Pazhiyileeswaram Rock Temple

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A man-made rock chamber used for religious purposes (cave temple), which is suspected to have been modified from one of numerous low caves and rock-shelters … formed apparently by the weathering out of lenticular masses of more perishable rock (FOOTE 1879: 145). SITUATION: Somewhere in the heritage cluster of –>Narthamalai. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Pazhiyileeswaram is another rock-cut cave temple with a Siva linga inside a small sanctum sanctorum with two beautiful dwarapalakas. The inscription at the base of the temple is an extremely interesting piece that belongs to the period of the Pallava king (Nirupatunga Varman 855-896 A.D). The inscription says that the cave temple was built by the Mutharaya king. Mutharayar and his son Sathan had built the Mukha Mandapam, Nandimandapam and Balipeetam at the temple … (GANAPATHY 2004.11.05).