EMPEROR THIRUMALAI NAYAK

Tirumala Nayaka (r. 1623-59) was one of the most important rulers of the Nayaka dynasty and was an ambitious builder; the Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple complex which dominates the centre of the town dates to his reign. The Tirumala Nayaka Palace was built in 1636 and was intended to be one of the grandest palaces in South India. Yet shortly after the palace was completed in 1659, Tirumalai's grandson Chokkanatha took the Nayaka throne. During Chokkanatha's reign the capital was transferred to Tiruchirapalli and large parts of this palace were dismantled. The courtyard, entrance gate, dance hall and main hall, seen here, are the only parts of the palace that are left extant from the original structure. The Celestial Pavilion (Swarga Vilasa) was used as the throne-room and has an arcaded octagon covered by a dome 60-70 feet high. In this drawing, the space is being used as a court room, the judge is on a dais under a punkah and canopy on the right, with clerks and plaintiffs ranged before him. The judge in this picture is C.W. Baynes, District Judge of Madura 1846-55, who commissioned paintings from Madurai artists and also collected other schools.

Madura. The Great Pagoda [Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple]. The pyramidal tower at east entrance

Photographer: Lyon, Edmund David

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1868

Interactive zoomable image (needs Flash)

Full size printable image

More metadata

Shelfmark: Photo 212/1(40)

Item number: 212140

Genre: Photograph

Photograph from an album of 41 albumen prints by Edmund David Lyon. Madurai is one of the chief centres of Tamil culture and site of the Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple. The present temple mostly dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, and especially from the period of Tirumala Nayaka (reigned 1623-59). Lyon's 'Notes to Accompany a Series of Photographs Prepared to Illustrate the Ancient Architecture of Southern India', edited by James Fergusson, gives the following description of this view: 'On leaving the Puthu Portico we find ourselves immediately in front of the Pyramidal Tower, at the east side of the Great Pagoda, built by Trimul Nayak. It is about 158 feet high. The base is of granite about 30 feet high. The superstructure of brick and stucco. On the right and left is seen the outer wall of the pagoda enclosure. Before entering this pagoda, a few words regarding its history may be interesting. It is dedicated to Minakshi (Fish eyed) a name of Parvati, Shiva's wife, and Chokalingum or Sundara Pandia, an incarnation of Shiva, who reigned among the early kings of Madura. According to native legends it was built in a remote age by Kula Sekhara Pandian, by the express command of the god, as before stated. Being spared when the whole world was destroyed by the flood, it is said to have been rebuilt by Vamsa Pandian, about the second century of the Christian era. It was again almost entirely destroyed during the Mahommedan occupation of the country, about the middle of the 14th century. Some repairs are said to have been made, and buildings erected by Visvanatha Nayak, the founder of the Carnatic dynasty. It owes, however, almost the whole of its present magnificence to Trimul Nayak, who is said to have repaired and beautified it from the garbha or sanctuary, to the outer wall. The temple situated in the centre of Madura, is a parallelogram in form, the walls on the north and south sides being about 280 yards in length, and those on the east and west about 240 yards. The exterior wall is of hewn stone with a brick parapet, the height of the whole being 36 feet 9 inches. The whole building covers 20 acres, and contains within its walls 44 buildings, mostly of granite. Trimul Nayak bestowed 150 villages as an endowment for this and some other temples in the neighbourhood. These were taken away by his descendants Vijia Ranga, on account of the misapplication of the funds, and 25,000 rupees paid annually for the expenses of the temple. The East Indian Company, on assuming the government, returned to the old system of a land endowment; retaining however the surplus funds in their own hands. At the present time 40,000 rupees or £4,000 are paid annually by the government for the expenses of the temple. The number of officers and servants employed in connection with it, is somewhat over 700, of whom 250 are Brahmins and 40 are dancing-girls. The temple consists of four enclosures one within the other. The inner one containing the shrine of the god and goddess is not accessible to Europeans. There are four large pyramidal towers and five smaller ones. The large ones are placed, one at each of the cardinal points.'

Photograph from an album of 41 albumen prints by Edmund David Lyon. The vast complex of the Minakshi Sundareshvara temple at Madurai contains many pillared halls or mandapams. The Pudhu Mandapam was built by Tirumala Nayaka (reigned 1623-59) and is one of the most glorious. Its columns are sculpted with large-scale figures and animals. Lyon's 'Notes to Accompany a Series of Photographs Prepared to Illustrate the Ancient Architecture of Southern India', edited by James Fergusson, gives the following description of this photograph: '...the magnificent Portico called the Puthu Mundapum, generally known as Trimul Nayak's choultry... was built by Trimul Nayak, and is said to have been commenced in 1626...and to have required twenty-two years for its completion. Its cost is estimated at more than a million sterling...The roof, which is of long slabs of stone, rests upon 128 pillars about 25 feet in height, each fashioned from a single block of hard grey granite, the labour of carving which must have been immense. This photograph shows two of the Pillars on the east side of the building facing the street. They are said to represent the ministers and commanders-in-chief of Visvanatha Nayak, the founder of the dynasty in 1530'.

Photograph from an album of 41 albumen prints by Edmund David Lyon. The Nayaka dynasty of Madurai was established by governors appointed by the Vijayanagar kings. They did much to add to the beauty of temples and the present Minakshi temple in Madurai mostly dates from the Nayaka period. It is famous for its sculpted columns, and the Pudhu Mandapam built by Tirumala Nayaka (reigned 1623-59) has many fine examples. Lyon's 'Notes to Accompany a Series of Photographs Prepared to Illustrate the Ancient Architecture of Southern India', edited by James Fergusson, gives the following description, 'Directly opposite Visvanatha Nayak, the founder, stands Trimul Nayak, the last of the dynasty. He is represented by the figure on the right of the view under the canopy. His four immediate predecessors are seen on the pillars beyond. On each side of Trimul Nayak are two of his wives and a female servant. The wife standing next to the Rajah, as seen on the pillar, was the daughter of the king of Tanjore.'

