History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s7: Tanjor.

History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s7

Language: English

Tanjor.

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One great exception to the rule that the larger Dravidian temples are arranged as accident dictated is to be found at Tanjor. The great Pagoda there was commenced on a well-defined and stately plan, which was persevered in till its completion. As will be seen from the annexed diagram (Woodcut No. 212) it consists of two courts,² one a square of about 250 ft., originally devoted to minor shrines and residences; but when the temple was fortified by the French in 1777³ it was converted into an arsenal, and has not been re-appropriated to sacred purposes. The temple itself stands in a courtyard extremely well proportioned to receive it, being about 500 ft. long by half that in width, the distance between the gateway and the temple being broken by the shrine of the Bull Nandi,¹ which is sufficiently important for its purpose, but not so much so as to interfere with the effect of the great vimâna, which stands near the inner end of the court. The perpendicular part of its base measures 82 ft. square, and is two storeys in height, of simple outline, but sufficiently relieved by niches and pilasters. Above this the pyramid rises in thirteen storeys to the summit, which is crowned by a dome said to consist of a single stone, and reaching a height of 190 ft. The porch in front is kept low, and as will be seen from the woodcut (No. 213) the tower dominates over the gopurams and surrounding objects in a manner that imparts great dignity to the whole composition.

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² As the plan is only an eye-sketch, and the dimensions obtained by pacing, it must not be too much relied on. It is sufficient to explain the text, and that is all that is at present required.

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³ Inscription on gateway.

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¹ The dimensions of this image are 16 ft. from muzzle to rump, by above 7 ft. across, 12 ft. 2 in. to top of head, 10 ft. 4 in. to top of hump, and 7 ft. 5 in. to top of back. It is composed of a single block of stone, I believe granite, but it has been so frequently and so thoroughly coated with oil, which is daily applied to it, that it looks like bronze. I tried to remove a portion of this epidermis in order to ascertain what was beneath, but was not successful. No other kind of stone, however, is used in any other part of the temple.

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212. Diagram Plan of Tanjor Temple. (From a Sketch by the Author.) Scale 200 ft. to 1 in.

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The great temple is dedicated to the worship of Siva, as Brihatîsvara, in the form of an enormous Linga, and everything in the inner courtyard belongs to the Saiva cult. The outer gopuram is of much later date, and probably belongs to the early part of the 16th century, when Vaishnava ideas were more prevalent, and the mythological representations had become mixed; the smaller shrines in the court also belong to later dates. But, as one of the oldest and best preserved examples of Dravidian art, its date is of much archæological interest. Strange to say, however, this date was long obscured by assertions that had no scientific basis. Thanks to Dr. Hultzsch's careful translations of the long inscriptions, in old Tamil, that cover the base of the central shrine, this is no longer doubtful. The inscriptions enumerate the many gifts of gold images, vessels, and ornaments made to the temple by Râjarâja or Ko-Râjakesarivarman, his eldest sister Kundavaiyâr and others, in the 25th, 26th, and 29th years of his reign; and these gifts were presented to "the stone temple of Râjarâjesvara" which, we are told, he "caused to be built at Tanjor."¹ Now Râjarâjadeva Chola, the son of

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¹ Hultzsch's 'South Indian Inscriptions,' vol. ii. pp. 8 and 68. Conf. 'Archæology in India,' p. 25.

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213. View of the Great Temple at Tanjor. (From a Photograph by Middleton Rayne, Esq., C.E.)

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Parântaka II., became king in A.D. 985, and must have completed the temple some time before 1012; as it would take some years to build, we may safely assume that it was begun about the end of the 10th century, and completed about 1012.²

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² It is only within the last few years that we have been able to obtain anything like a correct list of the Chola | kings; the researches of the late Professor Kielhorn, C.I.E., of Göttingen, based on the epigraphical labours of Dr. Hultzsch and Mr. B. L. Rice, C.I.E., supply the following list of the principal rulers:— | 1018 Râjâdhirâja I. 1052 Râjendradêva. 1063 Vîrarâjendra. 1070 Kulottunga Chola I. 1118 Vikrama Chola. Kulottunga Chola II. 1146 Râjarâja II. 1178 Kulottunga Chola III. 1216 Râjarâja III. 1246-1267 Râjendra Chola III. |

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Besides the great temple and the Nandi porch there are several other smaller shrines in the enclosure, one of which, dedicated to Subrahmanya or Kârttikeyâ, a son of Siva's, is as exquisite a piece of decorative architecture as is to be found in the south of India, and though small, almost divides our admiration with the temple itself (Woodcut No. 214). It is built behind an older shrine, which may be coeval with the great temple as originally designed. But this is evidently of more

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214. Temple of Subrahmanya, Tanjor. (From a Photograph.)

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recent date,—probably two centuries more modern than the principal temple. The woodcut No. 215 of one of the piers in the verandah in front of the temple, when compared with that given below (p. 387), from Tirumal Nâyyak's chaultri, shows at a glance that they belong to about the same period,

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| A.D. 907 Parântaka I. Râjâditya Mûvadi Chola. Parântaka II. 985 Râjarâja I. 1012 Râjendra Chola I. | |

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and this may be assigned with confidence to the 17th century. The central pillar is alternately square and octagon, with shafts attached on the two side faces, and the whole very richly ornamented.

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The Tanjor temple in 1758 was besieged in vain by Lally from where now the district Court stands, and in 1771 the English besieged and took it. Many of the sculptures show traces of these sieges, and after the last the temple was turned into a camp for thirty years. In 1801 - 1802 Râja Sarfoji had it purified and re-consecrated.¹

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¹ Dr. A. Burnell in an article, 12th November 1877.

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There is another temple at the village of Gangaikondapuram, 38 miles to the north-east of Tanjor, and 20 miles south-west from Chidambaram, that, so far as is yet known, must be at least as old as that at Tanjor, if not older, and of which it would be very desirable to have a complete survey, as it is said to retain even more of its original purity of design than the latter.³