Sri Kamatchi Amman Shrine

Sri Kamatchi Amman shrine came into existence probably in the beginning of 14^thcentury A.D. Its presence is not mentioned in any epigraph. To the adjacent of Adavalleswarar temple on the north eastern corner of the Tiruchutrumaligai there is a separate shrine for Sri Kamatchi Amman. This shrine faces south. The garbhagraha facing south is square on plan. It has an upapitha consisting of an upana with padmadala followed by a kantha and padma. The kantha is paroled by gala padas.

Above the upapitha stands the adhistana. Its lowest moulding is a three tiered upana followed successively by padma moulding, jagati between the padmadalas, smooth and flexible kumuda, a short and narrow kantha and pattika interposed between the kantha. The kantha is divided into a number of galapadas.

Above the adhistana is the wall which contains a number of semi pilasters, square in cross-section besides the one flanking the niches. The niches are crowned by makaratoranas. They are free from sculptures. The pilasters consist of kal, idaikkattu, kalasa, bulbous kumbha and a thick abacus (palagai) with the idai modify below. Above the abacus is the corbel of bevel type.

The prastara on the corbels carry the beam. Above this is vajana, a project course of cornice followed by a valabhi. The cornice (kapota) over the valabhi is smooth and flexed with a decorated lower brim. The kapota is embellished by kudu arches. There is the kapota moulding connects the cornice of the vimana.

Over the roof cornice there is a vimana of four tires. The talas of the vimana has a row of panjaras, rectangular in the middle and square at the corners. In between the kuta and the koshthapanjaras is the nasika. The koshthas and kuta, panjaras carry pilasters and the devakostas. The pilasters are not easily discernible as they are almost covered by crowded sculptures without any space left behind. The kosta panjaras carry a single final at the top unlike the kuta panjaras which carry three finals in a row. The kosthas have plain sikharas, not exactly the replica of the main sikhara of the vimana. The sala decoration of the vimana shows kirtimukha' finals on either side of gable ends.

In the centre of the sala between the gable ends is kirtimukha raising up to the stupi. It is a wall of decorated arch with kalasa with a well pronounced simhamukha at the top raising almost upto the lower brim of the griva.

These temples have been laudably preserved by the administrators right from the time of the Cholas, Pandyas and the Vijayanagar Kings down to this day with all its multifarious additions, renovations, repairs, changes and the like. The Munnur temples remain paramount on the religious side and stands equally parmount in the art of building construction both Saivism and Vaishnavism.