Doorframe, a common feature found in every doorway, consists of two jambs, a lintel and a sill. Ornamentations to these components add elegance and grandeur to the entrance. Usually the jambs of the frames are segmented in ornamentation as base and shaft – the base either plain or tall square section, rimmed at the edges with ornamentation inside; the rest of the shaft simply shaped at the edges, sometimes with elaborate ornamentations. The sill and lintel are either plain or with kantha-pada segmentation. Doorframe ornamentations with lotus-petal series in the face of the jambs and lintel; kantha-pada segmentation in the sill and lintel; padas with creeper decorations are quite commonly seen simple decorations in doorframes of temples. Lush leafy embellishments; lush leafs with ringlets; lush leafs and ringlets with miniatures are the elaborate ornamentations to the doorframes are also found in some of the early temples. Besides, depicting Ashtamangalam in the doorway is also part of the door frame ornamentation.



Such elaborate and lavish ornamentation not only adds grandeur to the entrance but also generate the idea that entrance of the shrine to be a significant feature. Nevertheless, the doorframe ornamentation not only exhibits the grandeur, significance but also the skill of the architects. Lush leafy embellishment merely in a frame of 10-15cms, miniatures merely inside a 5cm radius circle are incredible. The miniatures carrying all the clarity in posture, expression, and theme is a striking feature that speaks volumes of the prodigy of the Tamil architects.



Alambakkam

The controversy of ornamental doorframes of Sriranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam kindles us to search for it in other early temples. To our surprise it is found in temples that had been visited by us numerous times but remain insignificant in thought since prime concern of study revolve round the vimana of the temple. Such ornamentations found in few of the early structural temples (Temples prior to Rajaraja Chola I) helps us to understand that it is not the innovation of Vijayanagar dynasty. Besides, it is found in temples in various regions that belong to various dynasties of Tamil Nadu, it substantiate the fact that such doorframe ornamentation is not an unknown feature to the early temple architectural tradition of Tamil Nadu.



Allur

Sriranganatha swamy temple at Srirangam, Ayyarappar temple at Thiruvaiyaru, Mallikarjuna temple at Dharmapuri, Vijayalaya Choleeswaram at Narttamalai, Alanduraiyar Temple at Pullamangai, Ninraruliya Perumal temple at Thirumalpur, Thiruchchendurai Karrali Mahadevar temple at Thiruchchendurai, Kuranganatha temple at Srinivasanallur, Thirunombalur Mahadevar temple at Somur, Pasupathiswara and Panchanadiswara temples at Allur, Thantondriswara temple at Woraiyur, Pushpavaneswara at Thirupundurutti, Amareswara temple at Aalambakkam, Kadambavaneswara temple at Erumbur are few of the examples to state. If a broad study is taken in this field further more temples can be brought under this category.



Erumbur

The above given small list of temples itself belong to different dynasties viz., Cholas, Chola-Velirs, Muttaraiyas, Nolambas. If doorframe ornamentation is found in any one of the dynasty naturally it could be the innovation of the particular dynasty but what we find here is it is seen in different dynasties of early period, obviously it could be a common element. One of the striking commonness of this feature is it is carried in the doorframe of the mukha mandapa.



Somur

This article attempts to describe the doorframe ornamentations in the above given temples. In the above given list of temples lush leafy scroll ornamentation forms the basic feature, in that ringlets are seen at Narttamalai and Pullamangai, ringlets with miniatures are seen at Srirangam, Thiruvaiyaru and Dharmapuri. Ashtamangalam in a sequence is shown above the lintel at Dharmapuri and Thirumalpur, at Srirangam depicted in the jambs as miniatures, whereas at Pullamangai few of its elements are shown in the lintel.



Srinivasanallur

LUSH LEAFY EMBELLISHMENT

This type of ornamentation forms the basic feature; Thiruchchendurai, Srinivasanallur, Somur, temples at Allur, Thirupundurutti, Aalambakkam, Erumbur lush leafy ornamentation alone is seen. The square base at Thiruchchendurai, Panchanadeswara at Allur, Srinivasanallur and Aalambakkam are framed and inside the frame, creeper ornamentation is shown in the former three of the temples and damsels adorn the base in the latter. Thick stalk of the creeper run in the center and the shoots with leaves extend on both sides from the mother creeper. The damsels at Aalambakkam are standing elegantly carrying flower in their one hand and their other hand is placed on their thigh, decked with all usual ornaments, short attire, locks are gathered at the apex. At the foot of the jambs, below the standing damsels single ringlet is shown. While base ornamentation is much worn out at Pasupathiswara temple at Allur, it is plain at Somur, Erumbur, Woraiyur and Thirupundurutti. At Thirumalpur base segmentation is absent.

At Thiruchchendurai, Panchanadeswara at Allur and Srinivasanallur above the base in the jambs and lintel the edges are adorned with bamboo like stalk, as seen in Sriranganatha swamy temple, lush leaves extend from the shoots fill the face of the doorframe fully. At Pasupathiswara temple, Aalambakkam, Somur, Thirupundurutti, Erumbur, Woraiyur the same ornamentation is carried only for the half frame of the jambs. At Thirumalpur the jambs and sill are rimmed as three frames; the inner frame is plain, the succeeding frame is adorned with padma petal series, the outermost frame is adorned with leafy ornamentation.

At Srinivasanallur, Panchanadeswara at Allur, Aalambakkam, Somur, Thirupundurutti, kantha-pada sectioning is shown above the leafy ornamentation in the lintel, in that, creepers are shown in the padas at Aalambakkam, Nandi is shown at Allur Panchanadeswara. While the lintel at Allur Pasupathiswara templeis decorated with lotus petal series, at Erumbur it is plain whereas at Woraiyur ringlets with miniatures are seen.

(To be Continued)