The temple Vijayalaya Chozhisvaram is a marvellous piece of art built by
a Muttaraiyar chief, Ilango Adi Araiyan (இளங்கோ அடி அரையன்). This is inferred
from an inscription under one of the dvara-palaka-s (துவாரபாலகர்). The inscription
says that the temple was originally built by one Sembudi (செம்பூதி), also called
Ilango Adi Araiyan, and that is suffered damage by heavy rains and was repaired
by one Mallan-viduman (மல்லன் விதுமன்) also called Tennavan Tamil Adi Araiyan
(தென்னவன் தமிழ் அடி அரையன்).
The Vijayalaya Chozhisvaram surrounded by the parivara shrines
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The temple obtained its present name after Vijayalaya Chozha (விஜயாலய சோழன்),
the founder of the imperial Chozha line (second half of 9th century AD). This
name was referred to, for the first time, in a 13th century, Mara-varman Sundara-pandya
(மாரவர்மன் சுந்தரபாண்டியன்) inscription and it has survived obscuring the fact
that the temple was erected by the Muttaraiyar-s (முத்தரையர்). As far as the
dating of the builder Ilango Adi Araiyan is concerned there are two opinions.
Some are of the opinion that he belonged to the time of the Pallava king Nandi-varman
II (இரண்டாம் நந்திவர்மன்) or even to that his predecessor (8th century AD).
Other experts opine that he belonged to the time of Vijayalaya Chozha (second
half of 9th century AD).
Located on the top ledge of the hill, there is a sombre magnificence about
this Siva temple as it stands in its loneliness. As one approaches the site,
the sighting of this temple edifice among the sparse vegetation and shingled
rock, is breathtaking.
The shrine is an important one in the history of temples of the Tamil country.
According to K.V. Soundararajan (in his book titled Studies in Indian Temple
Architecture) this is ‘one of the important temples of the early Muttaraiyar-s,
entirely circular from the ground tala (தளம்) up to the sikharam (சிகரம்), constituting
a single Vesara (வேசரா) example’.
In the opinion of S.R. Balasubrahmanyam (in his book titled Early Chozha
Art I) ‘it is unique in many respects. It is four tiered, and is the earliest
and grandest of the early Chozha temples. It is built of stone. It has a circular
garbha-griham (in Pranava form) and a wonderful vimanam. …. Above all it is
the fore-runner of the glorious monuments of the Chozha-s’.
Temple Architecture
This is an interesting Muttaraiyar temple constructed in Vesara style and
with ashta-parivara-s. The west facing main shrine would have been at the centre
of a large courtyard and surrounded by the eight sub-shrines within the courtyard.
These sub-shrines are in various stages of ruin. The complex is surrounded by
a prakaram.
Beautiful dvara-palaka-s
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The door to the shrine is on the west, has a pleasing floral design, and
is guarded by a pair of two-armed Dvara-palaka-s (துவாரபாலகர்), one arm resting
on a club and the other held out in the vismaya pose, and with legs crossed.
Excepting these doorkeepers, figures and portraits adorn only the upper terraces.
The main temple stands on a double lotus base with walls running round the sanctum
and ardha-mandapam. These are embedded with elegant pilasters topped by palagai-s
(பலகை, ‘stone-planks’).
The ardha-mandapam (view from the sanctum)
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The covered ardha-mandapam stands on six pillars that are square at the
top and bottom but octagonal in the middle. These monolithic pillars are crowned
with bracket capitals. Over the pilasters and palagai-s and the corbels, is
the curved roll cornice with its chaitya arches and decorated with kudu-s (கூடு),
containing figures of human heads and animals and surmounted by trifoliate finials.
There are usual rows of bhutha-gana (பூத கணம்).
The garbha-griham (கர்ப கிரகம், sanctum) is circular and is enclosed within
a square hall. Around the circular inner wall and the outer square wall there
is a narrow pradakshina (circumbulatory) passage.
The upper part of the vimanam
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The vimanam is a hollow superstructure made up of four tiers, each separated
from the next by a cornice. The lowest is rectangular and built over the ardha-mandapam
and the garbha-griham, the rest are over the garbha-griham only.
On every tier under and over the roll cornice are rows of frolicking gana,
vyali-s (யாளி), Apsara-s (அப்ஸரா) and god-s. The first two tiers have broad
parapet walls running over the edge. These are topped by domical cell-like roofs.
The vyali frieze
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The parapets contain recesses and adorned with Apsara-s in dancing poses.
Here one can see some of the most graceful poses of Indian Classical dance.
The circular top tier is topped by a round sikharam (சிகரம்). At the base of
the sikharam on four coordinal directions are four beautifully moulded nandi
(நந்தி)-s with broad shoulders and with rippling muscles.
In between the bulls are four elaborate chaitya-arches with the niches containing
superb portraits. One is Vina-dhara Dakshina-moorthi (வீணாதார தக்ஷிணாமூர்த்தி).
He wears a look of supreme serenity. Another is a portrait of Siva seen with
Parvathi in a tender mood caressingly tilting her chin with his right hand.
Traces of painting in the ardha-mandapam
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Very faint traces of paintings can be seen inside on the walls of ardha-mandapam.
A Bhairava (பைரவர்) with eight arms is seen on the north wall, and what is probably
Durga, on the south. These paintings are 'modern' and not earlier than the 17th
century, according to the Manual of the Pudukkottai State (1944).
Though badly battered by weather over more than a thousand years, the entire
effect of Vijayalaya Chozhisvaram from its base to its terraced top is one of
breath-taking beauty. Modeled with loving care, graceful figures and rollicking
elephants and gana-s emerge continuously from the granite surface. The Apsara-s
of the recesses have an alluring charm about them, their graceful pose offering
unending delight.
One of the sub shrines
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As mentioned earlier, presently, only six out of the original eight sub-shrines
remains around the main shrine. Each of them has a small square garbha-griham
and a closed rectangular ardha-mandapam in front. They are all one-storied (ஒற்றைத்தளம்,
eka-tala).
In front of the main shrine there is a nandi-mandapam (நந்தி மண்டபம்) with
four pillars and without a roof. There is a stone Nandi inside.
The nandi mandapam
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