Muvar Koil - Kodambalur

Kodumbalur is perhaps the oldest historically recorded site and one of the most ancient places in Pudukottai District of Tamizh Nadu. It seems the earliest Tamizh epic - Silappadikaram mentions about Kodumbalur as a town lying on the way between Uraiyur, the Chozha capital and Madurai, the Pandya capital. It is through this road did Kovalan, the hero of Silappadikaram and his wife Kannagi along with the Jaina acetic travelled from Uraiyur to Madurai. Also the Periya Puranam refers to this place as Konattu-k-kodi-nagaram! 

For a long spell between 9th and 14th centuries Kodumbalur was under the Chozhas and later under Pandyas. This place was totally destroyed during the Muslim invasions in the 14th century.

What remains today in this great place is Muvar Koil meaning temple-of-three! This temple was built by the Irukkuvel Chief Bhuthi-vikram-kesari. According to the inscriptions he built these three Shiva shrines, one on his own behalf and the other two on behalf of his two wives. 

As far as the dating of Muvar Koil there are more than one opinion. However, it can be safely said that they belong to early Chozha period i.e between 9th and 11th century AD.

The temple complex here had three main shrines (Hence the name Muvar Koil) and many sub-shrines. The three main shrines stood side by side in a row, along the north-south direction facing west. 

However of the three main shrines only two are remaining today.  In its hay days this complex was supposed to have had a manimamdabam, several sub shrines and a bali-pitam! 

Decorating the niches of the shrine's walls are some of the finest sculptures of our country. Each sculpture is done with an utmost devotion and maximum  importance is given to the minute detail even! 

On the wall of the southern temple is a play enacted the Pallava way. In the top niche is Shiva as Gangadharan in a supportive mood. His face is lighted up with a tender but mischievous smile, while Parvathi moved away in mock anger. The whole composition of the Goddess trying to edge away by squeezing herself into the narrow space of the niche shows great aesthetic sensibility. In the next niche below, in its sequel the couple is seen reconciled and Parvathi's face is lighted up with happiness as she is encircled by the arm of Shiva.

This temple complex is under the care of Archaeological Survey of India and it is a ticketed monument. Photography is allowed since it is under the care of ASI.

For Anyone interested in Indian sculptures this place has plenty to offer.

Jambukeswarar Temple Thiruvanaikaval

Jambukeswarar Temple is situated in a suburb of Trichirapalli called Thiruvanaikaval. This temple is actually in an island surrounded by the river Kaveri and Kollidam.  

Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of this temple is called Jambukeswar and the goddess is Sri Akilandeswari. Shiva is in the form of Lingam and is considered as an embodiment of the element water. There is a freshwater spring underneath the Shiv Linga. It is revered as one of the Pancha-Bhoota Stalams. 

The temple was built by Kocengannan(Kochenga Chola), one of the Early Cholas, around 1,800 years ago. For more detailed description of the temple's origin and history, one can always Google.

The gopuram or the tower at the entrance of the temple looks very simple and unassuming. But once you enter the temple you will be amazed with the grandeur of the pillars and the sculptures.  Sri Jambukeshwara Temple has five concentric walls and seven gopurams. It is believed that this temple was also built around the same time Ranganathaswamy temple was built. 

There are numerous sculptures in this temple. Each pillar is decorated elaborately with sculptures. The four pillars which are found immediately after entering the temple are most exquisitely decorated.  The figure of nomadic gypsy with her palm leaves woven basket holds the onlooker spellbound.

Photography is allowed in this temple too! They charge Rs 30 per camera. Compared to SriRanganathaswamy temple of Srirangam this temple is very poorly maintained. The temple tank was locked and another big hall with many pillars was also locked when I visited this temple. HRCE people who maintain this temple have no business to lock any part of the temple and prevent the public from seeing them! 

Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam

As one of the most illustrious Vaishnava Temples of South India, Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam is rich in legend and history. Celebrated in the devotional hymns of the Alwars and famous for its role in the early history of Srivaishnavism, the Srirangam temple has been the object of both devotion and conflict. Its location, on an Island in the Kaveri river, has rendered it vulnerable to natural disasters, as well as to the rampages of invading armies - Hindu, Muslim and European - which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampments. 

This temple went through a crisis when the Tamizh country's transition from the classical era of the Pallava, Pandya and Chola kingdoms to the era of Islamic confrontation, a transition which was marked initially by the Muslim incursions of the early fourteenth century  and followed thereafter by the consolidation of the great Hindu empire of Vijayanagar. 

For further details of this great temple click here : Ranganathaswamy Temple

I recently had a chance to visit this wonderful temple. As a photographer first thing that impressed me in this temple is that photography is allowed! Bye a ticket of Rs 30 for camera and then you are good to go! Most of the places photography is allowed except the final pragaram!

This temple is one of the cleanest temples I have seen in Tamizh Nadu. Very well maintained with signage everywhere giving details of directions for various sannadhis. 

Also very impressive to note is that this temple is very senior citizen friendly. Electric cars are there to take old people to the main sanctum sanctorum right from the entrance.  

If you are a temple art enthusiast this is a temple you should visit. There are hundreds of sculptures in this temple with intricate details.

Finally one should not miss going to the 'view point' in this temple. From the view point we can see all Gopurams or towers in one line. The same place where they sell tickets for camera they sell the ticket to go to the view point also.

The LOST wax process.

From the ninth to the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty was the dominant cultural, artistic, religious, and political force in South India! Under their rule every form of art flourished! Notable among them are sculptures using granite stones and metal sculptures using bronze.  

Metal sculptures have been cast for centuries under the patronage of different dynasties in India, but nowhere does it seem to have registered such an acme of development as it did under the Cholas.

