Temple for formless God!

 Avudaiyar Koil or Kovil (Koil or Kovil in Tamil language = Temple) is a small village in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu in southern part of India. The town itself is called by the name of the temple. The basic structure of this temple was built by Tamil poet Manickavasagar under the Pandian Kingdom during the 9th century and it was then called as Thiruperunthurai. Subsequently many additions were made to this temple by other Kings including the Cholas who ruled this region. What stands today as Avudaiyar Koil is a cumulative effort of various builders over time! This temple houses some of the grandest workmanship of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu, even referred to as an untouched treasure by some.

The entire temple is decorated with breathtaking sculptures. Overtime the sculptors from these parts of Tamil Nadu considered the sculptures of this temple as a benchmark in carving! 

Many of the things which we normally see in a Shiva temple are missing in this temple! First the God here is formless! Only base of the lingam (Avudaiyar – hence the name) is seen in the sanctum sanctorum. There is no Nandhi in this temple or for that matter Kodimaram (pole in which the temple flag is hoisted). Shiva temple normally faces northward but this one is facing south! The navagraha statues are carved on the pillars itself.  Only the feet of Parvathi are seen and not the entire figure! 

The striking granite sculptures in the Avudaiyar Koil temple are the many carvings, stone chains and the pillars! Each pillar in this temple is a collection of sculptures. 

This temple’s highlights are the two statues of a Kuravan and a Kurathi (hunter and his wife). The figures are examples of the attention to intricate details shown by the sculptors. The minute details from the toe nails to the hairstyles with every strand of hair delineated, to the veins and bones of the body lovingly recreated makes the visitor wonder at the dedication and skill of the sculptors of that era.

A unique statue: There is a statue in this temple which depicts the process of child birth using gravitational force! Many people who have visited this temple would not have seen this statue. This statue is carved at the base of a pillar which is very difficult to identify! I was able to see this statue thanks to my guide who is extremely knowledgeable about this temple!  

Avudaiyar Kovil was best described by The English professional photographer Captain Edmund David Lyon (1825-1891). Here it is - “It is quite impossible to give any idea of the beauty of the work here to be found. Each pillar is of itself worthy of the closest investigation, and hours might be spent in this one outer porch, and still not half its wonderful carving be discovered. The pillars are so close together, and the light is so very obscure, that to photograph it properly would be impossible, more especially as whitewash and paint have done their worst to obscure and destroy what was originally so perfect. There is not, however, one spot in the whole porch that is not exquisite; and when we consider the nature of the stone and the quantity of the pillars, it is doubtful if there is anything so beautiful, on a small scale, in the whole of Southern India. The whole of the outer pillars in front of the portico have been carved into different incarnations of the gods, which, in point of execution, far exceed almost any to be found elsewhere, for though at Peroor and Tinnevelly, perhaps, the figures are equally good in appearance, but when the nature of the stone is considered, these must be pronounced much more wonderful”.

 

Another post on this temple: Awesome roof