DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9541#0389
Chap. III.
MADURA.
365
Minakshi, the tutelary deity of the place, which occupies the space
of fifteen columns, so the real number is only 985 ; but it is not their
number but their marvellous elaboration that makes it the wonder of
the plaice, and renders it, in some respects, more remarkable than the
choultrie about which so much has been said and written. I do not
feel sure that this hall alone is not a greater work than the choultrie ;
taken in conjunction with the other buildings of the temple, it certainly
forms a far more imposing group.
As mentioned above, the great Vaisbnava temple at Seringbam
owes all its magnificence to buildings erected during the reign of the
Nayak dynasty, whose second capital was Trichinopoly, and where
tbey often resided. Within a mile, however, of that much-lauded
temple is another, dedicated to Siva, under the title of Jumlmkeswara,
which, though not so large as that dedicated to Sri Rangam, far sur-
passes it in beauty as an architectural object. The first gateway of
the outer enclosure is not large, but it leads direct to the centre of a
ball containing some pillars. On the right these open on a tank
fed by a perpetual spring, which is one of the wonders of the place.1
The corresponding space on the left was intended to be occupied by
the 600 columns requisite to make up the 1000, but this never was
completed. Between the two gopuras of the second enclosure is a very
beautiful portico of cruciform shape, leading to the door of the sanc-
tuary, which, however, makes no show externally, and access to its
interior is not vouchsafed to the profane.2 The age of this temple is
the same as that of its great rival, except that, being all of one design,
it probably was begun and completed at once, and from the simplicity
of its parts and details ma)' be earlier than the great buildings of
Tirumulla Nayak. If we assume a.b. 1600, with a margin of ten or
fifteen years either way, we shall probably not err much in its date.
One of the great charms of this temple, when I visited it, was
its purity. Neither whitewash nor red nor yellow paint bad then
sullied it, and the time-stain on the warm-coloured granite was all
that relieved its monotony; but it sufficed, and it was a relief to
contemplate it thus after some of the vulgarities I had seen. Now
all this is altered. Like the pagodas at Raniisserani, and more so
those at Madura, barbarous vulgarity has done its worst, and the
traveller is only too fully justified in the contempt with which he
speaks of these works of a great people which have fallen into the
hands of such unworthy successors.
1 The view in this temple in my I very much more extensive than my in-
' Picturesque Illustrations of Indian j spection of the part I was allowed access
Architecture,' No. 21, is taken from to would have led me to suppose. I do
the corner of this tank. j not know, however, how far the plan
3 There is a native plan of this temple j can be depended upon,
in the India Museum, which makes it I
MADURA.
365
Minakshi, the tutelary deity of the place, which occupies the space
of fifteen columns, so the real number is only 985 ; but it is not their
number but their marvellous elaboration that makes it the wonder of
the plaice, and renders it, in some respects, more remarkable than the
choultrie about which so much has been said and written. I do not
feel sure that this hall alone is not a greater work than the choultrie ;
taken in conjunction with the other buildings of the temple, it certainly
forms a far more imposing group.
As mentioned above, the great Vaisbnava temple at Seringbam
owes all its magnificence to buildings erected during the reign of the
Nayak dynasty, whose second capital was Trichinopoly, and where
tbey often resided. Within a mile, however, of that much-lauded
temple is another, dedicated to Siva, under the title of Jumlmkeswara,
which, though not so large as that dedicated to Sri Rangam, far sur-
passes it in beauty as an architectural object. The first gateway of
the outer enclosure is not large, but it leads direct to the centre of a
ball containing some pillars. On the right these open on a tank
fed by a perpetual spring, which is one of the wonders of the place.1
The corresponding space on the left was intended to be occupied by
the 600 columns requisite to make up the 1000, but this never was
completed. Between the two gopuras of the second enclosure is a very
beautiful portico of cruciform shape, leading to the door of the sanc-
tuary, which, however, makes no show externally, and access to its
interior is not vouchsafed to the profane.2 The age of this temple is
the same as that of its great rival, except that, being all of one design,
it probably was begun and completed at once, and from the simplicity
of its parts and details ma)' be earlier than the great buildings of
Tirumulla Nayak. If we assume a.b. 1600, with a margin of ten or
fifteen years either way, we shall probably not err much in its date.
One of the great charms of this temple, when I visited it, was
its purity. Neither whitewash nor red nor yellow paint bad then
sullied it, and the time-stain on the warm-coloured granite was all
that relieved its monotony; but it sufficed, and it was a relief to
contemplate it thus after some of the vulgarities I had seen. Now
all this is altered. Like the pagodas at Raniisserani, and more so
those at Madura, barbarous vulgarity has done its worst, and the
traveller is only too fully justified in the contempt with which he
speaks of these works of a great people which have fallen into the
hands of such unworthy successors.
1 The view in this temple in my I very much more extensive than my in-
' Picturesque Illustrations of Indian j spection of the part I was allowed access
Architecture,' No. 21, is taken from to would have led me to suppose. I do
the corner of this tank. j not know, however, how far the plan
3 There is a native plan of this temple j can be depended upon,
in the India Museum, which makes it I