Koranganatha Temple, Srinivasanallur, Trichy
Koranganatha
Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located at Srinivasanallur
Town in Trichy District of Tamilnadu. The temple was constructed by the Medieval
Cholas and is dedicated to the
god Ranganatha. The
temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The region is referred as Mahendra Mangalam in
inscriptions. The temple is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery at
Srinivasanallur. This Temple is not a functioning Hindu Temple. Early Chola
temples were small with no walls around them. This temple is a prototype of
south-style architecture.
Lord
Vishnu is the presiding deity here in the divine form of Sri Koranganatha
Swamy. This has been declared as a monument, being maintained by Archeological
Survey of India (ASI) and is not a living temple. It is a stunningly beautiful
piece of early Chola architecture. Very intricately carved sculptures proclaim
the rich artistic skills of the period. The vimana of the temple is unique with
a two tier structure and a smaller central third tier with a square dome and a
finial. Inscriptions of Parantaka Cholan dating 935 – 950 CE and further more
are found on the walls of this temple.
History
It was
built by Parantaka I, “who took Madurai and conquered Ilam” (Ceylon). It is a
temple of modest proportions and has a simple design. Koranganatha Temple at
Srinivasanallur is the important temple of the development of Chola style. The
region is referred as Mahendra
Mangalam in inscriptions. This Mahendra Mangalam could be the name given by some Pallava king as there were
three Pallava kings
with coronation name Mahendravarman.
Mahendravarman
I (580-630 CE) was known to be ruling over Trichy during his period however
this region was not under the Pallavas
after Mahendravarman I.
This suggests that the region was named after Mahendravarman I. However none of the inscription of this Pallava king refers this region.
The Temple
is dated to the period of the Chola king
Parantaka I however
presence of a donative record of an earlier Chola king Aditya
I put the temple to the latter half of the ninth century CE. There
is a popular story, which is accepted and repeated by the scholars, that the
temple was built by a sanyasi, and before the shrine was consecrated, he found
a monkey (korangu) at the top of it, this being considered a bad omen, it was
deserted. But the inscription and walls of this temple which range nearly over
200 years from the days of Aditya I to those of Kulottunga I (21st years 1091
A.D.) attest to the continuity of the worship of this deity and endowments made
to it during this long period.10 Hence the story is unworthy of evidence.
The
desecration if any and the neglect should be due to other causes. It should
have been at a later stage about 12th century. A.D.12 According to the local
inscription, the deity enshrined in this temple is called Thirukurakutturrai Perumanadigal
situated in the brahmandeya village of Mahendra Mangalam. Srinivasanallur
should have been included in the Pallava kingdom during the reign of
Mahendravarman I, and seems to have been in the past called Mahendra Mangalam
evidently after this Pallava Ruler of the seventh century A.D. who is said to
have seized, “the country of the Cholas embellished by the daughter of Kavera
(river Cauvery) whose ornaments are the forests of paddy fields, and where are
found brilliant grows of area”. Close to this village, there is even now, a
hamlet called Mahendra Mangalam.
The
Temple
This is
the east facing temple with two-storied Vimana of about 50 feet high. Antarala
is inserted between Mandapa and Ardhamandapam. The beautiful sculptures on the
walls reflect architectural brilliance. The images of animals on the walls
contain only heads carved on a single row. Vimana contains Karnakuta and Sala.
Karnakuta is placed at the angle of the building and have a square roof. Sala
is placed in middle topped with leaf shape roof. One can notice images of Lord
Brahma and Lord Dakshina Murthy on the walls of the temple. This temple is an
example of dvitala (double
storeys) vimana structure
as seen in Muvar Koil at Kodumbalur and Sundareswarar Temple at Thirukkattalai. There
are many advanced architectural features seen in this temple in comparison of
simpler shrines at Panangudi, Kaliyapatti and Visalur.
First
difference to notice is antarala (vestibule)
inserted between the sanctum and ardha-mandapa.
