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Thirumayam is a place of historical importance. Miles before reaching the town one can see a fort atop a large hill.
There are two famous rock-cut shrines, one for Siva and the other for Vishnu, adjacent to each other. The Siva cave temple is older among the two.
The Vishnu temple is very venerated and considered second only to the temple at Srirangam . Closer to the rock-cut shrine of Siva is a large area dressed to take one of the largest inscriptions.
History of Thirumayam
The earliest monument, the Siva cave temple is assigned to first half of 7th century AD on epigraphical evidences and its architectural style.
The earliest monument, the Siva cave temple is assigned to first half of 7th century AD on epigraphical evidences and its architectural style.
The Vishnu cave temple may be ascribed to a date not latter than the first half of the 8th century.
Thirumayam later formed part of the territories of the imperial Chozhas.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Hoysala-s ruled this place, first as the allies of the Chozha and later of the Pandya-s. Two inscriptions here refer to Appanna, a Danda-nayaka of the Hoysala army, who, while returning from his victorious march to Rameswaram, presided over an important tribunal, held at Thirumayam to settle a longstanding dispute between the trustees of the Vishnu and Siva temples.
In the 12th and 13th centuries,
In the 13th century, Thirumayam passed under Pandya rule, and there are inscriptions dated in the reigns of Mara-varman Sundara Pandya II , Jatavarman Veera Pandya III , Jatavarman Parakrama Pandya , and an unidentified Veera Pandya . The Vijayanagara inscriptions are dated in the reigns of Virupaksha I and Krishnadeva-raya (15th and 16th century AD). In the 16th century, the chiefs of Chooraikkudi administered Thirumayam. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the town was a northern outpost of the territories of the Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram , but was directly administered by the Pallava-rayar-s. About the year 1686, Vijaya Raghunatha , popularly known as Kizhavan Sethupathi , of Ramanathapuram, brother-in-law of Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman made over to the latter the area of Thirumayam. Sethupathi Thanda-thevan confirmed this cession in 1723 in return for military help that he received from the Tondaiman against Bhavani Sankar , a rival claimant to the chief ship of Ramanathapuram.
The MONUMENTS
Thirumayam is a place of historical importance and contains three celebrated monuments. They are the Thirumayam Fort and the famous rock-cut shrines of Siva and Vishnu, hewn out of the same rock. The old fort-entrance is also a noteworthy structure. The Vishnu temple is closer to the diversion road and the Siva temple is to west of this. The Siva temple is in the eastern side of the Vishnu shrine.
Thirumayam later formed part of the territories of the imperial Chozhas.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Hoysala-s ruled this place, first as the allies of the Chozha and later of the Pandya-s. Two inscriptions here refer to Appanna, a Danda-nayaka of the Hoysala army, who, while returning from his victorious march to Rameswaram, presided over an important tribunal, held at Thirumayam to settle a longstanding dispute between the trustees of the Vishnu and Siva temples.
In the 12th and 13th centuries,In the 13th century, Thirumayam passed under Pandya rule, and there are inscriptions dated in the reigns of Mara-varman Sundara Pandya II , Jatavarman Veera Pandya III , Jatavarman Parakrama Pandya , and an unidentified Veera Pandya . The Vijayanagara inscriptions are dated in the reigns of Virupaksha I and Krishnadeva-raya (15th and 16th century AD). In the 16th century, the chiefs of Chooraikkudi administered Thirumayam. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the town was a northern outpost of the territories of the Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram , but was directly administered by the Pallava-rayar-s. About the year 1686, Vijaya Raghunatha , popularly known as Kizhavan Sethupathi , of Ramanathapuram, brother-in-law of Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman made over to the latter the area of Thirumayam. Sethupathi Thanda-thevan confirmed this cession in 1723 in return for military help that he received from the Tondaiman against Bhavani Sankar , a rival claimant to the chief ship of Ramanathapuram.
In 1733, Thirumayam was the only place of refuge left to the Tondaiman when the Thanjavur general Ananda Rao overran the whole of the Pudukkottai country. Here Vijaya Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman lay besieged for about a year until Ananda Rao raised the siege and retired. In 1755, The Raja of Thanjavur submitted to the East India Company a claim for Thirumayam, but did not seriously maintain the claim. There is an unauthenticated tradition that, at the time of the ‘Poligar War’ of 1799, the famous Katta-bomman of Panchalankurichchi and his dumb brother had taken refuge in the jungles of Tondaiman territory near Thirukkalambur . They were captured by the Tondaiman and imprisoned for a time in the Thirumayam fort. He then handed over them to the English. During the second ‘Poligar War’, Thirumayam was a depot for Lieutenant Colonel Agnew’s army.
