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| Vijayalaya Choleeshwaram- Credit The Hindu |
Narthamalai, 25km from the city of Tiruchi, is home to one
of the early Chola temples in South India. Once you are here you can soak in
the natural beauty which enhances your ethereal experience.
Built by Vijayalaya, who is credited to have restored the
lost glory of ancient Cholas sometime before in 850 AD, this beautiful
rock-cut Chola temple, named Vijayalaya Choleeshwaram by an inscription, is a
must-see monument for the lovers of history.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva and facing west, the main shrine is
surrounded by smaller ones along with a nandi bull.
A feudatory of the Pallava rulers, Vijayalaya captured Thanjavur,
later the Chola capital, from the Mutharaiyar chieftains who held sway in these
parts of Tamil Nadu until the rise of the Chola power in the mid 9th
century AD.