Total length from mandapa to vimana is about 50 feet
where mandapa is a
rectangle of 25 feet by 20 feet and the vimana is a square of 25 feet side. Sanctum inside vimana is a square chamber of 12
feet side. A very visible and striking difference which is observed from
the Pallava temples
is absence of rampant lion base pillars. However instead of using these animal
motifs as base of pillar, the architects innovated a new scheme where these animal
heads were put into a single-course of, a characteristic Chola feature which was continued
throughout the subsequent periods. This is the second advanced feature noticed
at Koranganatha Temple.
This
single-course row consisting of animal heads, vyala (yali)
row, is placed above adhisthana (platform).
There is a very low rising upapitam which
is probably constructed to level the ground for construction of the temple.
Above this upapitam rises upanam of quite significant
height. Above this is kambudam which
is rounded at its edges. Above this kambudam
is kabodam which is
surmounted with yalam (vyala row). The vyala row has magnificent and
exquisite figures of vyalas (mythological
animals) with heads of lions or elephants. Makara figures are protruding out on the corners in level
with vyalas.
Third
feature of interest is appearance of various pavilions in the attic of the
first storey of the vimana.
Karnakuta is placed at the
angle of the edifice and have a square roof with a stupi on top. Salai is
placed in middle and have an elongated oblong roof with three stupis on top. This arrangement
is earlier seen on the Pallava monoliths, Arjuna
Ratha and Dharmaraja Ratha, and
their structural temple, Shore Temple, at Mahabalipuram. Muvar Koil at Kodumbalur also has karnakutas and salai on
their vimana however
instead of putting these on single storey; these are distributed among two
storeys, karnakutas on
first and salai on
second. Kudus are
provided above cornice.
The vimana is about 50 feet high while the
cornice of mandapa is
about 16 feet
high. There are niches, gosta - panjaram,
carved between pilasters on the external walls of the sanctum. Niches are
topped with a makara-torana on
top. Two small niches are put on either side of the middle main niche. These
side niches were provided for attendants or Dvarapalas. The images placed inside the niches are carved very
bold and carved so exquisitely these look to be carved in round and few seems
to come out of the niche. There was a
niche sculpture of Kali in
attendance of Saraswathi on
left and Lakshmi on
right on southern wall of the temple.
There is
a marvelous image of Shiva as Dhakshinamoorthi in southern
niche. He is shown seated under a tree with his left leg placed above the demon
of ignorance. On either side of him are shown his pupils, ganas and animals. On right side
small niche has Shiva as Bhikshatana Murti. He is shown
wearing heavy sandals and is accompanied with a gana on his side. On side left niche is probably a dvarpala who is standing with
both his hands folded on his chest. He is wearing a Simha-makuta, lion face crown. There
are two protruding teeth coming out of his mouth. Middle niche of east wall is
now empty.
There
are two female images on two side niches on west wall. It may be that some
goddess was adorning the middle niche of this side. One of the female images is
holding achanvar (fly-whisk)
suggesting that she could an attendant of the missing goddess. Usually an image
of Vishnu is placed on
west however in this case it may be that an image of Lakshmi was carved. Niche on
north has an image of Brahma as
usual. He is shown standing in sambhaga posture
carrying an akshamala and
a kamandalu in his
upper arms. One arm is resting on his waist. One attendant is standing in right
side niche holding flowers in between his two palms which are joined in Anjali mudra. There is another
attendant on left side niche. There are many inscriptions on all the walls of
this temple.
Connectivity
The
Temple is located at about 40 Kms from Namakkal, 34 Kms from Thuraiyur, 40 Kms
from Thiruvellarai, 48 Kms from Trichy, 7 Kms from Thottiyam and 7 Kms from Musiri.
The Temple is located between Thottiyam and Musiri in the Trichy-Salem highway,
on the banks of the river Cauvery.
By Road:
Buses
run from all places in Tamilnadu to Trichy. Trichy is 48 Kms away from the
temple. Local buses ply from Trichy to the temple frequently.
By Train:
Nearest
railway station is Pettavaithalai Railway Station which is 18 km away. Major
railway station is Trichy Railway Station which is 52 km away.
By Air:
Nearest airport
is Trichy Airport which is 53 km away. Bus and taxi services are available to
reach the temple.