Tamilnadu Tourism: Parvatagirisvarar Cave Temple, Kunnandarkoil

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Parvatagirisvarar Cave Temple, Kunnandarkoil – The Temple Complex

Parvatagirisvarar Cave Temple, Kunnandarkoil – The Temple Complex

This cave temple is facing towards east and has been excavated on a low rising hill on its eastern façade. The main entrance has four massive pillars reminding long lost rajagopuram. The temple has two prakarams enclosed within a brick compound wall. The brick compound wall extends on both the sides and turns towards west. It ends near the second prakara compound wall on the northern side whereas it runs up to the south of Nritta mandapa on the southern side.

There is an idol of Ganesha enshrined inside a niche in the outer side of the compound wall on the right side of the main entrance. Balipeedam, Dhwaja Sthambam and Nandi can be found immediately after the main entrance in the outer prakaram, facing towards the sanctum. There is four pillared mandapam situated to the left side of the Nandi mandapam. The temple consists of sanctum, ardha mandapam and maha mandapam. The sanctum is guarded by dvarapalas on either sides.

There are inscriptions on the base of the dvarapalas. Presiding deity is called as Parvatagirisvarar / Thiru Kundrakudi Mahadevar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the rock cut cylindrical placed inside an octagonal pitha. The walls of the sanctum are plain. The ardha mandapam has two pillars and two pilasters. The niche on the northern lateral side wall of the ardha mandapa is carved with an image of Umasahitamurthi. Both of them shown seated in maharajalilasana.

Lord Shiva is four armed. His upper left hand holds axe and upper right hand holds his tresses. Goddess Uma is two armed. A lady attendant carrying a basket in her hands can be seen next to her on the left side. The niche on the southern lateral side wall of the ardha mandapa is carved with an image of Valampuri Ganesha (his trunk turned to his right). He is seated cross legged and is four armed. He holds broken tusk and lotus bud in his upper hands.

His lower right hand holds modaka and his lower left hand is resting on his thigh. The structural maha mandapa was added at later stage in front of the cave temple. Balipeedam and Nandi can be found in the maha mandapa facing towards the sanctum. The maha mandapa is enclosed within a wall enclosing the cave. The maha mandapa is accessed through a two-tiered gopuram on the eastern side. The maha mandapa is further enclosed within a wall.

There are two monuments present in this second enclosure. Images of Sapta Matrikas flanked by Veerabhadra and Ganesha can be seen on southern side of the maha mandapa. Navagrahas can be seen in a raised platform on the norther eastern side of the maha mandapa. The maha mandapa contains a number of portrait sculptures. There are two portrait images, one of which is identified as the Mutharaiyar chief who built the temple and other being his assistant.

The image of a Pattavan here represents a man who lost his life fighting some robbers, while watching the temple property, and offerings are occasionally made to him. There is an unfinished rock cut shrine excavated on the northern side of the main cave with images of Thandavar, Subrahmanya and Ayyanar inside it. An image of Chandikeswarar is carved on its northern side and it faces towards south. There is another unfinished rock cut shrine excavated on the southern side of the main cave.

This cave is bigger than northern cave. It has a facade with two pillars in the middle and two pilasters each one on either side. The rear wall of the cave is engraved with inscriptions. The individual images retrieved from the place are maintained in the Pudukottai Government Museum. The bronze images in the temple are earliest specimen of exquisite sculpted images in South Indian art. The Somaskanda bronze with Shiva and Parvathi, with their child Skanda is the most prominent among the bronzes in the temple.