Vijayanagara Period Mandapam in ruins at Dharapuram, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu – A Part of Kongu Heritage Visit.

06^th December 2018.

This 16 pillar mandapam is very close Kolinjivadi Shiva Temple ( Kottaimedu ), part of Dharapuram. It was told that this was once in the middle of a Temple tank called “Neerazhi Mandapam” where deity will be kept and poojas will be conducted. The mandapam is in ruins now and may collapse in near future.

The Pillars are square and octagonal sections with floral designs. The corner pillars are the combination of two pillars in which smaller pillar has the kumba, kalasa, palakai arrangement. The Pothiyals are like simha design. The Pothiyals also has the reliefs like Yazhi, Vaishnava saints like Ramanujar. Vishnu Avatharas like Kalinga Narthanar, etc. The adhisthana has the Oorthuva padmam, round kumudam (Pirathi bandam ).  There is a raised platform combining the central 4 pillars.

This mandapam is believed to be built during Vijayanagara Period has the 15^th to 16^th Century inscriptions on kumudam surface ( due to vegetation growth around the mandapam made us difficult to read what is inscribed on the kumudam ). Due to high vegetation growth on the roof, the mandapam faces the threat of crumbling to pieces.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---