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Hindu Temples :-
Lord
Ganesha Temples
Rock Fort Temple
The
stoen Rock Fort Temple at Tiruchirapalli is the most famous land mark of
this busy town. It is a spectacular monument, outcropped out of a massive
stone rock, which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city.
It is as high as 83 m and as old as 3.800 million years, older than the
rocks of Greenland and the Himalayas.
The Rock Fort temple complex in Tiruchirappalli is an aggregate of three
temples - the Manikka Vinayaka temple situated at the foot of the hill, the
Uchhi Pillayar Koyil situated at the top of the hill and the Taayumaanava
Koyil (Shivastalam) situated on the hill.
This extraordinary temple has a 100-pillared hall, and a Vimana, veiled with
gold. The southern side of the rock, has several beautifully carved,
rock-cut cave temples, of the Pallava period. This temple was built by the
Nayaks, who established the city of Tiruchirapalli. During the
British-French struggle, the Rock Fort Temple was one of the main centers,
around which, the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th century.
¤ The Highlights of The Temple
The temple owns the presence of Kangaala Moorthy, one of the 64
manifestations of Shiva. The temple can be reached through a flight of
covered stairs. As you arrive to the end of the climb, you can see the
Tayumanavar temple situated towards the west and the Uchipillayar temple
towards the east.
The Uchipillaiyar Koil temple is situated at the top of the stone rock and
is dedicated to Lord Vinayaka, offering a scenic view of Tiruchirappalli. A
walk down a few steps will lead to the Mathrubutheswarar of Thayumanaswami
temple, dedicated to Lord Siva where the lingam is a projection of the rock
itself.
Beneath the Siva temple, there are two Pallava cave temples having gorgeous
sculptures of the 6th and 7th centuries. The Rock Fort has a tank and a
pavilion at its foot, used during the float festival of the temples. Nearby
the tank is the house where Robert Clive lived when he was in
Tiruchirappalli. There is also an 18th century Church built by Reverend
Schwartz of Denmark.
¤ History
The history of the stone Rock Fort Temple is related to the history of
Tiruchirappalli, which itself has a long history. The history of Trichy
dates back to the centuries before the Christian era, when it was a citadel
of the Chola dynasty. In the 12th century, Cholas were defeated by the
Vijayanagar kings of Hampi, who also defeated the invading Muslims. The
Nayaks of Madurai came to power in less than fifty years later and went on
to construct the ravishing Rock Fort temple. They were the ones who firmly
established Tiruchirappalli as the trading city.
¤ Festivals
The festivals celebrated at the Rock Fort Temple are the annual Brahmotsavam
in Chithirai, Aadi Pooram and the float festival in Panguni, etc.
¤ Things to Keep in Mind
The rock Fort Temples remains open daily from 6 am to 8 pm. A minimum amount
has to be paid as entry fee and extra charges are levied on carrying a
camera. Shoes should be left at the entrance of the temple.