Kadambar Malai Temple Complex, Narthamalai
The Kadambar koil is another beautiful temple complex in
Narttamalai, situated at the foot of the Kadambar malai, north-east of Melamalai.
In fact the rocky hillock, Kadambar malai, is named after this temple. The
temple has an air of simple grandeur, with its background of hills and
beautiful natural scenery.
Kadambar malai is located to the northeast of the
Narthamalai village. In between the main road and the Narthamalai Village a mud
road branches off to the right and leads to this rocky hill. On the south west
foot of this hillock is located the Kadamba Nayanar temple, a shrine to Goddess
Mangalambikai, and another shrine called Nagarisvaram. A small tarn is seen in
between the Kadamba Nayanar temple and the Amman shrine.
Inscriptions belonging to the time of Rajaraja I,
Rajendra II, Kulothunga I and Maravarman Sundara Pandya were found. Two sets of
inscriptions of Rajaraja I and Rajendra II are unique since they have been
inscribed beautifully on a specially prepared surface and can be compared to
that of Rock Edicts of Ashoka. The water filled trench surrounded by shrines
and the huge hilly rock in the backdrop add grandeur to the place.
There are four monuments in this complex that attract
the visitors. They are the main Siva shrine, the Amman shrine, another Siva
shrine called Nagarisvaram and a large inscription on the rock surface.
The main shrine is ascribed to the reign of Raja Raja I
Chozha (985-1014). The earliest inscription in the temple belongs to the 22nd
year of Raja Raja Chozha (1007 AD). The presiding deity is called
Malaikkadambur Thevar. The other two shrines belong to the reign of the Pandya
King Maravarman Sundarapandya I (first half of 13th century).
Here, there is a plethora of inscriptions. The
inscriptions range over the entire Chozha period starting from Raja Raja I
Chozha till Rajendra III, the last of the Chozha rulers.
Location
At about a kilometer from the highway to Narttamalai
village a mud road branches off on the right, which leads to the Kadambar malai
and Kadambar Koil.
Kadambar malai lies within 500 metres from the
Narttamalai road and on the western side of the village road. The Kadambar koil
complex is located on the south west of the hillock. One needs to get down at
the foothills of the hill and walk along a footpath through bushes to the
temple complex. Presently one enters the temple complex from the eastern side.
There are traces of a compound wall, surrounding the temple complex, on the
southern side.
Immediately after entering the premises one can see a
Siva temple called Nagarisvaram, an Amman shrine to its south-west and along
the hill the Kadambar koil. Near to the Kadambar koil, on the rock surface
exists a very large area is covered with inscriptions.
Assigned to the period of Raja Raja Chozha I (985-1014
AD), this main shrine in the complex is called Tirumalaikkadambur Isvaram. It
is situated at the north side of the temple complex. Apart from the name Malaikkadambur
Thevar referred to in the Raja Raja inscription, the presiding deity is also
called as Thirumalai Kadambur Udaya Nayanar, Sri Kailasam Udaiya Nayanar,
Kooththadum Thevar (Nataraja) and Thiru anaikka udyaiya nayanar in various
other inscriptions.
Most of the inscriptions found in Narttamalai are on the
mandapam walls of the Kadambar temple and on the rock face adjoining to it. Eleven
of these are of the Chozhas and ten of the Pandyas. These relate to gifts and conveyance
of land by Nagarathars, instituting of festivals and sandhis (worships) and
rewards for services to the temple.
Architecture
The temple faces the west. It consists of a garbhagriham,
an ardhamandapam, a mahamandapam, and a prakaram. A part of the hill serves as
the northern wall of the temple prakaram.
In front of the temple are a fine sculpture of nandi and
some broken parts of Bali pitham and dhvaja sthambham.
Through a door, one enters to the western prakaram.
Beyond this is the mahamandapam. It is pillared structure with flat roof
supported by eight pillars.
Beyond this are the ardhamandapam and the garbhagriham.
It is an imposing structure of well dressed stones, showing great artistic
skill. It resembles in some aspects to those of the Balasubrahmanya temple at
Kannanur, in this district. It is, however, later in date.
The garbhagriham is a plain structure and has a moulded
plinth. On the outer wall of the garbhagriham there are devakoshtams surmounted
by kudus with miniature shrines inside. The southern niche contains a sculpture
of Dakshinamoorthy.
The pilasters are polygonal and have idols and palagais
at the top. Above the cornice (Kodungai) is a vyali frieze. The vimanam is of
single tier. The grivam has niches (griva koshtam) on four sides and they are
surmounted by simhamukhams. The sikharam of the vimanam is bell shaped. Further
up over a base of lotus petals (padma pattikai), stand the stone stupi.
