The Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort Temple

The History

The Tiruchirappalli Rock fort, located in the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu is a historic fortification and temple complex built on an 83 meter tall (272 ft) ancient rock dating over 3.8 billion years. The mystic temple is an example of awe-inspiring rock architecture. The fort had played a remarkable role in laying the foundations of the British Empire in India during the Carnatic Wars.

The name ‘Rock fort’ comes from military fortifications built here, first by the emperors of the Vijayanagara Empire and later by the British Empire. The massive rock was first cut by the Pallavas but it was the Nayaks of Madurai who completed both the temples under the Vijayanagara Empire. In the mid 14th century, the region was controlled by the Delhi Sultanate after Malik Kafur’s raid on South India. Rock fort has seen the transfer of powers from Nayaks to Mysore kingdom to the French and then to the British.

The Three Temples

A collection of three temples makes up the temple complex within the fort .

At the foot of the hill is the Manikka Vinayakar temple, dedicated to Lord Ganesha. It is a small temple and the steep rock carved stairs to the temple provide a stunning view of Trichy, Srirangam and the rivers Kaveri and Kollidam.The temple is maintained by the Archaeological department of India.

The Ucchi Pillayar Temple is at the top of the hill and is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Mythologically, this rock is the place where Lord Ganesha fled from King Vibishana, after having established the Ranganathaswamy deity in Srirangam.

The Taayumaanavar Koyil Shivastalam, also known as Mathrubutheswara, is a rock cut temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The main attraction, the shiva linga, is naturally shaped out of a rock itself and is reached by a flight of steps on the way to Ucchi Pillayar Temple. The temple is situated close to the base of the Rock Fort and was constructed in the 6th century AD. Originally built by the Pallavas, was later reconstructed by the Madurai Nayaks and Vijayanagara rulers. The major complex is believed to have been built during the 8th century by the Pandyan Empire.

An archaeological study in 2010 revealed that the layout of the rock-cut temple bears resemblance to the Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple at Thiruvellarai and Pechipalai cave temple.

When to visit?

The best time to visit Trichy is from October to March as the weather is ideal then..Trichy is well known for its cigars, brassware, and jewellery. The city’s flea markets are good sources for traditional as well as antique artifacts. If you would like to know more about anything, please feel free to drop us a message.