, Dhanvantari, and many others. Many inscriptions are found here, which gives an idea of the history of this temple and the social structures of the yore.

The annual festivals are doing the Tamil months of Thai, Panguni, Karthigai. Vaideeswaran Koil is known for its Nadi astrology (nāḍi jyotiṣa) based on texts that is believed to be written by Sage Agathiyar. The temple is maintained by Dharmapuram Adheenam, a Saivite mutt or monastic institution located in the town of Mayiladuthurai, India.

Planet/Graham: Mars, Sevvai
Sthalam: Vaitheeswaran Koil
Colour: Red
Grains: Thoordal
Vehicle: Mesham
Flower: Shenbagam
Metal: Copper
Day: Tuesday
Stone: Coral

The place is revered by the verses of Appar, but since there is no mention about the deity, it is not classified as a Padal petra sthalam. Kailasanathar Swamy temple is one of the nine Navagraha sthalas located in the Cauvery Delta region dedicated to planet Moon, called Thingal in Tamil.

Legend says that a merchant named Appoodi Adikal lived in the village of Thingalur who was a devotee of Lord Siva. Appoodi Adikal was an ardent follower of Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) and wanted to host him. On the day of Appar’s visit, Appoodi Adikal’s son was killed by a venomous snake bite while the saint was served lunch and Appodi Adikal continued to serve upholding the tradition of guest has to be taken care of. Appar moved by Appoodi Adikal’s devotion is said to have miraculously restored the boy to life.

Temple Timings: 7 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm.

Planet/star: Chandran/Moon
Place: Thingalur
Colour: White
Grain: Rice
Vehicle: White Horse
Flower: White Arali (Oleander)
Metal: Lead
Day: Monday
Stone: Pearl
Benefits: Removes obstacles

The temple was built during the reign of Kulottunga Choladeva (AD 1060-1118) in the 11th century with later additions from the Vijayanagar period. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the gateway tower and a granite wall enclosing all the shrines of the temple. The central shrine is of Suryanarayana, the Sun God, is built on an elevated structure.

As per Hindu legend, Sage Kalava was suffering from serious ailments along with leprosy. He prayed to the Navagrahas, the nine planet deities. The planets were pleased by his devotion and offered cure to the sage. Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, was angered as he felt that the planets have no powers to provide boons to humans. He cursed the nine planets to suffer from leprosy and were sent down to earth in Vellurukku Vanam, the white wild flower jungle. The planets prayed to Shiva to relieve them off the curse. Shiva appeared to them and said that the place belonged to them and they would have to grace the devotees worshiping them from the place.

The planets are believed to influence the horoscope computed based on time of one’s birth and subsequently influence the course of life. Each of the planets are believed to move from a star to another during a predefined period and thus sway over an individual’s fortunes. The Navagrahas, as per Hindu customs, are believed to provide both both good and bad effects for any individual and the bad effects are mitigated by prayers. As in other Navagraha temples, the common worship practices of the devotees include offering of cloth, grains, flowers and jewels specific to the planet deity. Lighting a set of lamps is also commonly followed in the temple.

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 am to 9 pm, and two yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Planet/Graham: Sun
Sthalam: Suryanarkoil
Colour: Red
Grains: Wheat
Vehicle: Seven Horse Chariot
Flower: Red Lotus

Over centuries Chidambaram has been the centre of Saivite worship in South India. The above parable is just how venerated Chidambaram Nataraja Temple has been for ages. I am quite lucky that this was my third trip to Thillai (another name of the town). There are many shrines and temples dedicated to Nataraja in Tamil Nadu, but the most celebrated among the Nataraja temples is the magnificent shrine at Chidambaram where Siva performs the Ananda Tandava or the dance of Bliss. It is located at a distance of 240 km from Chennai.

I reached Thillai at about 9 pm and got a room next to the bus station, after dinner I went to sleep as I had to get up early to witness the morning rituals. I started early in the morning next day. It is always a pleasure to walk in the streets of any town in Tamil Nadu early in the morning… the milkman doing his rounds; teashops doing a brisk business; women sweeping the house front, sprinkling water and laying kolam; the newspaper boy doing his acrobatic stunts on his bicycle as he throws the paper with unerring precision; the crows and sparrows trying to catch the early worm and feeding on the leftovers; early morning walkers doing their rounds; pie-dogs happily greeting each other… I quietly drank in the morning scene and walked towards the temple. I reached the East Tower/entrance and a sense of familiarity crept in and yet there was urgency to see the Lord of Dance at once.

