Talagirishwara temple

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About Talagirishwara temple

It is located in Panamalai village of Viluppuram district in TamilNadu, India.
The temple is constructed on an insignificant small hill watching the Panamalai lake.
The temple was constructed by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, popularly known as Rajasimha.
Features
- This Seventh Century structure incorporates a Vimana that resembles that of Kailasanatha temple of Kanchipuram.
- The garbhagriha stocks a Dharalingam and as in Pallava temples of that period, there is a Somaskanda section on the hindmost wall of the shrine.
- It includes an Ardhamandapam (partial Mandapam).
- The walls of the Ardhamandapam posts panels of divinities including Brahma with Saraswati and Vishnu with Lakshmi on either flank.
- The temple faces east and also the garbhagriha is enclosed on all the 3 sides by sub shrines Some more sub shrines and a Mahamandapam (a massive Mandapam) have been added in the later period to the structure.
- The Vimana is 3 layered and also the high tier has been rebuilt.
- The typical Pallava mark, pillars with crouching lions, is also found.
Paintings in the temple
- The paintings in this temple bear a close resemblance to the paintings in Ajantha and Chithannavasal.
- The paintings are on the wall of a sub-temple on the northern side of the Talagirishwara (Siva) temple.
- There is a painting of Lord Shiva with eight hands dancing known as Latathilagabhani, being watched by Goddess Parvathi with her crown and well decorated umbrella.
- These paintings were older than Chithannavasal paintings.
- These paintings were created after covering the stonewalls with paste made of limestone and sand.

Q1) What are the key features of Ajanta cave paintings?

The paintings in the Ajanta Caves primarily depict scenes from the life of the Buddha, Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha’s previous lives), and various mythological and narrative themes. They also include images of royalty, court life, and daily activities from the ancient period.

Source: 1,300-year-old Pallava paintings in ruins at Tamil Nadu’s Panamalai