Talagirishwara temple

About Talagirishwara Temple:

• It is located in Panamalai village of Viluppuram district in Tamil Nadu, India.
• The temple is constructed on an insignificant, small hill overlooking the Panamalai Lake.
• The temple was constructed by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, popularly known as Rajasimha.
• Features
  • This Seventh Century structure incorporates a Vimana that resembles that of Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram.
  • The garbhagriha stocks a Dharalingam, and as in Pallava temples of that period, there is a Somaskanda section on hindmost wall of the shrine.
  • It includes an Ardhamandapam (partial Mandapam).
  • The walls of the Ardhamandapam post panels of divinities, including Brahma with Saraswati and Vishnu with Lakshmi on either flank.
  • The temple faces east and the garbhagriha is enclosed on all three sides by sub shrines Some more sub shrines and a Mahamandapam (a massive Mandapam) have been added in the later period to the structure.
  • The Vimana is 3 layered and the high tier has also been rebuilt.
  • The typical Pallava mark, pillars with crouching lions, is also found.
• Paintings in the temple
  • The paintings in this temple bear a close resemblance to the paintings in Ajantha and Chithannavasal.
  • The paintings are on the wall of a sub-temple on the northern side of the Talagirishwara (Siva) temple.
  • There is a painting of Lord Shiva with eight hands dancing known as Latathilagabhani, being watched by Goddess Parvathi with her crown and well decorated umbrella.
  • These paintings were older than Chithannavasal paintings.
  • These paintings were created after covering the stonewalls with paste made of limestone and sand.