The Aivar-koil (ஐவர்கோயில் The Five Temples)
The remains of Aivar-koil
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A temple complex was excavated in a mound a little to the southeast of
Muvar-koil (மூவர்கோயில்). The name Aivar-koil (ஐவர்கோயில்) is due to the fact there are five temples
on a common plinth. The temple is also known as Ainthali (ஐந்தளி), as may be seen
from an inscription found in the complex. The plan of this Siva temple is
unique and interesting. It is a panchayatana (பஞ்சாயதனம்), temple that is, a temple with
four shrines at the corners of a common plinth with a central shrine in the
midst.
Perhaps this is the only one of its kind in Tamilnadu or even in
South India. This resembles in many respects the Siva temple at Panamalai (பனமலை) and the Kailasa-natha temple
(கைலாசநாதர் கோயில்) of Kanchi, both built early in the 8th century
in the Pallava period.
The main shrine may be assigned to 8th-9th century AD, and the
ardha-mandapam (அர்த்தமண்டபம்)
and the maha-mandapam (மகாமண்டபம்) to the early Chozha period 9th-10th century.
Temple Architecture
A rear view of the complex
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The garbha-griham (கர்பகிரகம்) contains an inner sanctum enclosed by a narrow circular
prakaram (திருச்சுற்று மாளிகை), against the square outer walls of which are four attendant shrines.
All the five shrines have a common base or plinth, and now contain only the
broken pedestals of lingam-s. The lingam in the central shrine is larger than
those in the sub-shrines.
The remains of garbha-griham with the broken avudai
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In front were a pillared ardha-mandapam and maha-mandapam of which the plinth
alone now remains. The plinth is lower than that of the main shrine. The
ardha-mandapam was a closed structure; the maha-mandapam which was supported by
sixteen pillars had a veranda all round. Two flights of steps, one on the north
and the other on the south, lead up to the ardha-mandapam, and two others to the
circumambulatory passage of the central shrine.
The nandi
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The smaller sanctums at the four
corners have also flights of steps leading up to them. On the railings of the
steps are carved stone figures of dwarfs blowing conch shells. In the extreme
west was a pillared nandi-mandapam (நந்தி மண்டபம்).
Except fragments of walls over the plinth of the central shrine, there is
nothing definite to indicate what the superstructure of the garbha-griham was
like. The important finds include friezes of dwarfs and of elephant, bulbous
tops of polygonal pillars, corbels and corner pieces of the cornice, a nandi, an
idol of Durga with four arms, one of Vishnu, also with four arms, and six of
dvara-palaka-s (துவாரபாலகர்). The corbels are of the bevelled type without roll-ornaments. The
kudu-s (கூடு) have scrolls of foliage inside which are two human heads - male and
female - wearing a peculiar headdress.
The dwarfs
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The temple seems to have been repaired in the 13th century when the
maha-mandapam was built. Of the stone-wall enclosing the temple only some parts
now remain. There is an ancient circular stone-well to the south of the main
temple.
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