Tirukkalukkunram, "the sacred hill of the Eagles" are also called 'Pakshitritham' near Mamallapuram in Tamilnadu, is one of the sacred Saivite centres sung by the Tamil saints of the 7th century and later times but also known for its temples of remarkable architecture, sculptures and iconography. It has a rock-cut temple of Narasimhavarman I Pallava (7th), the picturesque Vedagirisvara Temple at the top of the hill and the magnificent temple complex of Bhaktavatsalesvara in the heart of the town.

The temples contain numerous inscriptions belonging to the Pallava, Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagara periods attesting to the remarkable historical continuity and change for more than 1200 years. The role of these temples in the social, cultural and religious traditions and heritage of Tamilnadu is presented here by the author with his scholarly insight.

The illustrations of the splendid Gopuras, the ornamental Kalyana-mandapa, the exquisite sanctum types, the finely planned spacious tanks like the Sangu-tirtham are bound to invite the admiration of the art-historians and town-planners.

About the Author:

Dr. K.V. Gopalkrishnan had his education in Sri Ramakrishna School, Chegalpat, Madras Christian College, Chennai. He was awarded the post-graduate research degree of Master of Letters (M. Litt.) for his thesis on Tirukkalukkunram and its Temples in 1961, carried out by him as a research scholar in the Department of Indian History and Archaeology, University of Madras. In 1983, he obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree from the university of Mysore for his thesis on the Language Politics of Tamilnadu. He distinguished himself as a dedicated teacher and researcher during his long service, first in the Gazetteer Unit of Government of Tamilnadu and later as member of the teaching faculty of the Vivekananda College, Chennai. An active participant in many seminars, he has several research papers to his credit. A fine sportsman, he was trained cadet in the National Cadet Corps (NCC).

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