Temples in Madarvelur

Madarvelur is a village about 6.5 km. west of the railway station of Sirkali on the main line of the Southern Railway.

Matulisvarasvami temple

From the only record on the west wall of the Siva temple here (ARE 38 of 1918), we come to know that in the 19th year of Tribhu-vana-chakravartin Rajarajadeva, a gift of land was made to the temples of Matulisvaram Udaiyar and Vikramasolisvaram Udaiyar at Matuli-velur alias Akalanka chaturvedimangalam in Venpanaiyur nadu, a subdivision of Rajadhiraja valanadu, by the Great Assembly for offerings and repairs. The christening of the village as Akalanka-chaturvedimangalam would indicate that it was named after a surname of Vikrama Chola. The inscription refers to two temples, both of which may be attributed to Vikrama Chola’s period.

The temple has an upapitham on which rests the adhiskthanam which consists of the upanam, padmam,jagati (carrying inscriptions), vritta-kumndam, kantham and vedi mouldings.

It is an ekatala stone temple with a circular grim and sikhara. On the three free sides of the garbhagriha there are three well-adorned devakoshtas with a frontispiece fashioned like a with pilasters on either side with two engaged pillars at the ends.

Vikrama Cholisvaram Udaiyar temple

This temple may be identified as the Vikrama Cholisvaram of die inscription found on the wall of its garbhagriha. (Pis. 190-2).