SHIVA - THE COSMIC DANCER

PANCHAVARNEESHWARAR TEMPLE – WORAIYUR – TRICHIRAPALLI DISTRICT - TAMILNADU Uraiyur or Tirumukkeeswaram, was one of the oldest capitals of the early Chola kings (3020 BC to 245 CE) as noted by the Greek traveler Ptolomy in the 2 nd  CE. The 7th century Shaiva canonical work  Tevaram  by Tirugnanasambandar mentions the place as "Tirumukeechwaram”.  Uraiyur   is an area of  Tiruchirapalli  in  Tamilnadu , sometimes spelt as   Urayur , this location is also known as   Thirukkozhi ,   Nikalaapuri ,   Uranthai , and   Kozhiyur .  It has a history dating back to before 200 BCE There is definite mention of the Cholas, and their capital in Ashokan inscriptions in   Orissa  pushing back the antiquity of the Cholas as well as Uraiyur to 272–232 BCE, which was the period of   Ashoka  (ca. 304–232 BCE) who was ruler of the  Maurya Dynasty  of   Patliputra   (modern   Patna ). Inscriptions and rock edicts of Ashoka and the   Satavahana   describe Urayur as "the citadel and

NARTHAMALAI – THE EGYPTIAN CONNECTION Narthamalai – a small village now, was a major trading center under the Muttaraiyar Kings, Vassals of the early Pallava’s and Pandya’s (7 th  to 9 th  century CE) and later came under the influence of the medieval Chola’s under Vijayala Chola during the last decade of 9 th  century CE. Narthamalai perhaps is named after the trading community Nagaratthar (Nagaratthar – Malai) also known as Nattukottai Chettiyar’s even now. Did the Nattukottai Chettiyar’s have an Egyptian connection? Did they have trade links with Egypt in the 7 th  century CE or before. Did the merchants & artisans of Narthamalai visit Egypt? The artisans from the reign of Muthuraiyars, seem to have been to Egypt, in order to have come out with a small frame in the walls of the Big Shiva Vishnu cave, with a sculpture similar to the “SPHINX”. The Human face with a Lions body. The same is well en

NARTHAMALAI – VIJAYALA CHOLEESHVARAM TEMPLE. Vijayalaya Choleeswaram was built by a king called Sattan Puthi Ilankovathi araiyan of the Muthraiyar Dyansty, who were vassals of the early Pallavas and Pandyas, post the revival of the Medieval Cholas by the founder Vijayala Chola (850 to 871 CE) the Temples of Narthamalai came under the influence of the Chola’s Vijayala Choleeshvaram Temple The temple would be one of the earliest rock cut structural temple built by the Medieval Cholas and resembles the inspiration from Kailasanatha Temple of the Pallavas in Kanchipuram. The Vijayala Choleeshvaram Temple is the main attraction of Narthamalai and is facing west. Built in a Parivara shrine Style popular with the Cholas, it had eight sub shrines surrounding the central Temple structure, out of which six survive till date. The Parivara temple structure are generally built to accommodate the family of Bhagwan Shiva or local gods. Ashthaparihara Temple of Shiva