There was a lot of activity around the temple. The surroundings were cleaned, painted, spruced up, the towers had scaffoldings and all the signs of a major overhaul.

I walked down the 21 steps and I could see a crowd in the thousand-pillared hall. I was a bit confused and came to know that the Ponambalam (the Golden Hall) was closed for repairs/cleaning, and the Lord was brought here. Then I came to know that the temple was getting ready for the Mahakumbabhishekam in a few days time. After a good darshanam of the Lord I went around the temple photographing this magnificent edifice to the Thillai Koothan (Thillai Dancer).

About the Temple:
Chidambaram is foremost among the five holy abodes of the dancing Siva in Tamil Nadu. Here in Chidambaram, Siva denotes the element of Akasa (ether) and the four other places are Kancheepuram as earth, Thiruvanaikoli as water, Thiruvannamalai as fire, and Kalahasti as wind. In the Hindu spiritual tradition, these five vital elements referred to as Pancha Mahabhutas, that is the basic constitution of life.

The Nataraja shrine at Chidambaram being the most important is referred to as Ponnambalam, meaning golden temple and Kanakasabha, meaning the golden dancing hall. The golden tiles of the Chit Ambalam (inner sanctum) was laid by the Chola King Parantaka I (907-955 CE). Behind the image of Nataraja, separated from it by a veil is Akasa Linga – the celebrated secret of Chidambaram. The abode of Akasa Linga is called Chitsabha. The Kanakasabha is the frontal complement to the Chitsabha. It is a small porch built on the same stone basement with a wooden door.

The Nritya Sabha or the hall of Dance is a most aesthetically designed artistic structure. This hall is known to have been built by Kulathunga Chola. with 56 pillars decorated with figures representing various moods and manifestations of Lord Nataraja.

Chidambaram temple has a central place in the art of dance with the presiding deity Nataraja meaning the Lord of Dance. In Chidambaram the presiding deity is the bronze statue of Nataraja unlike the Siva Linga that is the representation in most of the other temples in Tamil Nadu. In this bronze Nataraja, Siva stands serene and assured, master of the universe, within a circular prabha aureole framed with five-tipped flames that represent the oscillating universe. The god rests his right foot on the back of the dwarfish demonic figure of Mushalagan, representing darkness and ignorance to be overcome, who meekly raises his head to look up at the lord.

There are several interpretations given to this posture but the most popularly accepted view is that Man can raise himself to salvation by crushing the evils around him and maintaining a perfect balance between body and mind. The rhythmic and rigorous movement of the body in the Nataraja dance indicates ceaseless flow of energy that keeps the entire Universe in a continuous dynamic state.

Deekshithars:
The entire temple except the Govindaraja temple is owned, controlled and managed by Deekshithars of Chidambaram. They are believed to have been 3000 in number and brought by Lord Siva himself to manage the temple.

Unlike other temples in Tamil Nadu where the rituals are according to the Agama Sastras, in this temple worship is done according to the Vedic doctrine.

The Legend:
There is a fascinating legend as to how Siva performed his first ever dance at Chidambaram. The three eyed Siva who represents the principle of destruction in the Hindu trinity once wanted to teach a fitting lesson to the sages at Darukavanam who had become arrogant on account of their knowledge. Assuming the form of a beggar and accompanied by Vishnu disguised as Mohini, Siva went to Darukavanam.

The wives of the sages were enamored of the beauty of the divine couple which enraged the Rishies (Sages). In a fit of jealousy they tried to destroy the pair. They raised a sacrificial fire from which emanated a tiger which pounced on Siva. But Siva peeled off the skin of the tiger and wrapped it around his waist. Then the sage set against Siva an Apsamara Purusha or malignant dwarf. Siva killed him effortlessly. At this the sages concided defeat. Thus began the enthralling majestic cosmic dance of Siva which all the Gods and Rishies witnessed to the full content of their hearts.

Temple Timings:
Morning 6.00 am to 12.00 pm
Evening 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm

For more pictures, please visit our Chidambaram Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/135070492@N08/albums/72157658881551552

The complex contains the Palace, the Rajaraja Chola Art Gallery, Saraswathi Mahal Library, and the Bell Tower.

