Tiruchi/Trichy/Tiruchirappalli is known for its exquisite temples and monuments. The most important of these are the Rock Fort and Srirangam temples. Like a gesture of welcome, they can be seen from a long distance as we approach the city.
The Rock Fort due to its location, size and various historical connections is visited by people of all religions and nations. It has become one of the most important tourist attractions of the city.
The Srirangam Ranganatha Swami temple has a historical background which goes back to Nayaks and early Cholas contributions. According to some old stories even Tippu Sultan, the king of Mysore, has made significant contributions to this temple.
The beautiful sculptures around the temple and horse pillared Mandapam raised by the Nayak kings are the jewels of the temple complex. The Dasavataram scenes and stories from Ramayana sculpted on the pillars in the mandapam add beauty to it.
The temples around Tiruchi like Rock Fort Uchipillaiyar, Srirangam and Thiruvanaikaval tell us lot about the epics, stories from Hindu religion and even more from the pages of history. More significant architectural structures have been put up by different dynasties like Cholas, Pandiyas, Nayaks, Marathas and even foreign invaders like British.
The Moverkoil (Kodumbalur) built by Cholas is the best examples for later Chola architecture along with the mixture of Pallava style according to art historian K.R. Srinivasan. The grand Anaikattu (Kallanai) is the best example for the early Cholas (Karikala Cholan) engineering technology and water management system in those days.
The 8th century Thiruvaellarai and 1200-year-old Malayadippatti Perumal temple near Thuvakudi which has rock-cut caves and dilapidated murals (using Bono-secco method) show the deity more close to Mamallapuram’s Pallava style.
The Malaikoil in Thiruverumbur is a significant example of early Chola architecture and bronzes.
After temples, the colonial architecture and monuments play an important role in Tiruchi. The clock tower near the Gandhi Market, the Court complex, the Our Lady of Lourdes cathdedral, Clive’s Hostel (the British armoury building named after Robert Clive’s short stay, Collectors residence and old collector’s office and the Tiruchi railway station are the remains of the colonial rule that tell the stories of the British empire.
The other important architectural attraction in Tiruchi is the Nadher Shah Mosque and old Darbar Hall – the Madurai Nayaks’ contribution in Tiruchi.
My first choice is the Srirangam temple complex which always inspires me to paint its marvellous elegance. I have painted the entrance scene of Srirangam in oils and water colours many times. The horse-pillared mandapam (Sesharayar Mandapam) is also a very attractive site which made me to paint large-scale canvases. The poetry in stone can be seen as soon as you step inside the mandapam. The integrated carvings and the majestic appearance of the warriors mounted on the horses always inspire me. I have also sketched various views of the temple in different media.
The Rock Fort due to its scale and enormity attracted me to create paintings of different styles in oil, acrylic and pen rendering. The important Pallava cave in the middle of the Rock Fort hillock is an outstanding example of Pallava rock-cut architecture and a sculptural extravaganza.
I have sketched the structural panel of Shiva – Gangadhara in pen rendering. These caves unfortunately are much less known than the Ganesha shrine at the top of the Rock Fort.
The later Pallavas Kailasanathana temple (which is a structural building) is also a very significant monument close to Tiruchi which has not been highlighted enough.
P. Manickavasagam is an Associate Professor of Architecture at National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi (NITT), specialising in fine arts.
