Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort

 Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort

The most famous land mark of Tiruchirappalli is Rockfort Temple. It is also called as Ucchi Pillaiyar Kovil. It is in the heart of the city.

he Rock Fort Temple of Tiruchirappalli is a historic fortification and temple complex, which is a prominent landmark of the city. Perched on 83 metres high rock, there are two Hindu temples inside, the Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort and the Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort. The fort complex has seen fierce battles between the Madurai Nayakas and Adi Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, Carnatic region and Maratha Imperial forces.

History

The name ‘RockFort’ comes from the military fortification built here. The first fortification was built by the emperors of the Vijayanagara Empire, and later by the British Empire during the Carnatic Wars. The oldest structure in the fort is a cave temple, which was built by the Pallavas in 580.

Architecture

The Rock Fort is about 3.8 billion years old, making it older than the Himalayas. Quartz, used in glass making, and feldspar, used in ceramics, are found in this rock formation. The Temple was initially built by the Pallavas, but the Nayaks made use of its naturally fortified position and re-designed it. The temple complex in the fort complex is a collection of three temples, the Manikka Vinayakar temple at the foot of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha; the Ucchi Pillayar Temple at the top of the hill dedicated to Lord Ganesha; and the Taayumaanavar Koyil Shivastalam, a rock cut temple dedicated to a Nayaka era saint, Taayumaanavar.