Between the 8th and 10th century, Hindu devotees began to involve their Gods into all their rituals and ceremonies outside the temple. So they needed portable deities to participate in these rituals and functions outside the temple. Thus began the creation of spectacular temple bronzes which were either a replica or an imitation of the original deity of the temple's sanctum sanctorum!

Although the making of bronze sculpture was started during the period of Pallavas, it reached its pinnacle under the Chola dynasty. Some of the outstanding bronze sculptures we have today are from Chozha period.  

These bronze sculptures were made by a process called "The LOST wax process" 

Beeswax and kungilium (a resin obtained from a tree called Shala tree (Shorea robusta) are mixed with a little oil and the mixture is kneaded well. With this mixture the necessary wax model is made. All the minute details are fashioned into it. This is the original wax model from which the bronze 

sculpture will be made.

The wax model is made as per the Silpa Sastras. Extreme care is given to the dimensions, the proportions, the pose, the ornaments, the mudras and the bhavas are all are as per the Silpa Sastras. It is said that the sculptor keeps reciting the Dhyana Slokam pertaining to the particular deity he is making as mentioned in the Silpa Sastras, so that the figure of the God he is making fills his mind completely. This helps the sculptor to fashion the sculpture exactly as per the Silpa Sastra.  The entire exercise of making the model with laser focused  attention and contemplation upon a particular deity, makes it a real Yoga.

Clay from a termite-hill is made into a paste and the entire wax model is coated with it over and over again until the mould is of a necessary thickness. Then the whole thing is dried. After that the clay-mould with the wax-model inside is baked over an oven with cow-dung cakes. As heat is generated the wax-model melts and flows out. Now the clay-mould is empty and is ready for casting.

The metal alloy of bronze is melted and then poured into the mould. 

This particular bronze alloy is known as "Pancha Lokam", which primarily contains copper and Tin. In addition often other metals are also added, gold and silver occasionally. It is a myth that Pancha Lokam always contains Gold and silver. Various archeometallurgical studies have proved that Gold and silver are found very rarely in Pancha Lokam.   

When the metal has filled all crevices inside the model and has settled, it is left for hardening and cooling. Once it is settled and cooled the mould is broken off. The basic bronze figure is thus obtained. It is then cleaned, finer details are added, blemishes are removed, smoothened, and polished well. So, there exists only one specimen of that particular work done by that sculptor, and it cannot be moulded or copied. In this process the wax model is lost and hence the name! Since it is the only specimen available at all times, it is unique and expensive.

All the pictures in this post were made by the lost wax process and were photographed in Chennai Government Museum. 

Kunjar - A Unique form of Art

This blog post is about a unique form of art called as 'Kunjar art form'. I am unable to get a clear period during which this art form started to take shape. It is suggested by some that it had its origin in Medieval India. Some literature also claims that it is influenced by Persian artists. 

This art form is identified by the name Kunjar - a Sanskrit word for The Elephant. This is because the

Elephant had a prominent place in every ancient Indian art form. 

This is a very unusual form of art and hence very rare to see! I have seen sculptures made of Kunjar art form in only two temples in South India and a painting in a fort in Orchha Madhya Pradesh! The reason is, to make a sculpture in Kunjar art form the sculptor should be extraordinarily skilled. It highlights the artist's skill of composition and assemblage, importantly within the parameters of a frame work. Animal frames were commonly used, elephant and horse being the most commonly used forms.

Kunjar or the elephant is the main composition of the art form. Elephant's shape is used as the shell within which figures of women are artistically intertwined and seated in a creative manner. The artist uses his creativity and employs various acrobatic postures of women to adjust them within the shell or the frame!  The composition typically followed a set pattern of nine women dressed ostentatiously and it is called Nava Nari Kunjar! When the number of women used is five it is called Pancha Nari Kunjar!

In place of women sculptors have also used birds and you can see one such sculpture from Vaishnava Nambi temple of Thirukurungudi Tamizh Nadu, India.

Panel sculptures of Thirukurungudi Temple tower.

Thirukurunkudi is a tiny village around 45.7 KMs from Tirunelveli, (See the Google Map below) Tamil Nadu. The main attraction of this village is Vaishnava Nambi Temple. In case you want to know more about the temple you can Google and you will get tons of information on this temple. This blog post is confined only to the Panel sculptures of this temple. 

This temple houses hundreds of outstanding sculptures from the  life sized to the ones to just a  few inches in size.  The temple offers a cocktail of Low relief, high relief and sunken relief! It is quite an exhibition of Dravidian style of architecture.

If you are interested in sculptures you can easily spend at least three hours in this temple! The temple tower (Gopuram) itself needs an hour as you need to observe very carefully every nook and corner of the lavishly decorated tower.

One thing which is quite unique to this tower is the Panel sculptures or Relief Panels! I have never seen so many Relief Panels anywhere in India (barring Khajuraho of course!) like it is in this temple. Luckily since these Relief Panels are sculpted on the tower, all the panels are  intact and they are not vandalised as they are difficult to reach! They are so intricately carved you can actually see the emotions in the face and the beauty of the jewellery the Gods are wearing!

Various scenes from Mahabharata and scenes from Vaishnava stories can be seen here. Interestingly there are panels of Shiva too despite this temple being a Vishnu temple! (Although in recent times because of the fight between Vaishnavites and Shaivaites they have uprooted a Shiva Lingam from this temple and installed it in a corner of this village! It seems a case is pending before the Supreme court regarding bringing back the lingam to this temple!)

The size of the panels would vary between two feet to three feet! You essentially need a zoom lens to shoot these panels. Although they are quite visible to the naked eye photographing them is not possible without a zoom lens. 

Photography inside the temple is not allowed but picturing the sculptures on the tower is not prohibited!

I will have another post on this temple shortly on other forms of its sculptures!