TIRUCHIRAPALLI

Tiruchirappalli, also known as Trichy, is situated on the banks of the Kaveri River in the sourthern state of Tamil Nadu. The city is the fourth densely pop- ulated city in the state and is well composed with temples and monuments. The mythology says that the city was named in the memory of a fight Lord Shiva with a three-headed demon named Trisiras. Tiruchirappalli actually means “city of the three-headed demon”.

View from the top of the Rockfort Temple

Kaveri River flows through the length of the Tiruchirappalli district and is the principal source of irrigation and water supply. The Kaveri Delta begins 16 kilometres west of the city as the Kaveri River splits into two, forming the island of Srirangam that is part of Tiruchirappalli City. Trichy is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Tamil Nadu with its earliest settlements dating back to the 2nd B.C, but the more recorded history begins in the 3rd century BC, when it was under the rule of the Cholas. The medieval history of the city begins with the reign of the Pallava king Mahendravarman, who ruled over South India in the 6th century A.D. He was also the one con- structing the rock-cut-cave temples within the Rockfort Temple, which is the city most famous landmark. This temple dominates the view of the city. It is an important educational centre in the state and houses many nationally recognised institutions. According to the National Urban Sanitation Policy (2010), Tiruchirappalli was one of the ten cleanest cities in India.

Sri Ranganathasway

Sri Ranganathasway, is the largest temple complex in Tamil Nadu, and can maybe be considered the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world. It covers an area about 631km2 and is 4km in perimeter. The Srirangam temple is the primary of the eight self-manifested shrines of Lord Vishnu. It is also considered the first and most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples. Followers from Hindu community are coming to Srirangam from all areas of India, as well from abroad to visit this holy place. Vaikunta Ekadashi (Paradise Festival) is the festival when devotees come to Srirangam in large quantities, which is between mid December to January. The temple is particularly important for the Sri Vaishnavites, a sect within Hinduism and is a major pilgrimage destination. There are totally three entrances for the temple, placed in the south, north and east. Visitors normally approach the temple from the south, where the shrine face towards. The temple has 7 prakaras with 21 gopurams, where the highest is at the outermost prakara and the lowest is at the innermost. The 7 enclosures of the temple are uncommonly from other temples in India, with thick and enormous walls. 3 of them are placed outside the temple and contains houses with streets and shops. The majority of the town ́s pop- ulation lives here. The 4 others are placed inside the temple and defines the religious zone.

Rockfort Temple

The Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is a historic fort and temple complex built on an ancient rock. The Rock is said to be one of the oldest formations in the world, 3.8 billion years old. The main entrance faces the north, which is located on the major fort wall enclosing the rock fort with its temples, lake, the palace and the bazaars. The temple complex consists of three temples: “The Manikka Vinayakar Temple” at the foot of the hill, “The Ucchi Pillayar Temple” at the top of the hill, both dedicated to Lord Ganesha and “The Taayumaanavar Koyil Shivas- talam”, a rock cut temple, dedicated to Shiva. This two storey Shiva temple, which can be found in the middle of the tem- ple complex, is the bigger one and housing a massive stone statue of Shiva in the form of Linga. This temple is considered to be a masterpiece of con- struction. The oldest structure in the fort is a cave temple built in 580 A.D. The Pal- lavas king Mahendravarman was the first to construct the rock cuts, but it was the Nayaks of Madurai who completed the temples. The “Ucchi Pillayar Temple” at the top of the rock,is built in the 7th century on the highest point, 83m. This temple is much smaller with an access through steep steps carved on the rock and provides a stunning view of the overall city. It is a long climb up to the stone of the top, 417 steps in all. Due to its ancient and impressive architecture created by the Pallavas, the temple is maintained by the Archaeological department of India. Near the foot of the rock there is a house and 18th century church built by Reverend Schwartz from Denmark.