Poetry in stone

Amidst the thorny countryside and sorghum fields, the fenced site came upon S. THEODORE BASKARAN rather suddenly. Bathed in the rays of the early morning sun, the Moovarkoil monuments of Kodumbalur shone like jewels.

THE Thanjavur and Tiruchi area in Tamil Nadu is rich in such medieval monuments. While the imperial Cholas are known for their grandiose temples, not much attention has been paid to the smaller dynasties that left gems of architecture strewn on this countryside. One such example is the Irukuvelir dynasty, which was the ally of the Cholas in the power struggle in South India. One of the Irukuvelir daughters married a Chola prince. They ruled from Kodumbalur, now a tiny village, five km off Viralimalai on the Tiruchi-Dindigul highway.

Located on the highway that connected the Chola and Pandya capitals, this tiny village was a magnificent town those days. An inscription describes Kodumbalur as a city "with flag-flying turrets, towers and pillared hall, high battlements and long fortresses". A large establishment of the Kalamukha sect was located here and it was the centre of a flourishing merchant guild. The town in mentioned in the Silapathikaram. So it is evident that the Irukuvelirs held sway in this part of Tamil country for many centuries.

All that remains of the glory is this archaeological site which is a temple complex.

There are three shrines, attributed to Bhuthi Vikramakesari, who ruled in the first half of 10th Century A.D.. He built three temples, one each in his and in the name of his two queens. Of the first shrine, only the moulded basement remains, clearly showing the layout plan. The lowest part of all the three basements are shaped like lotus leaves. The other two shrines are almost intact. They both have square sanctums, over which is a two-storeyed square tower (vimana), embellished with finely chiselled sculptures and delicately carved friezes depicting the mythical creature yazhi and the celestial dwarfs ganas. There are sculptures in the niches, such as Ardhanari, Alinganamurthy and Gangadhara. Each of these three shrines had a small hall in front and beyond these, was a common hall for all the three. Now, what remains are the basements of these structures. In the original state, 15 smaller shrines housing tutelary deities surrounded the complex. There are also relics to show that here stood a temple of rare design - Aindhali (five-part temple) - which had a central sanctum with smaller shrines in the four corners. Some of the exquisite sculptures recovered in the site would have adorned this temple. While many of the sculptures recently recovered are kept in the site, some of the pieces collected earlier, such as Bikshadanar and Tiripurasundari, are in the museums at Pudukottai and Chennai. A temple tank with steps and a well are also a part of what remain at the site.

The temple and the sculptures are classified as belonging to the early Chola period; but evidence of transition from Pallava style are seen but with a fresh vibrancy.

In fact art historian Suresh Pillai in his introduction to the Study of Temple Art suggests that there is a distinct characteristic of Velir art which is independent of and anterior to Chola style. The round faces and slender limbs and the fluidity of movement expressed in sculptures such as Gajasamharamurthy are part of this separateness. The figures of gods and goddesses are done in high relief, almost in the round. He points out that the gable ends in these two temples feature (in relief) facades of contemporary temples - this in turn suggests Buddhist features.

It was Suresh Pillai, who introduced me to this monument, way back in 1965. Each time I visit this site, I notice improvement and there is more to marvel at.

More sculptures have been unearthed and displayed neatly in an in situ museum. Taken care of by the Archaeological Survey of India, its expertise in renovation is evident. You do not notice it.

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