English: The 9th-century Parthasarathi temple was built by the Ay king Karunandadakkan. Now part of Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari District, the temple has Travancore and Kerala heritage. Dedicated to Vishnu, the temple illustrates the tritala sandhara vimana, one of numerous 1st millennium models for Hindu temple architecture.
On the vimana are reliefs, symbolic iconography and sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses from the Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakti traditions of Hinduism. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the most prominent sculptures gracing the sanctum vimana.
The temple is spread over about 2.5 acres and is built on a square plan from adhisthana to sikhara. The Adishtana is built from granite with mouldings. Inscriptions in Tamil language, Vattezhuthu script, are engraved on the north ledge of the outer base of the entrance. The pranala of the temple is a fluted shaft with curved lotusbud with a lion mouth (Simha Mukha). A seated bhutagana is below the pranala.
The temple is unusual in that it faces west. It consists of standard Hindu shrine structures otherwise, such as a sanctum (garbhagriha), circumambulation path (pradakshina-patha) and a main mandapa (Mukha mandapa). It has several smaller shrines, likely added during the Chola period. In front is a namaskara mandapa and garuda with granite base and pyramidical roof. Above it is a classical sandhara vimana.
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N-TN-T3. |