Kalai "N" Koyil
Alambakkam,Varadaraja-perumal Temple Ariyalur ~ Ruined
Alambakkam and its environs formed an important brahmanical centre(caturvedimangalam) like Uttaramerur,with at least three temples belonging to this period in different stages of preservation and renovation.The village was founded (or perhaps reconstituted) under the name of Dantivarmamangalam in the time of Dantivarma.It flourished even in the subsequent Cola period with an alternative name of Madurantaka Caturvedimangalam after the title of Sundara Cola..
The Varadaraja-perumal called Tirumerrali in the inscriptions ,was originally founded by Dantivarma.It is a Sandstone structure,unique in that body of the entire temple is two storeyed.The aditala is built solid and hence is non functional;parts corresponding to vimana,ardhmandapa and mahamandapa are all built over a moulded adhisthana of common type,the whole affording a high platform for the functioning second storey the vimana,ardhamandapa and mahamandapa of this have also an ope ambulatory on the top of the lower tala.This is reached by a flight of steps in front.The Candraprabha (Jaina) temple of the time of Rajsimha Pallava (A.D. 700-730) in Tirupparattikunram (Jina Kanchi) uses a similar construction.There are other later examples in chola country dedicated both to saivaite and Vaisnavaite deities that locally are called "Kattumalai " (lit "biult up hill") or Anai-era-ttiruppani (lit."construction which the elephant cannot climb"). A later Tamil inscriptions mentions that a general (dandanayaka) called Vittappa under hoysala narasimha renovated this temple,which he says founded a long time back and was seen dilapidated.The earliest extant inscriptions ,on the jagati of the aditala adhisthana,are of early chola kings from the first quarter of the tenth century,which would indicate a still earlier foundation in late pallava times.The aditala ,both its architectural members and niched sculptures,retain Tondainadu features,particularly the adhisthana.The shape of the bevelled potikas is reminiscent of the local idiom in chola pandinadu,of which this temple seems a provincial example.While the entire construction is of local friable sandstone,granite mouldings and courses found here and there were inserted during two renovations,one in the time of Vira Narasimha Deva of Hoysala dynasty(who in the 13th century had penetrated into this region dibiding the chola and Pandya countries) who had their capital at Kannanur (Samayapuram).The upper storey shows abouve the Phalaka is reconstructed during chola times A.D 1000.The superstructure over the prastaras second tala is completely lost.
The aditala wiht the adhisthana below is broken into bays cantoned by tetragonal pilasters.The central bay is projected further than the others and contains a devakosthas flanked by nakulapadas,with vajana lintel above and a torana arch.The figure of standing visnu inside is charecteristically late pallava.Each bay must have carried kuta,panjura or sala elements of the now absent hara above .The padabandha adhisthana is simple.The second storey repeats the same pattern as below with five bhadras.The devakostha is empty,hara is lost.On the analogy of the earlier Candraprabha temple ,this temple may have hada third tala with no hara and a griva and sikhara of which the shapes cannot be determined..
Alambakkam,Varadaraja-perumal Temple Ariyalur ~ Ruined
Alambakkam and its environs formed an important brahmanical centre(caturvedimangalam) like Uttaramerur,with at least three temples belonging to this period in different stages of preservation and renovation.The village was founded (or perhaps reconstituted) under the name of Dantivarmamangalam in the time of Dantivarma.It flourished even in the subsequent Cola period with an alternative name of Madurantaka Caturvedimangalam after the title of Sundara Cola..
The Varadaraja-perumal called Tirumerrali in the inscriptions ,was originally founded by Dantivarma.It is a Sandstone structure,unique in that body of the entire temple is two storeyed.The aditala is built solid and hence is non functional;parts corresponding to vimana,ardhmandapa and mahamandapa are all built over a moulded adhisthana of common type,the whole affording a high platform for the functioning second storey the vimana,ardhamandapa and mahamandapa of this have also an ope ambulatory on the top of the lower tala.This is reached by a flight of steps in front.The Candraprabha (Jaina) temple of the time of Rajsimha Pallava (A.D. 700-730) in Tirupparattikunram (Jina Kanchi) uses a similar construction.There are other later examples in chola country dedicated both to saivaite and Vaisnavaite deities that locally are called "Kattumalai " (lit "biult up hill") or Anai-era-ttiruppani (lit."construction which the elephant cannot climb"). A later Tamil inscriptions mentions that a general (dandanayaka) called Vittappa under hoysala narasimha renovated this temple,which he says founded a long time back and was seen dilapidated.The earliest extant inscriptions ,on the jagati of the aditala adhisthana,are of early chola kings from the first quarter of the tenth century,which would indicate a still earlier foundation in late pallava times.The aditala ,both its architectural members and niched sculptures,retain Tondainadu features,particularly the adhisthana.The shape of the bevelled potikas is reminiscent of the local idiom in chola pandinadu,of which this temple seems a provincial example.While the entire construction is of local friable sandstone,granite mouldings and courses found here and there were inserted during two renovations,one in the time of Vira Narasimha Deva of Hoysala dynasty(who in the 13th century had penetrated into this region dibiding the chola and Pandya countries) who had their capital at Kannanur (Samayapuram).The upper storey shows abouve the Phalaka is reconstructed during chola times A.D 1000.The superstructure over the prastaras second tala is completely lost.
The aditala wiht the adhisthana below is broken into bays cantoned by tetragonal pilasters.The central bay is projected further than the others and contains a devakosthas flanked by nakulapadas,with vajana lintel above and a torana arch.The figure of standing visnu inside is charecteristically late pallava.Each bay must have carried kuta,panjura or sala elements of the now absent hara above .The padabandha adhisthana is simple.The second storey repeats the same pattern as below with five bhadras.The devakostha is empty,hara is lost.On the analogy of the earlier Candraprabha temple ,this temple may have hada third tala with no hara and a griva and sikhara of which the shapes cannot be determined..