Early Chola Temples
by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam | 1960 | 105,501 words
This volume of Chola Temples covers Parantaka I to Rajaraja I in the timeframe A.D. 907-985. The Cholas of Southern India left a remarkable stamp in the history of Indian architecture and sculpture. Besides that, the Chola dynasty was a successful ruling dynasty even conquering overseas regions....
Temples in Mayuram (Tiru-Mayiladuturai)
Mayuranathesvara temple
Mayuram (Mayavaram) in the Tanjavur district has an ancient and celebrated Siva temple. The place lies on the main railway line from Madras to Dhanush-kodi.
Parvati is said to have taken the form of a peahen and worshipped her Lord and by virtue of her devoted penance regained her original place. The Lord has been sung by Appar and Sambandar (7th century a.d.).
The original brick temple seems to have been reconstructed of stone by Sembiyan Mahadevi (tenth century). In the last century, the Nagarattars have during their renovation completely destroyed all the old structures including the inscriptions on the walls. Fortunately, the old stone sculptures of the days of Sembiyan Mahadevi have been well preserved and reinstated in their respective devakoshtas. They are Ganapati, Natarajar, Siva-Uma-Alinginamurti and Dakshinamurti in the south, Lingodbhavar in the west, Brahma, Ganga-visarjanamurti, Durga and Bhikshatanar in the north. Here we have a fine set of typical stone sculptures of the days of Sembiyan Mahadevi (PI. 277).