The MONUMENTS Thirumayam is a place of historical importance and contains three celebrated monuments. They are the Thirumayam Fort and the famous rock-cut shrines of Siva and Vishnu, hewn out of the same rock. The old fort-entrance is also a noteworthy structure. The Vishnu temple is closer to the diversion road and the Siva temple is to west of this. The Siva temple is in the eastern side of the Vishnu shrine.
Protection
Thirumayam Fort, Siva and Vishnu temples are protected and controlled byArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) and are declared as National Monuments. The following links provide more details about ASI's participation.
Thirumayam Fort, Siva and Vishnu temples are protected and controlled byArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) and are declared as National Monuments. The following links provide more details about ASI's participation.
Tirumayam Fort, Pudukkottai
Sethupati Vijaya Raghunatha Tevan (1673-1708) of Ramanathapuram, popularly known as Kilavan Sethupati, built this fortification on and around the small hillock at Tirumayam in Pudukkottai district. The fort later came under the control of Tondaiman rulers of Pudukkottai. It has a main gateway on the east in the lowermost wall with shrines for guardian deities like Ganesa, Hanuman and Bhairava. There is a moat around the lower wall. On the top of the rock is bastion with cannon of British origin. The construction of the fort is of inferior quality as small blocks of stones were used along with bricks for the crenulations of the fortification. However, on the other side of the rock are located three rock-cut temples, two of them dedicated to Siva and the third to Vishnu, which are historically and religiously more important.
Rock-cut Vishnu temple (Satyamurthi Perumal temple)
This cave temple dedicated to Vishnu is a Muttaraiyar excavation as attested by an inscription recording the renovation of the temple and an endowment by Perumbidugu Perumdevi, mother of Sattan Maran also called Videlvidugu Viluperadiaraiyan, a contemporary and vassal of Pallava king Nandivarman II Pallavamalla (AD 731-796). Nevertheless, the temple is slightly older and dated to closing decades of seventh century.
The temple consists of an ardha-mandapa in front of a rectangular sanctum. In the sanctum there is beautiful and vibrant depictions of Anantasayi Vishnu recumbent on the serpent Adisesha with Lakshmi seated on his breast. He is being shown surrounded by other deities like Garuda, Chitragupta, Markandeya, Brahma, the Devas, the Vasus, and the Kinnaras. There are two demons near the feet of the gods and sheltered there is Bhudevi.
Tirumangai Alvar, a Vaishnava saint of 8th cenutury AD had sung about this deity. There are number of other structures in the complex of later periods.
Some of the bronzes, now preserved in the temple, dates back to 8th-9th century AD.
Open from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Entrance Fee:
Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 5 per head.
The temple consists of an ardha-mandapa in front of a rectangular sanctum. In the sanctum there is beautiful and vibrant depictions of Anantasayi Vishnu recumbent on the serpent Adisesha with Lakshmi seated on his breast. He is being shown surrounded by other deities like Garuda, Chitragupta, Markandeya, Brahma, the Devas, the Vasus, and the Kinnaras. There are two demons near the feet of the gods and sheltered there is Bhudevi.
Tirumangai Alvar, a Vaishnava saint of 8th cenutury AD had sung about this deity. There are number of other structures in the complex of later periods.
Some of the bronzes, now preserved in the temple, dates back to 8th-9th century AD.
Open from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Entrance Fee:
Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 5 per head.
Rock-cut Vishnu temple (Satyamurthi Perumal temple)
This cave temple dedicated to Vishnu is a Muttaraiyar excavation as attested by an inscription recording the renovation of the temple and an endowment by Perumbidugu Perumdevi, mother of Sattan Maran also called Videlvidugu Viluperadiaraiyan, a contemporary and vassal of Pallava king Nandivarman II Pallavamalla (AD 731-796). Nevertheless, the temple is slightly older and dated to closing decades of seventh century.
The temple consists of an ardha-mandapa in front of a rectangular sanctum. In the sanctum there is beautiful and vibrant depictions of Anantasayi Vishnu recumbent on the serpent Adisesha with Lakshmi seated on his breast. He is being shown surrounded by other deities like Garuda, Chitragupta, Markandeya, Brahma, the Devas, the Vasus, and the Kinnaras. There are two demons near the feet of the gods and sheltered there is Bhudevi.
Tirumangai Alvar, a Vaishnava saint of 8th cenutury AD had sung about this deity. There are number of other structures in the complex of later periods.