Thanjavur Maratha Palace is the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Tanjore region from 1674 to 1855. It was constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. The Bhonsle family continues to stay here to date.

Saraswathi Mahal Library: The Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji’s Saraswathi Mahal Library is one among the few libraries in the world with texts of the medieval period. The collection comprises well over 60,000 volumes and contains a rare and valuable collection of manuscripts, books, maps and paintings on all aspects of art, culture and literature. It is one of the oldest libraries in Asia and has on display a rare collection of palm leaf manuscripts and paper written in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, English and a few other languages.

Rajaraja Chola Art Gallery: Thanjavur Art Gallery is situated in the Palace complex that was built by the Nayaks in 16th century CE. The art gallery contains sculptures mostly of the Chola dynasty between the 9th and the 13th century CE and various other dynasties that ruled Tamil Nadu later. The art gallery was established in 1951.

Address: East Main Street, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India ( 1.2 K.M from Brihadeeswarar Temple )
Phone: +91-4362-239823
Timings: 9 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 6 PM. (1 PM to 3 PM – Lunch Break). Open 7 days a week.

I tried getting into the temple to get a darshan, but the queue was almost a mile long. I went about the temple and got back to my room, and left for Madurai and onward to Thanjavur. It was about 8:00 pm or so when I reached Thanjavur, checked into the nearest hotel and called it a day.

Woke up very early and went over to the Big Temple. I learned from experience it is best to visit temples in the mornings, the light is great for photography and everything looks very fresh, and most importantly the Tamil Nadu temples are made of granite and it gets hotter as the day progresses. I had visited Thanjavur in 2008 for a different purpose, but had an opportunity to visit the Periya Koil then. I reached the Big Temple or the Brihadisvara temple (in Sanskrit) and the splendour that awaits you is very hard to describe in words.

I cannot imagine the sheer ingenuity in its design, the audacity of its proportions, and the dedication of the creator of this magnificent tribute to Lord Siva.

Left my footwear in the counters provided by temple administration and walked into the inner precincts. I kept photographing everything that saw and thought I might fill up my SD cards pretty quickly at this rate.

I was approached by a soft spoken man and offered guide services. As I had come here previously and having read so much about this temple, I knew what to expect, but I wanted to know more and agreed to take the service. Mr Raja, the guide, has been taking people around for the past 12 years or so. The first thing he told me was, we are not supposed to take the steps directly to the shrine, but take the side steps when going inside the temple to worship like even the kings of yore did.

As we were approaching the temple, the drums started playing, I was told by the guide today was the flag hoisting for the Chithirai festival and there was a small crowd taking part in the festivities.

The music, the atmosphere, the ambiance, the crowd, the decorations… I wondered this has been going on in slight variations for the past 1000 years, an unbroken tradition. I was awestruck just relating this to the beginnings of this temple.

My guide left me for a few minutes and ran down to partake in the festivities. I recorded a small video of the flag hoisting.

My guide showed me various aspects of iconography and explained the structures… and even showed me bit of Kerala architecture incorporated on the roof.

We went into the temple… the Siva linga is huge and such a beautiful sight. After praying we got down to go around the temple.

https://www.facebook.com/402667705454/videos/vb.402667705454/10154473419550455/?type=2&theater

The guide explained in detail about the construction and various stages of additions by the succeeding dynasties. Some of them are added in the facts section below.

I was taken around and shown the mural paintings of the Nayaks and some of unique details of the temple.

The guide showed me a very typical European figure craved on one side of the vimana (I was not able to understand fully how it came to being).

He explained to me how the stone sikhara of 81 tonnes was put on the top of the vimana (tower).

The guide took me to the Subramanya temple and to the Chandikeshvara shrine. We completed one complete circle of the temple and he left. I went on to the Nataraja mandapam where the ulsavars were decorated for the evening procession was kept.

Then I went around the temple a couple of more times and took a lot of pictures. The amount of hard work and detail that has gone into making this temple left me astounded and awed. I left the place by around 10:30 am as the late tourists were coming in and the stones were getting hotter in the sun.

Some factual details of Brihadisvara Temple:
*Brihadisvara temple by Rajaraja I was begun in 1003 and completed in 1010 CE and was designed to represent a cosmic structure – the Mahameru.
*The temple is dedicated to Lord Siva represented by a linga (3.66 m high) and named Rajarajesvaramudayar after the king.
*The temple was built in a courtyard measuring 240 x 120 m in the ratio of 1:2 with blocks being bought from a distance of approximately 50 km. The vimana soars to height of 60.96 m and the stone sikhara (8 pieces) at the top weighs 81.284 tonnes.

