Famous Temples in India

Architecture

Devotee Parasurama worshipped Lord Shiva here, hence the temple is named after him as Parasurameswara temple. The temple faces East direction, lingam is made of Navapashaanam. We can observe so many types of architecture such as late Pallava / Bana and Chola styles. Temple Gopuram is at the western entrance of the compound wall. The external walls are segmented and images of Ganesha, Vishnu and Brahma and placed here. The centuries-old prime sanctum is built with brick super-structure (Hara, Griva and Shikara) studded with stucco images and the granite substructure (from adishtana to prastara) and the plinth of the vimana has prativaribanda adhistana with the components of upana, jagadi, vritta (round) kumuda mouldings.

The sanctum has a false ceiling over wooden joists. The sanctum is at a lower level and the two mandapas in front are at an elevated level. From then on wards the temple was known as 'Gudipallam' or temple at the pit. Over the period the temple name changed as 'Gudimallam'. The Linga is openly set up within the square base. The square base is surrounded by a low three barred railings on slabs and the top railings found damaged and now replaced with new slabs during renovation. There are smaller shrines in the courtyard, mainly for the Six-faced Lord Kartikeya and Lord Suryanarayana. The Sun God is shown standing erect with a flower in each hand.

Deity -  Within the groove the sculptors have carefully sculpted the high relief image of a hunter! According to some scholars the image of the hunter represents Vedic and proto puranic concepts of Rudra. His hair is arranged like jatabhara 'burden of braids' characterized by large number of penetential plaits worn in a bunch. His elongated ear-lobes wear heavier ring shaped kundalas. Elongated ear lobes have become a sign of power, nobility and wealth. His neck is adorned with sarapali (most elaborate neck jewelry) around his neck, armlets with keyura / tholvalai (ornament around arms) on his shoulder-arms, elbow with kangana (elbow jewelry - bracelets of beads on each wrist (thick usually 3 – 5 strings) on his elbow, wrists with kataka valai / bangles in the wrists, rib cage with udarabandha - broad ornamental belt below the ribs, and thin garment worn around the waist are generously pleated and also wears beaded katibandha (hip belt) around the waist. Unusually the hunter has no yagnopavitha. The amarapurusha seen seated on his knee and his body appear shrunken. His face show tight teeths - may be he is finding it difficult to balance the weight of the super Lord. His ears appear like leaves.

Inscriptions - The name of the temple is mentioned as Parasurameswara temple in the inscriptions. These inscriptions do not refer to the original builders of the temple, but they have registered the gifts made to the temple of land, money and cows for the conduct of daily worship in the temple. The black and red ware sherds of the 2nd or 3rd century AD have been brought to light during the course of excavations conducted in 1973. Potsherds of the andhra satavahana period (circa 1st century AD to 2nd century AD) and large-sized bricks measuring 42+21+6 cms of the same period have also been found. Hence, some historians assign the temple to the Satavahana period.

The most ancient inscription of the Parasurameshwara temple is assignable to Twenty-third regnal year of Nandivarma Pallava III and datable to 802 A.D. An inscription dated in Twenty-fourth regnal year of Nrpatungavarman records the donation from Vanavidyadhara-mahabali Vanaraya. In the 49th regnal year inscription of Dantivarman (778 - 829 A.D.) speaks about the grant was to Gudimallam (No. 226 of 1903) when the banana king Vijayaditya I, (796 - 835 AD.) son of Jayanandivarman served vassal / feudatary of Dantivarma Pallvan. The latest inscription at the temple is assignable to yadava devaraya (AD. 1346). An inscription of the time of Vikrama Chola refers to a complete rebuilding of the temple in 1126 AD., along with flat gopuram and the wall. They have very square pillars on two ends with an octagon in the center.