Vallisvara temple, Mangadu, Tamil Nadu

The Vardhamana temple dates back to sixth century. It was enlarged during Chola period. The temple houses an idol of Mahavira. At the heart of this Jain complex are two double shrines, each with part-circular plans. The exteriors have been much renovated. The temples are built in the late Chola style, with small towers capped by hemispherical roofs. They are preceded by a long columned hall (mandapa), the ceiling of which is covered with paintings dating from the seventeenth century. The paintings cover stories of the Jains saviours like Rishbhadeva and Vardhamana in their former lives. References: G. Michell, 1995, p. 232, G. Michell, 1989, p. 439.

Like the temple of Tiruppurambiyam, this is an earlier temple probably from Parantaka I's time (907 - 954 CE) but a large number of sculptures than the usual original five have been crudely inserted into newly improvised niches made by cuttings into the old outer inscribed walls of the sanctum sanctorum (garbagriha) and the half hall (ardhmandapa) causing damage even to the inscriptions. This is likely to have taken place in the period of Uttama Chola (971 - 988 CE) when additional divinity niche divinity niches (devakoshtas) sculptures became fashionable of the temples of Sembiyan style. Reference: S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1971, pp. 183-185.

The Vijayalaya-Colisvara temple, although a Muttaraiyar foundation, represents an early stage of Chola art. The temple is a structural stone temple having a main shrine in the center with six sub-shrines all round facing the main shrine. The basement of a seventh sub-shrine can be traced. Originally there must have been eight sub-shrines. There should also have been a wall of enclosure surrounding the whole group with a gateway in the east. An inscription records that this temple was originally built by Sembudi Ilangodi Araiyan but was destroyed by lightning and reconstructed again by Tennavan Tamiladi Araiyan in the reign of Vijayalaya (850 - 871 CE). The temple was named after the Chola king. The temple is unique in many respects. It is four tiered and is the earliest and grandest of the early Chola structural temples. The sub-shrines around it are indicative of the beginning, albeit on a small scale of the early Chola style. The sanctum sanctorum is circular in form - perhaps intended to represent the Pranava or Omakara, the mystic spiritual symbol of the Hindus. Though there are now no idols in the sub-shrines, their style and their position in the general layout are clearly brought out. A number of sculptures of this temple are now in the Government Museum at Pudukkottai. References: M.W. Meister and M.A. Dhaky 1963, pp. 133-135, S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1966, pp. 44-52.

The place Vriddhachalam is significant because it is one of the 22 scared Siva temples of nadu-nadu (the central region) of the Tamil land. Vriddhagirisvarar literally means the Lord of the ancient hill. Vipachit, the sage is said to the earliest builder of the Vriddhagirisvara temple. There is an image of him at the foot of the scared Vanni tree of the temple. Tamil saints Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar have sung His glory in their hymns. Various additions were made to the temple in later times. An inscription from Uttama Chola's time - 982 CE records that parts of the temple were constructed by Sembiyan Mahadevi. She is said to have built the central shrine (Sri Koyil), the covered veranda and the shrines for the minor deities. Even later, various structural additions to the main shrine were made. There are three big courts with walls of enclosure (prakaras) and tall towers with seven storeys, one at the entrance to the second prakara which is the oldest, and four towers at the four middle points of the outer walls of enclosure. References: M.W. Meister and M.A. Dhaky, 1963, p. 185, Venkataraman 1976, pp. 44-46, S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1971, pp. 197-200.

The ancient name of the main deity at the Vyaghrapurisvara temple at Tiruppullivanam was Tiruppulivanam-Udaiya Nayanar and the temple. This Shiva temple is a foundation of the days of Pallava Nandivarman II and thus belongs to the eighth century CE. This temple must have originally been in brick and later was rebuilt in stone in the time of Kulottunga I (1070-1122 CE). The pillared hall (mandapa) in front of the central shrine is on wheels and is perhaps one of the earliest temples having the chariot-structure for one of its constituents. The superstructure (vimana) is covered with pilaster and stucco. References: M.W. Meister and M.A. Dhaky, 1963, pp. 257-258, S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1979, pp. 36-40.