*The lower circumambulatory passageway in the sanctum has on its walls exquisite paintings of the Chola period, which was discovered in the 1920s.
*The complex has the main temple with five subshrines for Chandikeshvara, Amman, Subrahmanya, Ganesa and for Karuvur Devar, the royal priest.
*There are two mandapas for Nataraja and Nandi. A cloister mandapa runs round the complex.

*The walls and adhisthana (plinth) are covered with inscriptions of Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara, Nayak and Maratha rulers. From these it is known that numerous endowments were made to the temple by the royal family and the king.

*The niches in the lower wall of the temple depict various deities like Ganesa, Vishnu with Sridevi and Bhudevi, Bhikshatana, Kalantaka, Natesa, Ardhanariswara, Chandrasekhara to name a few. The upper wall carries the figure of Tripurantaka only.

Some factual details on Cholas and Rajaraja Chola:
*The Cholas, the mightiest rulers of south India, at point of time held sway over major parts of South India and Sri Lanka. They also made their presence felt over North India and even South East Asia.
*The Cholas first appear in the written record in a 3rd century BCE rock inscription of Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great. The Cholas held the east coast of modern Tamil Nadu and the Cauvery delta region. They eventually gained supremacy over other southern tribes in the area, the Pandyas of Madurai and the Pallavas of Kanchi. The empire’s earliest king Karikala ruled about 100 CE is celebrated in Tamil literature, but the empire reached its height under Rajaraja (985–1014 CE), who conquered Kerala, northern Sri Lanka, and in 1014 CE acquired the Maldives Islands.
*Rajaraja’s son, Rajendra I (1014–1044 CE), would continue to increase Cholan power by defeating rivals in southern India and expanding Cholan territory north. In 1023 CE, Rajendra sent his army north toward the Ganges River and defeated the Bengal kingdom of the Pala ruler.
*Rajendra I sent overseas expeditions to the Malay Peninsula, occupying parts of Java.
*Rivalries with other southern tribes would lead to the dynasty’s fall when in 1257 CE, the Pandyas defeated the Cholas.
*The Chola dynasty ended in 1279 CE with the last Chola ruler, Rajendra IV (1246–1279 CE).

Text and Images: Sastha Prakash
Factual Text Source: Plaque in front of The Big Temple, BBC’s The Story of India, and other web sources.

Pretty quickly we reached the Kalugumalai town and the driver was trying to take some more passengers for the onward return journey to Sankarankovil… guess it will help him to recover the fuel costs and he had better luck here and found four passengers.

Jain Abode:

I walked down the road towards the hill, it was a small town with a few shops selling religious items. I crossed the Kazugasalamoorthy Murugan Temple and 400 metres down the road the gate leading to the Jain abodes.

There is a massive pond right in the foothill, but I felt it was artificially created by a stone quarry that existed much earlier.

I walked uphill and it was quite an exercise. I crossed the Vettuvan Kovil enclosure, which was locked and found no one around.

After a few more metres I found a kind old man tending goats… I asked for the Vettuvan Koil watchman… he told me might have left for the day and pointed me a gap in the fence to get inside the enclosure.

We spoke generally about these hills and he told me on most weekdays there are hardly any visitors here except for the locals who come rarely to worship the Aiyannar temple a little further up near the Jaina abode.

I reached the Aiyannar temple and it was a small one with couple of Aiyannar statues (local village guardians deities).

A little further up on the rock face I could see the Jain bas-relief sculptures. I was astounded by the precise and exact dimensions of the sculptures… rows and rows of Jaina deities, Adinatha, Parsvanatha, Mahavira, Bahubali, Ambika Yakshi and Padmavati Yakshi from the 8-9th century CE.

I reached a small cave that was gated and locked. The sculptures were exquisite and it seems to the untrained eye that the open air and centuries of exposure to elements had not dimmed its glory.

I went about taking pictures of them and was reluctant to go down to the Vettuvan Koil (whose magnificence I was unaware). The Jain sculptures are a vital link to our glorious history and the artistic achievements of yore.

