Malayadipatti Rock-Cut Temples

Travel for 36 km from Trichy, to reach the famous Malayadipatti Rock-Cut temples. The temple makes its place on granite hillocks, which is at the south of the Malayadipatti village. The two noticeable temples of Malayadipatti are of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The temple is believed to be built in 8th century by Pallavas.vThe temple of Shiva is believed to be older than that of Vishnu. The Shiva temple is popular by the name Vakeeswarar. The inclusions of the temple are the rock-cut mandapa and the sanctum. The mandapa has several pillars and houses the statues of Ganesha and Murugan along with Nandi. The entrance of the temple has beautiful carvings to be appreciated. The Vishnu temple is also known by the name Olipathivishnu Vishnugraham. The inside of the rock-cut Vishnu temple is interesting, with numerous sculptures, painted stucco, and painting on walls and ceiling. These make the temple more wonderful to explore and learn about. The temple includes mukha-mandapa, Ardha-mandapa, and sanctum. There is a stunning 15 ft Moolavar (statue) of Lord Anantha Padmanabha in a reclining posture. To notice here are the sculptures of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi, Shiva, Narasimha, Brahma, and other gods. The artworks of the temples are estimated to be of 16th – 17th century AD. The walls of the temple are all covered with the figures of Vishnu and Brahma and the Gandharvas. The walls too depict the figures of demons. Apart from this, one can also find carvings of elephants and birds along with figures of mythological creatures.  Another interesting thing to find in the Vishnu temple and cave are the 10 inscriptions of 960 AD.  Apart from this, there are 3 more caves to visit. These are believed to be from the 3rd – 4th century, that used to house Jain monks. The caves are rich in ancient sculptures and lime paintings.