Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c24.4

c24.4

Preoccupied as the dynasty was in this manner, the buildings attributed to the Cholas during the tenth century are not many, nor are they large, and they imply a local rather than an imperial development. A certain number of examples are to be found in and around the State of Pudukkottai, and are all small temples built entirely of stone. Among them mention may be made of the Sundareswara temple at Tirukattalai; the Vijayalaya temple in Nartamalai, with a circular sanctuary of an unusual order; and the triple temple the Muvarkoil in Kodumbelur, of which however only two of its sanctuaries are preserved. The first two of the group were executed in the ninth century, so that they are probably the earliest of their style, while the triple temple may be ascribed to the tenth century. Other temples in Pudukkottai territory are as follows: Mucukundesvara in Kolattur taluk; Kadambar in Kadambarmalai, Nartamalai; and Balasubrahmanaya in Kannanur, Tirumayam taluk.¹ Similar structures, may be found as far south as S. Arcot, such as in Tiruppur, Visalur, Panangudi, and Kaliyapatti, in Kolathur taluk, and in Enadi, Tirumayam taluk. The importance of all these buildings, however small many of them are, may be realized when working out the development of the Dravidian style at this formative stage. Most of them are constructed of well dressed granite blocks accurately coursed and bonded. Dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, that they are in the early Chola style is fairly evident, but at the same time Pallava features are observable, while their relation to the monolithic rathas at Mamallapuram may be noted. As a connecting link in the progress of the building art in Southern India each example is worthy of study. All these small structures are very complete in their formation and display a freshness and spirit in marked contrast to the last productions of the declining style of the Pallavas. So much so that they appear to herald either a new movement, or to denote some stimulation received from another and more virile source. The latter assumption is the more likely as all the temples of the group show by the treatment a close affinity to those of the more distant Chalukyans than to any revival of the style of their predecessors the Pallavas. Such influence although a little remote is not improbable as at this time the Chalukyans were again extending their power, and under their later rulers the building art, as will be shown hereafter, was much encouraged. This relation of the Chola temples at Pudukkottai of the ninth and tenth centuries to the productions of the early Chalukyans may be observed specially in the shape of the domical finial of the sikhara, which has a double flexured contour similar to that in the temples of Badami and Pattadakal. (Chapter XIV).