Kalugumalai Jain Monastery some facts: This is an ancient Jain site that has a natural cavern with rock beds where Jain monks and nuns observed penance and was an academic center for Jain theology for about 300 years during early Pandya period. An open air rock-cut abode for Tirthankara in three long rows, bas-relief panels of Jinas – Adinatha, Parsvanatha, Mahavira, Bahubali, Ambika Yakshi and Padmavati Yakshi. There are about 150 images sculpted on top of the granite rocky surface similar to several Jaina caves in Anamalai, Alagarmalai, Aivarmalai, Chitaral, Kilakuyilkudi, Tirupparankunram, Uttamapalayam, etc. The prime Jaina deity at Kalugumalai Jain monastery referred to in the inscriptions as Araimalai Alvar of Tirunechuram. The largest donor was Pandya King Maran Sadayan. The monastery became extinct after 13th century due to loss of patronage and the Bhakti movement.

Vettuvan Koil (Sculptor’s paradise)

The sky became a bit overcast… and by the time I reached the Vettuvan Koil after crossing the gap in the fence down the hill, it started drizzling. I could take a few pictures from the inner concrete enclosure around the excavated rock and the rock-cut temple.

I was totally mesmerized and was in awe at the magnificence and grandeur of this unfinished temple. The rain got stronger… I ran towards a freestanding rock that provided partial protection from the rain and sat there for about 40 minutes for the rain to abate. The view below was just awesome with the change in weather and with the constant wind and rain.

I let my imagination run wild and thought about the sculptor/sculptors who would taken refuge from the rain in a different era. I was longing for a cup of tea and something to eat preferably some onion pakoras… and my thoughts went back to the journey so far. I was the only person about in these hills, even the goatherd had disappeared… maybe all knew how to read the weather better than me. It was getting late… and was wondering if I will be able to get down to the temple a bit below. After a while, the rain gave up and all that remained was a slight drizzle. I gingerly went down to the temple as the rock steps had become a bit slippery. The rain washed away all the dust and grime, and the stones shone as if they were just sculpted a few hours back.

I could get some wonderful pictures of the intricately sculpted statues and figures, figurines, gods, goddesses and the grand sculpted border designs.

I felt truly elated. It was about 5:15 pm and the skies were darkening again… I reluctantly walked down the hill to the small bus stop and I skipped the Lord Murugan temple. I promised myself I will come again soon. I got a town bus at about 5:40 pm and got back to my room by 6:45 pm. It was a quite an eventful day and the rain poured for another couple of hours into the night… a perfect ending to a beautiful day.

Legend of Vettuvan Koil: The Vettuvan Koil is a stunning piece of art and its beautiful carvings are evidence of the passion that went into its creation. Legend has it that a sculptor was commissioned by the Pandya kings during 8th and 9th century CE, to construct a temple on the foothills of Kalugumalai. The sculptor chose to make a rock-cut temple. The sculptor’s son disagreed on his father’s choice of location and had a serious argument. The son without his father’s knowledge started working on the other end of the hill and matched the chisel stroke with the ones of his father to sound as one stroke. The father soon came to know of his son’s disobedience and the eventual construction, and in a fit of anger the father threw his chisel at his son, which struck the son’s throat and was killed. The son’s work, “Vettuvan Koil” stands unfinished in Kalugumalai.

Vettuvan Koil – Some facts: This is a Hindu cave temple and a freestanding monolithic rock cut temple /vimana. It is about 300 feet in height and the entire hill spreading about 50 acres. This vimana was built during the Pandya period between 8th and 9th century CE. This east facing monolithic rock cut temple is compared with the monolithic Kailasnath temple in Ellora, the temples of Pallavas at Mamallapuram, and the temples of Pattadakal in Bijapur, Karnataka. The sculptors have only completed the roof and two tiers below. The walls and floors including interiors and exteriors sanctum and mandapam appear rough and unfinished. The main sculptures of Mridanga Dakshinamurthy, Narasimha (Vishnu), Siva, and Brahma are truly breathtaking and magnificent. If this temple had been completed, it would have been the best monolithic temple in the Indian subcontinent. The monument is maintained by the Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu. The entrance to the monuments is free. Kalugumalai is around 20 km from Kovilpatti. All the buses to Sankarankoil via Kovilpatti will stop at Kalugumalai. Kovilpatti is well connected with Madurai and Tirunelveli.

Credits:

Text & Photos: Sastha Prakash for www.realindia.in
Info: Various web sources.