Moorthy Vinayagar Temple in a 19th Century Mandapa, Vijayanagara Nayakas and Latter Period Mandapams at Palli ( பல்லி ) Near Kiliyathur, Vembakkam and Thiruvothur Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to these Vijayanagara Nayaks-period mandapams was part of a Heritage Visit to the Temples, Thavvai, Kotravai, Durgai, and Hero Stone sculptures around Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai District on 22^nd August 2021. Since these Mandapams are constructed along the Trade routes of Thondai Nadu. These mandapams are used by traders, merchants, and travelers to take rest, stay during the night, etc. 

Vijayanagara Nayakas and Latter Period Mandapams at Palli (பல்லி) Near Kiliyathur

This mandapam faces east with 3 Closed rooms, but housed nothing. The mukha mandapa was built in two levels and supports 12 Pillars. The pillars have the bas-reliefs of herdsmen, Vamana, the donor with his wife, Joker, Hanuman, Garuda, Krishna leela, Rishis, Ladies, etc. There are no reliefs found on the ceiling.

A tank was also excavated for drinking water.  The tank excavated near this mandapam is being used to quench the thirst of this Village even after 300 to 400 years.

LOCATION  OF THE MANDAPAM: CLICK HERE 

Donors

Mandapa tank with Alli flowers 

A Vijayanagara Nayaks Period travelers' resting mandapam at Vembakkam.  

This Mandapam consists of a raised inner mandapam and a ground-level Mukha mandapam, extended from the main mandapam. The extended portion is supported by 4 pillars. The pillars do not have much relief except Donors, etc. The Mandapa Ceilings has the bas-reliefs of fish, snakes with Suriyan & Chandran representing the solar and Lunar Eclipse, and mythological fishes. The top of the mandapam has the stucco images of simha / Nandi on all four corners and centre of the front face. These stucco images might have been done at a later date.

LOCATION OF THE MANDAPAM: CLICK HERE

Donors

A 19^th Century Mandapam, in front of Sri Moorthy Vinayagar Temple,  Thiruvothur.

This mandapam was built for Vinayagar, called Moorthy Vinayagar Temple, also locally called Mottai Papathi Koil. The Mandapam walls and Pillars has the bas reliefs of religious Deities and Puranas, like Kala Samhara Moorthy, Pichadanar, Cow/ Kamadhenu worshiping Lord Shiva, Pancha Mukha Vinayagar, Maha Vishnu as Ananda Sayana Murthy, Krishna leela, Garuda, mythological Animals, animals like elephant, Donkey, monkey, Tiger, Dog,  fish, reptiles like lizards, snakes with Suriyan & Chandran,   and Donor with his family.  The mandapa was built abutting the existing Vinayagar Temple, and the vahana Moonjuru and balipeedam are in the mandapam.

The Mandapam ceiling has a lotus medallion at the centre, and inscriptions in Tamil and Telugu are on both sides. It was said that the centre medallion is made of brass. The inscription records the construction of the front mandapam by Mannaru Chetti, son of Tharuvi Chetti, and he was the Son of   Venkatarama Chetti, and he was the son of Athangki Murthy Chetti. A Tank, chatram, Nandavanam, and a Sumaithangi were also constructed by the same Donor. The Vinayagar was named after the Donor Mannaru Chetti’s great-grandfather, Moorthy. The Tamil inscription reads as….

1. சுபமஸ்து அவிசதன்மஸ்(து) ஸ்ரீ ராமஜெய
2. ம். ஸ்வஸ்திஸ்ரீ விஜயாப்யுதய சாலிவாஹன வருஷம்
3. 1787 கலியப்த வருஷம் 4966 பிரபவாதி
4. வருஷம் ( 58 ) மேல்து சேதன சவருஷம் தை மாதம் 11 தெதி திங்க
5. ள் கிழமை சப்தம் ரேவதி நக்ஷத்திரம் இந்த சுய
6. தினத்தில் திருவத்தூர் பேட்டை பேரி சேடன
7. கோத்திரம் அத்தங்கி மூர்த்தி செட்டின
8. பத்தான் வேங்கிடறாம செட்டி பௌத்
9. திரன் தருவி செட்டி புத்திர மன்னாறு
10. செட்டி சுருதி புரிக்கி வடக்கு  பெரியோ
11. ர்கள் கட்டியிருக்கிற மூர்த்தி விக்னே
12. சுவரந் கோவிலுக்கு இப்பேர் முன் மண்ட
13. பம் ஆலயம் திருக்குளம் நந்தவனம் சத்திரம்
14. சொமதாங்கி சாலை இது கனதேவதைகளும் பி
15. ராமனாள் பசுக்களுக்குள்  ஜநங்களுக்கும் உப
16. யோகமாய் செய்தியதாம் ( அனு 584 )

Present Condition

The land gifted to this temple, Tank, and nandavanam were encroached upon, and the caretakers are struggling to recover it. The Sumaithangi is also missing. 

LOCATION OF THE MANDAPAM: CLICK HERE

Pancha mukha Vinayagar

Donors

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---