This photograph of the unfinished Raya Gopura of the Meenakshi temple, Madurai in Tamilnadu, is part of a collection entitled 'Photographic Views in Madurai ' (Madras, 1858) and was taken by Linnaeus Tripe in 1858. The view shows the unfinished Raya Gopura, on the east side of the temple, with the Pudu Mandapa and the East Gopura visible beyond. The Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple at Madurai is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Meenakshi, the fish-eyed goddess, Parvati. The construction of this imposing temple-town was made possible by the magnificence of Tirumala Nayak (1623-1659). The rectangular precinct covers 6 hectares and has 11 huge towers and 4 entrance gopurams. Inside this enclosure there are columned mandapas, tanks, shrines and the two temples of Shiva and Meenakshi. East of the temple Tirumala Nayak began the construction of a new gopuram which was never completed. The most remarkable features are the 4 monolithic pillars measuring over 50 feet high

Photograph from the Elgin Collection: 'Autumn Tour 1895. Vol II'of the southern gopura of the Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple at Madurai, taken by Nicholas and Company in the 1890s. The Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple was built under the patronage of Tirumala Nayak (1623-1659). The temple is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Minakshi. The complex is within a high-walled enclosure and has eleven huge towers and four entrance gopurams. Inside this enclosure there are columned mandapas, tanks, shrines and the two temples of Shiva and Minakshi. This view shows the south gopura, one of the four gateways to the temple, that reaches 60 metres. By Nayak times, these imposing gopura were a typical feature of south Indian temple architecture. They rise from a granite base in numerous diminishing storeys with curved profiles and end with a barrel-vaulted roof. They are completely covered with brightly coloured stucco sculpted figures of divinities, celestial guardians, musicians, monster masks and animals.

Photograph from the Elgin Collection: 'Autumn Tour 1895. Vol II'of the southern gopura of the Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple at Madurai, taken by Nicholas and Company in the 1890s. The Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple was built under the patronage of Tirumala Nayak (1623-1659). The temple is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Minakshi. The complex is within a high-walled enclosure and has eleven huge towers and four entrance gopurams. Inside this enclosure there are columned mandapas, tanks, shrines and the two temples of Shiva and Minakshi. This view shows the south gopura, one of the four gateways to the temple, that reaches 60 metres. By Nayak times, these imposing gopura were a typical feature of south Indian temple architecture. They rise from a granite base in numerous diminishing storeys with curved profiles and end with a barrel-vaulted roof. They are completely covered with brightly coloured stucco sculpted figures of divinities, celestial guardians, musicians, monster masks and animals.

Photograph of the front view of Trimul Naik's Palace, Madurai taken by Alexander Rea c.1890. This view shows the main gate and glimpses of buildings within what is now known as the Tirumalai Nayak Palace. Built in 1636, as a focal point of his capital at Madurai, Tirumalai Nayak intended the palace to be one of the grandest in south India. Yet shortly after the palace's construction in 1659, Tirumalai's grandson, Chokkanatha, took the Nayaka throne. During his reign the capital was transferred to Tiruchirapalli. The move led to the dismantling of large parts of the palace and this entrance gate, along with the courtyard, main hall and dance hall are the only parts of the palace that are left extant from the original structure. Lord Napier, in his role as governor of Madras rebuilt parts in the late 1860s, yet the palace standing today, while still impressive, is only a fraction of what once stood at the site.

Photograph of the south gopura of the Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple at Madurai, taken by Wiele and Klein in the 1890s. The photograph is from an album containing views of various locations in India, formerly in the collection of Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum and Broome, (1850-1916), who was Commander in Chief of India between 1902 and 1909.

The Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple was built under the patronage of Tirumala Nayak (1623-1659). The temple is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Minakshi. The complex is within a high-walled enclosure and has eleven huge towers and four entrance gopurams. Inside this enclosure there are columned mandapas, tanks, shrines and the two temples of Shiva and Minakshi. This view shows the south gopura, one of the four gateways to the temple, that reaches 60 metres. By Nayak times, these imposing gopura were a typical feature of south Indian temple architecture. They rise from a granite base in numerous diminishing storeys with curved profiles and end with a barrel-vaulted roof. They are completely covered with brightly coloured stucco sculpted figures of divinities, celestial bengs, guardians, musicians, monster masks and animals.

This photograph of the Raya Gopuram from the west of the Meenakshi temple, Madurai in Tamilnadu, is part of a collection entitled 'Photographic Views in Madurai ' (Madras, 1858) and was taken by Linnaeus Tripe in 1858. The Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Meenakshi, the fish-eyed goddess Parvati. The construction of this imposing temple-town was made possible by the magnificence of Tirumala Nayak (1623-1659). The rectangular precinct covers 6 hectares and has 11 huge towers and 4 entrance gopurams. Inside this enclosure there are columned mandapas, tanks, shrines and the two temples of Shiva and Meenakshi. East of the temple, Tirumala Nayak began the construction of a new gopuram which was never completed. The most remarkable features are the 4 monolithic pillars measuring over 50 feet high

Engraving by B.Henry of the view of Thanjore from the bastions of the little fort, published by A. Dalrymple in 1778.