CHANDRASEKARASWAMI TEMPLE 

OR 

THIRUCHCHENDURAI KARRALI MAHADEVAR TEMPLE

SCULPTURES

THE SECOND TALA SALA KOSHTHAS

All the koshthas of the second tala of the sala is adorned with a deity; the deity on the eastern side is only visible like a bust sculpture as concealed by the mandapa roof hence visible as bust sculpture. His front right hand is in abhaya and the front left hand is not visible. The back hands are in kartari mudra but the objects are not clear. He is adorned with karanda makuta. The deity on the north is seated in suhasana on a pitha with right hand in abhaya and the left hand placed on the left thigh. He is adorned with jatabhara and attire extending upto his knee. The deity on the west is Vishnu; seated in suhasana, adorned with long attire, krita makuta, the front right hand is in abhaya and the left hand is on the thigh whereas the back hands carry sankha and chakra. The deity on the south is seated in suhasana with the right hand in chin mudra and the left hand placed on the pitha. All the deities are adorned with all the usual ornaments.    

ON THE WALLS OF THE GRIVA

The walls of the griva are adorned with bas-relief sculptures, each two on either side of the griva koshthas. Totally there are twelve female and four male sculptures; all the females are in dancing postures while the males are in different gestures. 

The dancing damsels are adorned with long attire in their lower body extending upto their ankle and decked with various ornaments. Their elongated ears are adorned with either pootu or owl or snake kundala. Chavadi, chhannavira, keyura, bangles, anklets are the other ornaments worn by them. Their locks are parted in the apex, gathered and knotted in the back head and decked with head ornament. Breast band is absent to all. But a dancer in the northern side lying to the east of Brahma is adorned with a shawl that hangs on her right shoulder, it looks like a modern day shawl wearing.  

On the eastern side to the north of Umasahita a male and a female are seen. The male is a percussionist, handling the idakkai which is held in his left hand, the right hand is beating the instrument. He is adorned with short attire and ornaments, his wide grin and his posture shows his enthusiasm over his performance.  

Two males are seen on the west to the south of Vishnu in flying postures. Both are in short attire and adorned with all usual ornaments, among the two the one in southern corner is with beard and mustaches. Both are in the gesture of kataka in their right hand and in addition the man with beard carry a lotus, while the left hand of the beard man is in tarjani, his counterpart is showing vismaya. Both are in slight grin and shown their flying position towards north. They can be taken as Vidhyadaras.  

On the northern side to the west of Brahma are a male and a female. The male seems like a teacher and in the gesture of conveying something to the dancer, in return the dancer is stooping and in gesture of hearing. The teacher is seated in rajalingasana with his right hand raised up and in a gesture like kataka mudra while his left hand is placed on the left thigh. The female is in the gesture of pataka in her right hand whereas her left hand is gently stretched towards right.      

All the dancers are in ardhamandala posture with their feet placed in various postures and hands in different gestures. Agratalasancara, suchi, are the commonly followed foot posture whereas only one dancer found to the east of Brahma has placed in swastika. As like, mostly one of their hand is elegantly stretched to their side and the other hand raised up, kataka and pataka are the frequently seen gesture. 

Among the dancers on the eastern side the one in the southern corner is with her left hand in gaja hasta and her right hand raised up and in suchi, whereas the dancers on either side of the Umasahita koshtha has elegantly placed their one hand to their side while their other hand is raised up. The dancer to the left of Umasahita is in the gesture of kataka on both hands whereas dancer to the right of the deities is gesturing like potri mudra.

There are two dancers on the northern side to the east of Brahma, in that the shawl adorned is on the eastern corner. Both are with their right hand raised up, the shawl adorned dancer is showing kataka whereas her accompany has positioned like recita. The former has positioned her left hand elegantly in the front whereas her counterpart to her side. 

There are two dancers on the western side to the north of Vishnu. The dancer in the northern corner is showing pataka on her right hand and the left hand is placed in the front and in the gesture of kataka, whereas her counterpart has raised her right hand up and positioned as like vismaya while her left hand is gently stretched to her side and in the gesture of pataka.

There are four dancers on the southern side. The dancer in the eastern corner has positioned her both hands down, her right hand is showing kataka. The dancer next to her has raised her left hand up and in pataka gesture whereas the mudra on the right is unable to identify. The dancers to the west of Dakshinamurthy have their left hand raised up and their right hand stretched down. The one adjoining the koshtha is showing pataka in her left hand whereas her accompany is in kataka. 

Sculptures in griva are not a common phenomenon and in addition, the depiction of dancing damsels is unique. The dancers can be taken as heavenly damsels, the presence of vidhyadaras also substantiate it. The stucco and painting refurbishment ruins the originality. Nevertheless, they are elegant, graceful, a best example to understand the place of dance in the early medieval society especially in the Chola country.