In the recess between the garbhagriham and the ardhamandapam
are two pilasters carrying a pancharam surmounted by a kudu.
In the pillared prakaram of this temple are kept the idols
of the attended deities of this and idols brought from the adjoining temple.
They include the Saptamatrika group, a Vinadhara Dakshinamoorthy and Ganesa
holding in his upper arms a piece of sugarcane and a sheaf of paddy.
At the north east corner of the prakaram, on the rock
surface is a relief sculpture of Chandikesvara.
The tank in front of the temple is called Mangalatheertham.
Nagarisvaram – Shiva Temple
To the south of Kadambar koil is a Siva temple, called
Nagarisvaram. According to an inscription (PSI 283) this temple was built in
the 12th year of the reign of Maravarman Sundara Pandya I (1228 AD).
This east facing shrine consists of a square
garbhagriham and an ardhamandapam. It has a flat roof. The walls of the
garbhagriham and the ardhamandapam have pilasters and devakoshtams. There are
no sculptures in the niches.
The shrine is rather plain, and the usual dvarapalakas
are absent. There is no lingam in the sanctum now.
Amman Shrine
Towards south west of the Siva shrine is a beautiful
Amman shrine. The goddess is called Mangalambikai.
Two inscriptions (PSI 279 and 325) in the reign of
Maravarman Sundara Pandya (1st half of 13th century) refer to the building of
this shrine by one Periyathevan (called Marududaiyan Periya devanudaiyan) in
the first inscription and Paluvurudaiyan Periyan in the second).
The shrine consists of a garbhagriham, an ardhamandapam
and a small mandapam in front with two pillars. All these have a common moulded
plinth. The approach into the front mandapam is from the sides by a flight of
steps having rolled balustrades.
There is a Devi idol inside the garbhagriham.
The walls of the garbhagriham and the ardhamandapam are
adorned with polygonal pilasters with idols and thin palagai and corbels (potikai).
There are devakoshtams on the walls. They are flanked by circular pilasters and
surmounted by pancharams with wagon shaped tops (sala). Presently there are no
sculptures inside these niches, but traces of their existence can be seen.
On the west wall of the garbhagriham is a small relief
sculpture depicting a cow performing the Abhishekam on a lingam with its milk.
The shrine has a flat roof and no superstructure remains
above the sanctum.
Inscriptions on the Rocks
To the east of the main shrine and north of the
Nagarisvaram temple, on the surface of the living rock is a rectangular area
which hosts inscriptions. A rectangular area of about 6 feet by 20 feet is
carved in and then inscribed on the rock surface.
It contains two inscriptions. The older one is an 11 – line
long Tamil inscription (PSI 91) is executed in the 28th year of Raja Raja I
(1012-1013 AD). This incomplete inscription records a grant of land by the
people of Telungu kulakala Puram in Annavayil kurram, a sub division of Konadu
in Keralantaka valanadu for uvachchu service in the temple.
The other is a 28 – line Tamil inscription (PSI 170)
belongs to the 37th year of Kulottunga Chozha III (1214-1215 AD). This
registers a sale of land by the residents of Telungu kulakala Puram in
Irattapadi konda Chozha valanadu, to two merchants of the same place.
Other Interesting Sites
Following are the other attractions at Kadambar Malai are
worth a visit.
Lake
There are two tanks near the hillock. The smaller one
near the temple is the Mangala theertham. The other one is a bigger one, which
is little west of the Mangala theertham.
Fort Wall
On the northern side as well as on the western side of
the Kadambar malai are traces of a fort wall. Both of them are starting from Kadambar
malai and extend up to Kottai malai. The one on the northern side is bigger and
built using bigger granite boulders dressed in to rectangular slabs.
There is a tarn on the Kadambar malai, on the western
side. It has a brick wall on the west side. According to the ‘Manual of the
Pudukkottai State’ (1944), there are two tarns on this group of hills. One of
them Kannimaar sunai takes its name from the shrine of the Kannimaar or
Saptamatrikas close by. The other is Pozhutupadaa sunai which is situated under
an overhanging rock so that the sun does not shine on it even at mid day.
Adventurous people can climb the hill, for it is steep
in certain places and there is no clear-cut path. One can start climbing from
the northern side, near the fort wall mentioned earlier, and go up to the top.
It is advisable to seek the help of local boys to act as guides.
Those who manage to reach the top will be rewarded with
excellent view of the Narttamalai village and hills like Uvachchan malai,
Paraiyan malai, Kottaimalai, Aluruttimalai and, a long shot of Vijayalaya
Chozhisvaram on the south.
Kadambar malai complex offers an excellent location for
picnic and trekking.