The Colas c35.14

c35.14

The Vijayālaya-cōḷēśvaram of Nārttāmalai (Pl. I figs. 1 and 2) is the first of these monuments to claim attention. Its name occurs in a later Pāṇḍya inscription, and the date of its construction is not as clearly attested as might be wished.⁹ But there seems to be little reason to doubt the identity of the structure or its age as suggested by its name. The temple stands on a hill and faces west, and is surrounded by seven small attendant shrines now in ruins (see plan) besides the *nandi* in front which has left no trace; the enclosing wall of the group has totally disappeared. The main temple is built entirely of well-dressed gneiss blocks accurately fitted, and covers an area of 1240 square feet. The *garbhagṛha* is circular and enclosed by a solid wall five feet thick; it has a diameter of 8 feet 6 inches inside, and a height of 8 feet. The circular wall is enclosed by a square structure of 29 feet side which leaves a narrow circumambulatory between the two walls. The closed *antarāḷa* (porch) in front on the same basement as the main shrine is carried on six pillars and an equal number of pilasters, and has a flat roof drawn out into a massive cornice, arched and decorated with *kūḍus* at intervals; inside the *kūḍus* are seen human heads or animal figures under trifoliated finials. There is a parapet over the edge of the entire roof relieved by a series of *pañjaras*, cubical at the corners with curvilinear roofs, and rectangular in the middle with wagon-shaped roofs, all the *pañjaras* being adorned with figure niches bearing dancing figures of women in graceful poses. The *vimāna* above the circular shrine, unique in style, rises in three diminishing tiers, each with its own cornice and *kūḍus*, the two lower ones being square, and the upper-most circular and forming a sort of plinth for the *grīva*, *śikhara* and *stūpi* on top. On the four sides above the circular tier, at the points corresponding to the four corners of the lower square tier there are placed four fine *nandis* (bulls) facing out; there are also niches for sculptures at the four cardinal points of the circular tier. The *śikhara* is a smooth dome circular in section unlike the ribbed octagonal Pallava type; it too has projecting *kūḍus* crowned by lion faces (*simhalalāṭa*) and surmounting the niches in the *grīva* (neck) below. The *stūpi*, now missing, must have been circular also. The *vimāna* is hollow and diminishing in size as it rises owing to the corbelling of the stones on their inner face. The pillars within the *antarāḷa* (unlike the pilasters on the external walls which have developed Cōḷa features) are still of the Pallava order, square in section and chamfered into an octagon in the middle; the corbels exhibit the *taranga* (roll) ornament with a medial band and no lotus medallion. An elegant floral design crowns the main gateway bearing in lateral niches graceful two-armed *dvārapālakas*, five feet in height facing front, but body flexed towards the entrance; one leg crossed over the other (fig. 84). Of the seven subshrines six are intact and the seventh in ruins. They are all cut-stone replicas of the main shrine.