AVMS

Overview

Once situated in a Chola country, the town of Udaiyarpalayam is not far away from the then Cholas capital of Rajendra Chola-1 and the Jalasthambha(Victory lake) called as Ponner toaday. The Stalapurana (regional history) of Udayarpalayam, which was written centuries later which starts with the description of the beauty of Chola land and then the beauty of the town in particular. Viranarasimharaya ruled the Vijayanagara throne from 1505-1509, The Polegars at Kanchi under his reign later ruled the town of Udayarpalayam with Pallikondanallappa Udayar as a Polegar. His son, Chinna Nallappa Udayar, made Udayarpalayam his capital, rebuilt temples, and built a town to rule from.

The temple’s origins are shrouded in mystery, but there are credible sources that it has been repaired by Chinna Nallappa Udayar, the first Polegar at Udayarpalayam. The temple was built around an existing one in the early 16th century in the year called ‘Ananda’, according to the Zamins records. The event occurred on the 15th day of the Thai month, a full moon day.The Udayar kings in the region’s genealogy significantly expanded temples, with renovations in the 18th century and the construction of numerous structures by Yuvarangappa Udayar and Kalyana Rangappa Udayar who became the heir to the throne in 1842, as evidenced by the literatures composed in the Udayar court. Currently Mr.Rajkumar udayar and his family are the hereditary of the udayar family looking after the temple.

The east facing Payaranishwara Temple is a traditional Sarvatobhadra structure with brick walls on all four sides. It has two main Gopurams, the tallest facing the South and the other facing the East. The south-facing Gopuram has seven floors and beautiful stucco work. The outer side features a beautiful figure of Chandeshanugraha Morotthi, a stucco imitation of the same figure at the nearby Gangai Konda Cholapuram.

The main interior structure consists of Mahamantapa, Ardhamantapa, Antarala and a Garbhagriha, whose outer portion are decorated with various types of Kudya Sthambhas and Kumbha Panjaras.The floor features stucco images of Nataraja, Bhikshatana, Dakshinamurthi, and Narasimha. In the middle is a ‘Dvara’ with Chamara bearing ladies and two Indrakantha Pillars is in the center. The main interior structure includes Mahamantapa, Ardhamantapa, Antarala, and a Garbhagriha, decorated with various type of Kudya Sthambhas and Kumbha Panjaras.

The Sugantakuntalambika Goddess is a prominent figure in a temple, with the east Gopuram built around 1750 CE. The Navagraha was later added in 1902 CE. The temple features paintings, prominent at the south-east corner, which adopt the Tanjore Maratha style and incorporate colonial elements, such as Corinthian columns, dating back to the 19th Century CE.

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By Road

Udaiyarpalayam is well-connected by road to major cities and towns like Chennai , Trichy and Salem through NH81, NH136, NH 36.

By Train

Ariyalur is the nearest railway station to Udaiyarpalaam and is about 32 kms away.

By Air

The nearest airport is the Trichy International Airport and is 95kms away.