Venkataramana Temple, Gingee Villupuram
Venkataramana temple is situated in Gingee Fort near the
"Gateway of Pondicherry" in the South, faces East with high gopura.
This temple was built by Muthialu Nayaka in 1540 A.D. - 1550 A.D. This temple
is the place of worship till date. In this temple there are also deities of
Devi, Aandaal and Narasimma. There are two prakarams, Kalyana Mandapa, Urchava
Mandapa and Yaga Sala Mandapa with pillars. They are in ruin condition now and
also no pooja is performed at present.
This sprawling temple, with its striking sculptures and
carved pillars, narrates the aesthetic skills of the Nayaka dynasty. Built
by Muthialu Nayaka (1540 -1550 A. D) this is
the largest temple to Gingee during the later Vijayanagar
period.
The temple abounds in gopurams, mandapas and sculptured
panels depicting gods and goddesses in scenes from the Hindu epics. Many Tamil
inscriptions are also found in the walls of the Mandapas. The temple seems to
have faced hard times during the French occupation (after 1761 A.D.) From
this period the temple experienced forms of decay and old archaeological wealth
was plundered by subsequent invaders.
