Narttamalai, a small hamlet lies on the northern part of Pudukkottai district on Thiruchirappalli-Pudukkottai highways. It is 19 kms from the district headquarters Pudukkottai and the nearest hubs are Kiranur and Annavasal. The village lies nearly 2 kms west of the NH 210 is nestled between nine hillocks. One among the hillock is Melaimalai is lying west and south-west of the village is a treasure trove of early stone architecture. The hillock houses the Muttaraiya structural wonder Vijayalaya Choleeswaram, and two rock-cut shrines namely the Pazhiyili Iswaram and Pathinenbhumi Vinnagaram in its top ledge. The two rock-cut cave temples are excavated on the elevated rock in front of Vijayalaya Choleeswaram. The name Narttamalai originated from the term Nagarattar-malai, or the hill of the Nagarattars, a settlement of mercantile community. The inscriptions reveal that the Nagaram or Narttamalai was a flourishing city under the active administration of a local civic body the ‘Nagaram’ during the medieval period.¹

VIJAYALAYA CHOLEESWARAM TEMPLE COMPLEX

The Vijayalaya Choleeswaram temple complex consists of a main shrine in the centre facing west and surrounded by six sub-shrines ,denoting the ashtaparivara concept to which only six are found at present. Among the six sub-shrines three are seen on the east, two on the north and one on the south. Attempt of a gopura is seen on the eastern side of the temple complex which has a upapitha, an adhishthana of padabandha type and a portion of wall above it. Whereas on the inner side upapitha is absent and the adhishthana is also much dilapidated. Adjoining the adhishthana on either side the compound wall extends and encompasses the temple on east, south and north. The main shrine consists of a vimana and a mukha mandapa. Among the sub-shrines except the one on the south-east the rest are with vimana and mukha mandapa.

An inscription found on the pattika of the adhishthana beneath the northern dvarapala reveals the founder of the temple. While the inscription detailing about the renovation to the temple done by certain Mallan Viduman alias Thennavan Tamiladi Araiyan ² due to the damage caused by rain and lighting, in addition it also informs us that the constructor of the temple was Ilangodi Araiyar³ alias Cembudi.⁴ The inscription mentions the temple simply as ‘karrali’ whereas the temple popularly known as Vijayalaya Choleeswaram .

























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End Notes :
1. The inscriptions of Kulottunga I found at Pathinenbhumi Vinnagaram and the inscriptions at Kadambarmalai gleams the activities of ‘Nagaram’.
2. IPS 11 speaks about his excavation of the sluice called Animadaeri at the foot of the hillock.
3. IPS (Translated into English) 237 explanation given at the foot note P: 205.
This Ko-Ilango Muttaraiyar alias Sattan Bhuti was a contemporary of Dantivarman (CE. 775-826). KRS (CE. 796-846) the presence of five inscriptions (IPS 237, ARE 39 of 1931, 303 of 1901, 12 of 1899 and 61 of 1895) dated in the regnal years of Ilango Muttaraiyar denotes his independence status for certain period of time. It is said that he was the one who excavated the Alatturthali of Malaiyadippatti.
4. IPS 11-A.