“The sculpture looks like it is dancing. You can see movement in it,” said M. Chandramurthy, speaking about a stone sculpture in the Kanagasabai of the Perur Patteswarar temple.
The recipient of three State awards and author of over 40 research books, Chandramurthy is a former Deputy Director of the Department of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu. He spoke about the architecture of some exquisite temples in Tamil Nadu, including those in the Kongu region, as part of the Vanavarayar Foundation’s monthly lecture series.
Though Kongu Nadu does not boast mammoth temples such as those in other parts of Tamil Nadu, the region is known for its intricate temple sculptures, said Chandramurthy.
The Perur Patteswarar Temple has many such works of art. Chandramurthy showed photos of some well-known temples in the State and explained their significance.
Every temple speaks a language of its own, and on its walls are stories recorded for posterity — some of them so intriguing that scholars spend all their lives studying them. But, what is it that attracts one to a temple? Chandramurthy had the answers. The temples we see today are those that have withstood the ravages of time. “There are about 50,000 temples in Tamil Nadu alone,” he said. “These temples have defied storms, heavy winds, rains…”
How does a king express himself after a slew of conquests? He builds temples. Magnificent ones. That’s what Raja Raja Chola did. The legendary Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur boasts an astounding building plan, explained Chandramurthy. “The vimanam of the temple measures about 216 ft. Imagine the foundation depth required to raise such a tower.” But Raja Raja Chola’s architects came up with an ingenious plan. They supported the entire structure on a single flat rock. Empty space was created around it to balance the structure.
The Darasuram temple near Kumbakonam is yet another architectural stunner.
Chandramurthy explained how a scene from the Ramayana is depicted on a pillar in the temple. Sita sits surrounded by beautiful arakkis , as mentioned in the folk versions of the Ramayana. Stories are depicted like videos on the pillars. “We can see scenes from cock fights, goat fights…This indicates that the king in that period patronised such forms of entertainment.”
Chandramurthy also shared interesting anecdotes from his life. “I once showed an elderly French lady around the Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple. I spoke about the temple’s history and architecture the entire day and she listened with rapt attention. Back at the hotel, she said, ‘You were really good, son. This is probably the last time I’m visiting this temple. This is my ninth time here. I’m 85 years old and doubt if I will ever see it again.”
