Context:
Neglect has taken a heavy toll on the 1,300-year-old Pallava period paintings at Talagirishwara temple at Panamalai in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu.
Relevance:
GS I: History
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Talagirishwara Temple
- Paintings in Talagirishwara Temple
About Talagirishwara Temple
Location:
- Located in Panamalai village of Viluppuram district in Tamil Nadu, India.
- Situated on a small hill overlooking the Panamalai Lake.
Construction:
- Constructed by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, also known as Rajasimha.
- Dating back to the Seventh Century.
Features:
- The temple’s Vimana resembles that of the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram.
- The garbhagriha houses a Dharalingam.
- Features a Somaskanda section on the hindmost wall of the shrine, typical of Pallava temples from that period.
- Includes an Ardhamandapam (partial Mandapam).
- The walls of the Ardhamandapam display panels of divinities, such as 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.
- Additional sub shrines and a Mahamandapam (massive Mandapam) have been added at a later date.
- The Vimana is three-layered, with the high tier rebuilt.
- Features typical Pallava pillars with crouching lions.
Paintings in Talagirishwara Temple
- The temple’s paintings are highly reminiscent of those found in Ajantha and Chithannavasal.
- These paintings are located on the walls of a sub-temple situated on the northern side of the Talagirishwara (Siva) temple.
- Notably, there is a painting depicting Lord Shiva with eight hands, in a dance known as Latathilagabhani. In the painting, Goddess Parvathi is shown watching Shiva, wearing a crown and a well-decorated umbrella.
- It’s worth mentioning that these paintings predate the Chithannavasal paintings, indicating their historical significance.
- The process of creating these paintings involved covering the stonewalls with a paste made of limestone and sand, showcasing the artistic and technical skills of the time.
-Source: The Hindu
