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 Turaiyur
Vishamangalesvara temple
Another temple which, in my opinion, has to be ascribed to the age of Aditya I (though the earliest inscription on the walls of the temple is that of Gandaraditya—no. 158 of 1937-38) is that of Vishamangalesvara at Turaiyur near Tiruvasi on the northern bank of the Kollidam about 8 miles 7 furlongs (13 km.) from Tiruchy town on the road to Lalgudy. According to the local inscriptions, it is called the temple of the Mulasthanat-tup Paramesvara or Tirukadambatturai Udaiya Mahadevar at Tudaiyur.
The original temple consisted of the garbhagriha and ardhamandapa. It is an ekatala structure with devakoshta figures in the griva and an octagonal sikhara. The most arresting feature of this temple is the installation of deities in the devakoshtas, unique even among the temples of Aditya I’s age.
There are Sarasvati, Vinadhara Dakshinamurti, Siva-Uma-Alinginamurti, Brahma and Durga. Sarasvati is found in the temples of Rajaraja I and Rajendra I but so far this is the earliest representation of this theme in a Chola temple. The Alinginamurti in the (rear) western niche is also noteworthy. Vinadhara Dakshinamurti in this temple is similar to the devakoshta image in the Saptarishisvara temple at Lalgudy, also of the age of Aditya I (See ECA. I, PI. 42 and Suppt. to E.C.A. I, Pis. 7 to 15).[1]
Two more Early Chola temples which I was able to visit are Mookesvaram and Tantonrisvaram both at Uraiyur.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Vide Proceedings of the Seminar on Indian Temple Architecture—The American Academy of Benares, Varanasi, and my article on this temple.