Temples in Kaniyamur

Kaniyamur is a village in the Kallakkurichchi talpk of the South Arcot district and is two kms. from Chinna Salem on the Chinna Salem-Kallakkurichchi road. In this village there is a temple called that of Kanakasolisvara. It is a Later Chola temple. On the north wall of the main shrine, there is an inscription of an unspecified Kulottunga who may be taken to be Kulottunga I.

Kanaka-solisvara temple

The temple consists of the garbhagriha, the ardhamandapa, and the mukhamandapa. There is a Nandi in front, and the small Amman shrine of Soundarya Nayaki is located just north of it. There is a prakara enclosed by walls, with a simple gateway in front.

The devakoshtas on the walls of the mdhamandapa have a dancing Ganapati and Durga. Dakshinamurti, Vishnu and Brahma are on the garbhagriha walls. Kumbha-pancharas adorn the front portion of the garbhagriha both to the north and to the south.

The srivimana is eka-tala; the griva and the sikhara are octagonal. The griva-koshtas are adorned with Yoga-Dakshinamurti (south), Yoga-Narasimha (west) and Brahma (north).

Ganapati and Shanmukha are housed in the western section of the tiruch-churru-maligai. The Chandesvara shrine is north of the ardhamandapa. Bronzes of Ganapati, Chandrasekharar and Pidari are housed on the platform on the north side of the mukhamandapa.