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| Swastika well, Thiruvellarai. TN ranjustraveldiaries.travel.blog |
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| Swastika well, Thiruvellarai. TN commons.wikimedia.org |
Have you ever heard of a temple tank (Kovil Kulam in Tamil) in the shape of Swastika? The moot question is there are ever so many shapes and how come the builder had chosen this particular shape? We have no clear answer to tt.
This peculiar tank or big well as you may call it, is outside pundarikaksha Perumal temple (dedicated to Sri Vishnu) in Thiruvellarai, near Mannachanallur (then) Lalgudi Taluk, Tiruchirappalli District. The ancient well was dug by the Pallava ruler Dhanthivarman around 800 AD. It was built in the form of ‘swastika’ by Alambakathu Vijayanallulan Thambi Kamban Arayan.
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| Swastika well, Thiruvellarai. TN,twitter.com |
Built during the Muthrarayar era in this area the well has been in a state of utter neglect for a pretty long time and there is no semblance of proper periodic upkeep and maintenance. Part of the reason is being 1 km away from the village, this site has become a hangout for hobos, grass smokers and anti-social people. The solitary location of this place is to their advantage. Walls on the wells are damaged and scribbled with pointed tools and in many places after the weekend one can notice lots of garbage cups, plastic bottles, trash, etc., strewn all around. The steps leading to the base of the well is fairly well, but not so in the case of supporting walls.at the base.
The local residents are sore over the sordid and unpleasant look of this site which is part of a Hindu temple. They want the place barricaded and protected from the unwanted people who indulge in unsavoury activities.
This listed protected monument ought to be protected from further damages and abuse by the miscreants. Visitors to the nearby temple are reluctant to visit this rare Swastika-shaped well because of indiscriminate littering on the road to the site and garbage dumps here and there. Catching a glimpse of this rare ancient structure is a daunting job for prospective visitors with so many unwanted people loitering around.
This Swastika shaped well surrounded by wild plants and bushes, is being managed by the Tamil Nadu state department of Archaeology . It is said between 2013-14 this site was renovated and renovated. Supported by stone cross beams, each wing of the Swastika has more than 45 steps to descend to reach the water below. There are stone images of of Nandhi (bull vehicle) and Nagas (serpents) all around the well. Due its Swastik shape, the well also called Naalu moolai kinaru (four cornered well).
After several complaints the Archaeology Department did conservation work that included landscaping, a micro irrigation system to water the grass and installation of grilled fence to safeguard against unwanted people and anti-social elements. An amusement park for children with equipment that came up several years ago now lies in ruin and uncared for.
The information displayed at the site by the State Department of Archaeology, mentions that this well was also called ‘Marbidugu kinaru’. A poetic inscription speaks about mortal life and impresses upon the people the need to execute good deeds all through their life.
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