Where the mind is without fear…

So, on Day 5, we had two major places of interest, both of which are central to both history and the plot of Ponniyin Selvan. In the novel, Senthan Amuthan is introduced as a young man who tends to the flower garden attached to the Thirumazappadi temple. I was determined to see this one and once we got there, we realised that this was one of the most beautiful of Chola temples we’d ever seen.

Day 5 – Stop 1 – Thirumazhappadi – Vaidyanatha Swamy temple

This temple is a good 2 hours from Trichy, considering that you go through Thiruvaiyaru and across the Grand Anaicut. I’ll get to the Grand Anaicut in a while, because on our way out, our focus was entirely on the temple. We arrived at the Thirumazhappadi temple thanks to Google Maps. We realised as we drove that the temple was literally on the banks of the river Kollidam, the larger branch of the Kaveri. The temple is about 3 feet below current road level and one flight of stairs leads us to the entrance. As we stepped inside, we realised that this temple was very special for one reason: that the entire temple structure is perfectly intact from the 9th Century AD. Two things in this temple are quite unlike any other. The entire prakara is two-storeyed, which makes us wonder if the Imperial Cholas also built two-storeyed prakaras that were destroyed by the ravages of time. Also, we are used to seeing the Somaskanda as a relief sculpture only, or as a bronze in later temples. In Thirumazhappadi, the Somaskanda is a standalone stone sculpture, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if such a sculpture exists elsewhere in Tamil Nadu. This temple is a must-visit if you go to Trichy or thereabouts and is not at all difficult to find on Google Maps.

Day 5 – Stop 2 – The Kallanai or the Grand Anaicut

If anything stands testimony to the greatness of the Chola dynasty, it is the Grand Anaicut. Built entirely with granite, this dam stands strong even after almost 1200 years of existence. Built by Karikalan I, the model was emulated later in the 18th Century by the British to build the Lower Anaicut further downstream the Kaveri. There is a memorial to Karikalan I near the Anaicut that is now maintained by the state government.

As we left the Anaicut, Google Maps asked us if we want to cut 40 minutes of travel time and we of course, said yes. So, that took us on yet another tiny trail that we’ll never forget. As soon as you get off the dam, there’s a road that veers off to the right and takes you past the town of Thiruvaiyaru and back on the road to Trichy. This road is not more than 25 feet wide, narrowing to about 20 feet at times and needs careful navigation. Thankfully, it seemed to be a one-way because no four-wheelers were coming from the opposite side. The road runs alongside the Kaveri. The river teases us moving away and coming close every now and then. At its closest, the river was about 5 feet away from the wheels of the car. Perhaps we didn’t end up saving 40 minutes, but that’s a route I would take any day rather than the boring, characterless highways.

Day 5 – Stop 3 – Kodumbalur

Kodumbalur is important not to the Ponniyin Selvan plot, but to the history of the Cholas. Rajendra I’s mother and Rajaraja I’s wife, known as Vanathi in the novel and as Thirubhuvanamadevi in history was the princess of Kodumbalur. We realised that Kodumbalur was less than 50 km from Trichy. So, off we went after lunch. The monuments, called Moovar Koil and Aivar Koil, are protected by the ASI and maintained as heritage monuments. We could not get into Aivar Koil as the gates were locked. Moovar Koil, however, is testament to the architecture of that era. We stopped in our tracks because, right in the middle of Chola country, we found a monument that resembled the temples of Mahabalipuram and the Pallava dynasty. Perhaps there was a connection? Our suspicions were confirmed when we found inscriptions on the monuments that Sriram recognised as Pallava Grantha and not the Tamil used by the Chola kings. Also, the Sivalinga that still survives resembles the one in the recently excavated part of Tiger Caves near Mahabalipuram. What a fascinating find!

With that, we ended the Vanthiyathevan trail, resolving that we would plan more trips to complete the circuit of Chola temples and monuments, not just in India but across South East Asia. Perhaps the next time, the travelogue will get written a bit quicker than this one did!

Day 4 was fairly laid-back. There wasn’t much on our agenda except the Thanjavur Brihadeeshwara temple and then off to Trichy. However, a minor development made our day a bit more exciting than we anticipated. My mother called in the morning to let us know that Tamil news channels were talking of the floodwaters rising in the Kaveri and the bridge across the river sinking. We realised that if we wanted to see Srirangam and Thiruvanaikaval, it would have to be that day and not the next, given that Mettur had opened the previous day and water takes time to travel. 

Day 4 – Stop 1 – Thanjavur Brihadeeshwara Temple

There’s very little that needs to be said about this temple, given that it’s so famous. Along with Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram, it is part of the triad of monuments known as the Great Living Chola Temples and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s one of my favourite temples, because there’s so much peace despite it being so popular. We realised that the day we arrived there was Aadi Pooram and there was a special Abhishekam scheduled for the Lord. What a sight that was! In all these years of going to Thanjavur, this was easily the best darshan we got. If you’ve never been there, please ignore all the stories about the shadow of the vimana falling within the base and take the time to look at the mandapams in the periphery of the temple. They house some of the most exquisite examples of Chola vegetable oil painting. These have been painted over by subsequent rulers, but the originals can still be seen in parts. There’s a lot more to see within the temple but that would merit a blogpost of its own.

After this, we went off to Trichy. That’s where we realised that the rumours of the Kaveri rising were precisely that. Rumours. After an afternoon’s longish siesta, we set off to Srirangam with a two-point agenda: find one kacha uruli for Amma and see the two temples.

Day 4 – Stop 2 – Srirangam – Ranganathaswamy Temple

This temple, along with Thiruvanaikaval were not part of the agenda, but again like in Thanjavur, it made sense to visit because we were there. Also, we seemed to be going on a temple run of only Shiva temples and one Perumal temple seemed to be a fair deal. The Srirangam temple is centuries old, having been built over and extended through several dynasties, much like the Chidambaram temples. And of course, it is one of the most sacred of the Srivaishnava shrines. The most entertaining part of the visit to this extremely-crowded, full-of-red-tape temple was one old lady who assumed that Sriram and I were married, and never bothered to listen to anything we were trying to tell her. It took us a full 45 minutes to get rid of her and go our way! Anyway, some fun for the day!

Day 4 – Stop 3 – Thiruvanaikaval – Jambukeshwara Temple

This temple is a shrine dedicated to one of the five elements, water in this case. The deity, Jambukeshwarar is tiny and can only be seen by bending down to knee level. What’s interesting in this temple is that the sanctum sanctorum is said to be filled with water all the time, justifying the name of this place. The Goddess Akhilandeshwari was beautiful and since it was Aadi Pooram, the darshan was all the more special. We must have spent close to an hour just taking in the beauty of the temple.

PS: We found that kacha uruli and also one tiny brass azhakku (measuring vessel) for Sriram’s mother, thereby escaping all the lectures from both of them. Now, we had just two things to do. Those would be for the final day of the trip.

PPS: The bridge was nowhere close to flooding. It could have taken several million litres of excess water and the river was a good seventy feet below the bridge!