Possibly the most interesting photo from the collection is the one of the Mukkuruni Vinayaka temple in the south-west corner of the fourth prakara. The photo presents us with a gem of Early Chola architecture with the West Gopuram or gateway of the Nataraja temple in the background. This shrine no longer exists in this form. Actually there are no structures in the temple today that can be dated with any certainty to before the 12th century. The photo and what it shows us represents an unexpected window on the past. The shrine is shown from the south-east. It displays features typical for the architecture of the Early Chola period, as well as several unique and unusual features. For our analysis we follow the method proposed by Dr.G.Hoekveld in her thesis Koyils in the Colamandalam. [1]
At present the Mukkuruni Vinayaka shrine is a modern building constructed of polished granite. It can be dated with all probability to the late 19th century. This Vinayaka represents the Trimurti. Therefore this shrine has three stupi on the top of the shikharam or cupola. Mukkuruni means three (munru) times four measures (kuruni). On special occasions an offer consisting of three modaka made of four measures (kuruni) of rice are given as nivedya or food offer.
The Early Chola Mukkuruni Vinayaka temple consists of the shrine's garbhagriha and ardhamandapam with three pavilions or shrines added at a later date.
The shrine can be identified as an Early Chola construction on the basis of the following characteristics. (1) The ground-plan and lay-out. (2) The profile of the kapota. (3) The shape and decoration of the kudus. (4) The shape of the podigai or corbel. (5) The shape and decoration of the shikhara.
But it also confronts us with several unique features. (1) A rectangular garbhagriha and shikhara rounded off at the corners and topped by three stupi. (2) An ekatala building with several characteristics of a dvitala: a hara with shala and karnakutis. (3) The ekatala and dvitala characteristics synthesized by integrating the griva niche into the hara.
GROUND-PLAN The vimana is the part of the structure which includes the sanctum or garbhagriha together with its superstructure, the sikhara. On the basis of what is visible in the photo we can classify the ground- plan of this vimana as belonging to the I-2-b class. [2]
- I indicates an ekatala or one storey building. - 2 indicates a protruding section in the centre of each vimana wall. - b means the vimana has six pilasters in each wall.
The protruding section in the wall of the sanctum is clearly visible. The kudus that decorate the kapota indicate the presence of pilasters in the structure of the wall. Based on our observations we can draw the ground plan as in this picture. The pairs of pilasters that flank the central vimana niche on both sides are so close together there was probably no space for additional niches besides the main central niche. The space between these would most likely have been a 'blind niche', a niche without sculpture.
The general pattern is that a shrine with six pilasters has two levels or storeys, and would therefore be a dvitala. Here we have a on the kapota of the roof of the ardhamandapa it can be concluded the ardhamandapa walls had two pilasters each. The presence of the shrine in front of the niche indicates there was a devakoshta or niche with a murti or deity placed in it.
wall, it can be inferred this shrine would have had one niche in each wall of the garbhagriha and one niche in each of the ardhamandapa walls, with a total of five niches. It is not possible to know which deities would have found a place in the niches of this shrine.
LAY-OUT OF THE VIMANA AND THE ARDHAMANDAPA The Mukkuruni Vinayaka temple in the photo shows an ardhamandapa directly connected to the garbhagriha, but slightly narrower. A faint shadow on the kapota above the first tala seen in the photo indicates where and how the ardhamandapa is attached to the garbhagriha. The ardhamandapa is also rather short. Maybe only half the length of the visible vimana wall. With its niche being almost as wide as the ardhamandapa wall itself. This is a 1-A-1 lay-out. [3]
- 1 indicates one niche in each vimana wall - A indicates a garbhagriha directly connected to the sanctum and slightly narrower. - 1 indicates one niche in each wall of the ardhamandapa
1-A-1 temples generally belong to the older phases of construction. Later temples show a straight wall with a false antarala [4] where the sanctum and the porch connect. 'Koyils' shows that this lay-out was applied in the period between 885-910 in the area of the Caveri Delta. [5] And in South Arcot between 945-965. [6]
PILASTERS and PODIGAI seen on the photo the podigais or corbels of the temple were angular and possibly throated. This would mean they belong to the period before the construction of the Rajarajesvara temple in Tanjore. T- shaped podigais (for instance as the ones belonging to the mandapa in front of the shrine) were applied for the first time in the Rajarajesvara temple around the year 1000 CE and consequently systematically applied in the construction of stone temples by Chola architects.
KAPOTA and KUDUS The kapota or cornice of the first tala is typical for all South Indian temple structures. Under the Pallavas this cornice was completely straight. Under the Cholas it developed a more and more pronounced bell-shape. This kapota has a relatively straight profile with only a very slight curve. The kudus are wide and horseshoe- shaped without circles. The top of the kudus are decorated with simhamukhas, also a feature of Early Chola temple architecture.
SHIKHARA The shikhara or cupola is bulbous, ribbed, and rectangular with rounded corners. [7] The bulbous profile is a typical Chola feature. This sikhara is decorated with ribs. Ribbed shikharas are found on 8 temples that were build in the central C