Next let’s go to the fourth page. While looking at these two temples, the people who were there said that there is another temple nearby. We could not see the temple. When I asked for location, they directed me towards a path a short distance away.As we walked down the path we came to a fenced structure and we opened the gate towards the structure.
While we were walking apart from these two temples, we could see that the archeology department has improved the place very well and has maintained the temple very well with green grass around it as a tourist spot. Separate fences have been erected for these two temples. 200 meters from these two temples there was something like a cowshed. If you walked between them, you could see the signs of the said temple. As soon as we entered the place we were greeted by a notice board about the place. As far as Kodumbalur is concerned, only this one place had complete details about that place.
What was written on the information board ? The name of this place was mentioned as Iyvar Kovil. So it is possible that there were five temples here. This temple is older than the Tanjore temple. Built during Rajasimha Pallavar period in the Pallavar style, this temple is almost 1200 years old. As I said earlier Mahabalipuram temple and this one have similar building style and structure. This is what they had written on this notice board.
Excavated ruins of Rajasimha Pallavan style stone temple. The design is unique with separate panels for panchalingams in the middle and at the four corners. Earlier Agamandapa Muhamandapams , Nandi and contemporary Pallava sculptures are also included. Appropriately, its epigraphic inscriptions refer to the temple as Ainthali (five structures)
As I said earlier, this inscription contains a lot of information. But the insight to learn it can only be given by scholars who know how to read the ancient inscriptions. There are no temple towers here. Only the base of the temple and its surroundings remain.
I think all these temple buildings are stolen for other purpose. Many ruined idols were seen scattered around the place. First there was a sign that there was a dancing maiden sculpture and a lingam like in those two temples. The wall work and the altar and the arches on the side of the steps were different but everything else was almost similar. It seems that this temple and those two temples were built in the same period. But I don’t know why they built it at a certain distance away
There is a lot of information about these temples in the inscriptions here. If I get books on these Kodumbalur inscriptions I will definitely let everyone know. Apart from the Nandi idol, there is no idol around the temple. There was only one statue, a giant statue sitting with a conch in hand.
As this temple is older than the big temple in Tanjore, we can know that these Kodumbalur kings were in power before the Cholas. They were also on the side of the Cholas. They were also the side of the Pallavas. It turns out that they were as primitive as the Cholas. This small temple was built during the period of pallavas. The structure and size of these temples is similar to that of the Mamallapura temple. It was after them that emperors like Raja Raja Chola started building huge temples. In the earlier period, most of the temples were built on the same scale as the Mamallapura temple. I think this is a very important comparison. If anyone has any advice on this please let me know. See you in the next post.