Agastisvara Siva temple, Panangudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
  • Agastisvara Siva temple, Panangudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
  • Agastisvara Siva temple, Panangudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
  • Agastisvara Siva temple, Panangudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
Agastisvara Siva temple, Panangudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu

The Agastisvara Shiva temple at Panangudi, though of the simplest design, is fully realized. It is built of stone from the basement to the finial (stupi). It is single-storied and complete with its original tower – crowning cupola (sikhara) and stupi. Much of the figures are now lost, for example, the door guardians (dvarapalikas) and the divinity niches’ (devakoshta) images are missing and there is little evidence of style that can be derived from the surviving four small images and therefore a precise date cannot be inferred. However, on the north wall of the temple, there is an inscription of year 14 of a Parakesari in an early script so this temple has been attributed to the time of Vijayalaya (850 – 871 CE) (the earliest Chola king having the tile of Parakesarivarman is Vijayalaya). The temple also bears inscriptions from the reign of Kulottunga III (1178–1218 CE) and a Pandyan king Maravarman Kulasekhara (c.?1268 – c.?1308 CE). References: D. Barrett, 1974, p.47, S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1966, pp.54-56.