Vijayanagara Nayakas and Latter Period Mandapams at Palli ( பல்லி ) Near Kiliyathur, Vembakkam and Thiruvothur Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Vijayanagara Nayaks period Mandapams was a part of  Heritage Visit to the Temples, Thavvai, Kotravai, Durgai, Hero Stone sculpture’s around Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai District on 22^nd August 2021. Since these Mandapams are constructed along the Trade routes of Thondai Nadu. This Mandapams are used by the traders, merchants and the travelers used to take rest, stay during Night, etc,. 

Vijayanagara Nayakas and Latter Period Mandapams at Palli ( பல்லி ) Near Kiliyathur

This mandapam is facing east with 3 Closed rooms, but housed nothing. The mukha mandapa was built in two levels and supports 12 Pillars. The pillars has the bas reliefs of Herds man, Vamana, the donor with his wife, Joker, Hanuman, Garuda, Krishna Leela, Rishis, Ladies, etc,. There is no reliefs found on the ceiling.

A tank was also excavated for drinking water.  The tank excavated near this mandapam is being used to quench the thirst of this Village even after 300 to 400 years.

LOCATION     : CLICK HERE 

Donors

Mandapa tank with Alli flowers 

A Vijayanagara Nayaks Period Travelers resting mandapam, at Vembakkam.  

This Mandapam consists of a raised inner mandapam and a ground level Mukha mandapam, extended from the main mandapam. Extended portion is supported with 4 pillars. The pillars do not have much reliefs except Donors, etc,. The Mandapa Ceilings has the bas-reliefs of fish, snakes with Suriyan & Chandran represents Solar and Lunar Eclipse and mythological fishes. The top of the mandapam has the stucco images of simha / Nandi  on all the four corners and centre of the front face. These stucco images might have been done at a latter date.

LOCATION     : CLICK HERE

Donors

A 19^th Century Mandapam, in front of Sri Moorthy Vinayagar Temple,  Thiruvothur.

This mandapam was built for Vinayagar called as Moorthy Vinayagar Temple also locally called as Mottai Papathi Koil. The Mandapam walls and Pillars has the bas reliefs of religious Deities and Puranas Like Kala samhara Murthy, Pichadanar, Cow/ Kamadhenu worshiping Lord Shiva, Pancha Mukha Vinayagar, Maha Vishnu as Ananda Sayana Murthy, Krishna leela, Garuda, mythological Animals, animals like elephant, Donkey, monkey, Tiger, Dog,  fishes, reptiles like lizards, snakes with Suriyan & Chandran,   and Donor with his family.  The mandapa was built abutting the existing Vinayagar Temple and vahana Moonjuru and balipeedam are in the mandapam.

The Mandapam ceiling has a lotus medallion at the centre and inscriptions in Tamil and Telugu are on both sides. It was told that the centre medallion is made of brass metal. The inscription records the construction of the front mandapam by Mannaru Chetti son of Tharuvi Chetti and he was the Son of   Venkatarama Chetti and he was the son of Athangki Murthy Chetti. A Tank, chatram, Nandavanam and a Sumaithangi was also Constructed by the same Donor. The Vinayagar was named after the Donor Mannaru Chetti’s great grand father Moorthy. The Tamil inscription reads as….

1. சுபமஸ்து அவிசதன்மஸ்(து) ஸ்ரீ ராமஜெய
2. ம். ஸ்வஸ்திஸ்ரீ விஜயாப்யுதய சாலிவாஹன வருஷம்
3. 1787 கலியப்த வருஷம் 4966 பிரபவாதி
4. வருஷம் ( 58 ) மேல்து சேதன சவருஷம் தை மாதம் 11 தெதி திங்க
5. ள் கிழமை சப்தம் ரேவதி நக்ஷத்திரம் இந்த சுய
6. தினத்தில் திருவத்தூர் பேட்டை பேரி சேடன
7. கோத்திரம் அத்தங்கி மூர்த்தி செட்டின
8. பத்தான் வேங்கிடறாம செட்டி பௌத்
9. திரன் தருவி செட்டி புத்திர மன்னாறு
10. செட்டி சுருதி புரிக்கி வடக்கு  பெரியோ
11. ர்கள் கட்டியிருக்கிற மூர்த்தி விக்னே
12. சுவரந் கோவிலுக்கு இப்பேர் முன் மண்ட
13. பம் ஆலயம் திருக்குளம் நந்தவனம் சத்திரம்
14. சொமதாங்கி சாலை இது கனதேவதைகளும் பி
15. ராமனாள் பசுக்களுக்குள்  ஜநங்களுக்கும் உப
16. யோகமாய் செய்தியதாம் ( அனு 584 )

Present Condition

The land gifted to this temple, Tank, nandavanam were encroached and the care takers are struggling to recover back. The Sumaithangi is also missing. 

LOCATION    : CLICK HERE

Pancha mukha Vinayagar

Donors

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---