A stone lattice window, known as a palahani, of the Nurai Pillaiyar shrine on the premises of the Kabartheeshwarar Temple in Tiruvalanchuzhi near Kumbakonam
| Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh
It might be an apocryphal tale in the region, and yet it is one that speaks volumes about the extraordinary skill of the sculptors who created the celebrated stone window (palakani) at the Nurai Pillaiyar (White Pillaiyar) shrine within the Sadaimudinathar Temple at Tiruvalanchuzhi, the Vavval Nathi Mandapam at Tiruveezhimizhalai Temple, and the remarkable Kondungai (sunshade) Mandapam at Avudaiyar Koil.
“Master craftsmen, while entering into agreements with their patrons, would promise to reproduce any architectural element—but would exclude these three masterpieces. Such was the exceptional craftsmanship involved that even the ace sculptors acknowledged they could never replicate them,” said Kabartheeswara Gurukkal of the temple.
Anyone who visits the Nurai Pillaiyar shrine at Tiruvalanchuzhi will understand why. The exquisitely carved stone window, a masterpiece of the later Chola period, continues to inspire awe and stands as one of the finest achievements of South Indian temple architecture.
R. Kalaikovan of the Dr. Rajamanickanar Centre for Historical Research said there were about 50 inscriptions referring to the Pillaiyar shrine. The earliest of them date to the reign of Kulotunga III. However, all these inscriptions are found on the walls of the Sadaimudinathar Temple, within whose precincts the Pillaiyar shrine is situated.
“In the window, there are four stone pillars connected by intricate lattice work, crowned with sculptures of yazhis. The two central pillars are each carved from a single block of stone, while the two flanking pillars are fashioned as half-pillars. They are interlocked with floral motifs and lattice work arranged in four rectangular panels,” write R. Kalakovan and Nalini in Valanchuzhi Vanar, their book on the Sadaimudinathar Temple.
The western window, however, is markedly different from its eastern counterpart. It lacks the elaborate ornamentation that makes the eastern window one of the temple’s most admired architectural features.
The temple as a whole, and particularly its mandapa, is a monumental testament to the genius of Chola sculptors. Even the stone roof has been fashioned with such precision that it appears to have been crafted by a master carpenter working in wood rather than by a sculptor chiselling granite.
The extended architectural structures of the Pillaiyar shrine, known as panjaras, have been transformed into miniature shrine-like structures. Each panjara is distinguished by a unique lattice pattern and enshrined a finely sculpted female figure, reflecting the sculptors’ remarkable imagination. The northern panjara alone is devoid of a female figure, while those in the remaining panjaras have suffered extensive damage over the centuries. Yet even in their mutilated state, they retain an arresting grace that bears testimony to the artistic brilliance of the craftsmen of the Chola era.
Published – July 08, 2026 06:04 pm IST