Some of the bronzes, now preserved in the temple, dates back to 8th-9th century AD.
Open from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Entrance Fee:
Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 5 per head.
The temple consists of an ardha-mandapa in front of a rectangular sanctum. In the sanctum there is beautiful and vibrant depictions of Anantasayi Vishnu recumbent on the serpent Adisesha with Lakshmi seated on his breast. He is being shown surrounded by other deities like Garuda, Chitragupta, Markandeya, Brahma, the Devas, the Vasus, and the Kinnaras. There are two demons near the feet of the gods and sheltered there is Bhudevi.
Tirumangai Alvar, a Vaishnava saint of 8th cenutury AD had sung about this deity. There are number of other structures in the complex of later periods.
Some of the bronzes, now preserved in the temple, dates back to 8th-9th century AD.
Open from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Entrance Fee:
Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 5 per head.
Rock-cut Siva temple, (Satyagirisvara temple)
The cave-temple dedicated to Siva seems to be a Pandyan excavation in the 7th-8th century AD. The cave-temple has a sanctum with a lingam cut out of the parent rock opening sideways into the ardha-mandapa. The ardha-mandapa has the pillar with square top and bottom portion with intervening octagonal shaft. There are bas-reliefs of Lingodhbhava opposite the sanctum and a Ganesa in the ardha-mandapa. A figure of nandi was also carved out of the parent rock in the ardha-mandapa. There is pair of dvarapalas guarding the entrance of the sanctum.
The most significant feature of the monument is the occurrence of traces of an inscription on music like the one preserved in full at Kudumiyanmalai. Unfortunately, this inscription was obliterated in the 13th century. The space was used for engraving an inscription recording the award of the tribunal by Hoysala general Appanna in the feud between the trustees of this temple and the adjacent Vishnu temple. Nevertheless, some of the letters in the Grantham script giving the svaras (notes) and the (colophon parivadhinida (parvadhini, a stringed instrument) and the name Gunasena in contemporary Tamil characters are still discernable. There are few other inscriptions of later periods in this temple. There are number of other structures built around this cave-temple in the subsequent periods.
The most significant feature of the monument is the occurrence of traces of an inscription on music like the one preserved in full at Kudumiyanmalai. Unfortunately, this inscription was obliterated in the 13th century. The space was used for engraving an inscription recording the award of the tribunal by Hoysala general Appanna in the feud between the trustees of this temple and the adjacent Vishnu temple. Nevertheless, some of the letters in the Grantham script giving the svaras (notes) and the (colophon parivadhinida (parvadhini, a stringed instrument) and the name Gunasena in contemporary Tamil characters are still discernable. There are few other inscriptions of later periods in this temple. There are number of other structures built around this cave-temple in the subsequent periods.
Visiting Thirumayam
Thirumayam lies 20 km south of Pudukkottai, on the road from that town toKaraikudi. This is actually National Highway NH-210, which connects Tiruchirapalliand Rameshwaram.
Thirumayam is well connected by road and rail. The nearest rail head is at Pudukkottai. Bus facility is available from major cities and many other places.
Accommodations:
Pudukkottai : Click Here!
Karaikudi: Click here!
Bus terminal: Thirumayam
Railway Station (Passenger) : Thirumayam
Railway Station (Express) : Pudukkottai (20 km)
Airports (Domestic) :
Trichy Airport (Web site, 65 km)
Directions from Trichy Airport - Thirumyam (Google maps)
Madurai Airport (Web site, 116 Km)
Directions from Madurai Airport - Thirumayam (Google maps)
Airports (International):
Chennai International Airport (Web site, 378 km)
Directions from Chennai airport - Thirumayam (Google maps)
Bangalore International Airport(Web site, 440 km)
Directions from Bangalore airport - Thriumayam (Google maps)
Thirumayam is well connected by road and rail. The nearest rail head is at Pudukkottai. Bus facility is available from major cities and many other places.
Accommodations:
Pudukkottai : Click Here!
Karaikudi: Click here!
Bus terminal: Thirumayam
Railway Station (Passenger) : Thirumayam
Railway Station (Express) : Pudukkottai (20 km)
Airports (Domestic) :
Trichy Airport (Web site, 65 km)
Directions from Trichy Airport - Thirumyam (Google maps)
Madurai Airport (Web site, 116 Km)
Directions from Madurai Airport - Thirumayam (Google maps)
Airports (International):
Chennai International Airport (Web site, 378 km)
Directions from Chennai airport - Thirumayam (Google maps)
Bangalore International Airport(Web site, 440 km)
Directions from Bangalore airport - Thriumayam (Google maps)
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