NCTIABE’2019- SIGMA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE.

RETROFITTING OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS

A Study about Thirunanthikarai Nantheeshwaran Temple and Its Heritage
Values
Anishma.A1, Abisekha.A2, Balakaleeswaran.S3, Anisha.S4.
1
anishmaayyappan3@gmail.com, Final year student. 2 abisekhaayyappan4@gmail.com, Final year student.
3
balakaleeswaran@gmail.com, Final year student, 4anuastn2012@gmail.com, Final year student.

Bachelor of Architecture Final Year Students (Batch 2015-2020)

Sigma College of Architecture
Approved by Council of architecture New Delhi, Affiliated to Anna University
Moododu, Anducode (post), near kuzhithurai, K.K.Dist.

Abstract
India is a country which have more number of architectural and heritage
monuments and secular buildings. Climate change causes more structural damage to the
building, which leads to collapse of entire building structure. Buildings retrofitting helps
to solve the current problems in the building and energy reduction. Thirunanthikarai rock
cut cave temple holds the distinction of old painting and murals during the Raja Raja
Cholas era. The every element of the building clearly indicate the culture people during
the era. This paper reveals the paintings, mural and retro filling process has been present
in the temple and how that will affect the buildings architectural character and identity.

Keywords: Retrofitting, Heritage temple, Raja raja chola, Kerala style temple architecture, Painting, Inscriptions.

Introduction
Thirunanthikarai cave temple is a rock-cut temple located on the bank of
Nandhiaaru River in Thirunanthikarai village Kulasekharam, Kanyakumari District.
Popular pilgrim destination of latitude and longitude of 8*225’.1445”N and 77*
18’.30622”E. The elevation of temple is at an altitude of 920 ft. above sea level. The
temple is located at 3 km from Kulasekharam, 5 km from Thiruparappu waterfalls, and 11
km from Pechiparai, 38 km Nager coil and 50 km from Kanyakumari. The rock-cut temple

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is present in Thirunanthikarai Nandhishwar temple. It is the one of the 4 th Shivalayam

temple among the 12 savite shrine in Kanyakumari.

Objectives
To study and understand about the retrofitting process in the heritage building
To study about the impact of modern building materials usage in heritage sites.
To convey and suggest a better way for preserving the heritage building monuments.
Methodology
Our research based on case study approach. Four participants were in one group. At
the beginning, we went to particular heritage temple building to study only about the
architectural style but once entered we found that there is retrofitting process happens in
the temple. After our studies in the temple we realised that the architectural entity of the
temple get affected by new materials usage in construction and micro level climate
change.

Cave temple
It is believed that the temple was constructed during 7th-8th centuries by Jain .Upto
the late 9th century AD remained a sacred place of Jain and dedicated to Lord Shiva.
During 10th century AD Raja Raja Chola installed lingam in this temple. The south facing
Thirunanthikarai rock cut temple is excavated on the southern slope of the hillock and
therefore the cave lies in east –west orientation. The cave floor is 4m above the ground
level. It has an unusual plan comprises of a pillared Veranda hall and sanctum. The
sanctum is placed in the north-west corner of the hall and faces the east. A flight of nine
rock out steps was provided in the temple. The hall has a small Veranda in front of it is
5.85m in length and 1m in width supported on two pillars to the centre and 2 pilasters to
either ends. The pillars have a square upper portion supporting the plain brackets which
is on either sides .The pilasters found on either sides are plain and square and the back
side is plain and flat.

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Fig1. Ancient Cave temple

Architectural style
The Main temple is constructed with traditional Kerala style of temple architecture.
Kerala style traditional temples resembles a human body. Kerala style temples have a
distinct style by the use of wood, stone, copper, lime, mud etc. The structure of the temple
have a distinctive characters. The roofs are pointed and covered with copper shinkle
sheets. The main madapam consists of circular plan with Shiva lingam at the centre
Garbagriha have a conical roof and roof shape is in accordance with plan of the main
mandapam. The roof consists of wood planks as a rafter and covered with copper sheets.
The main mandapam is surrounded by pillared structure with square plan, roof covered
with ancient terracotta tiles and it consists of kalasham at the four corners of the roof top.
Temple walls are of stone masonry with murals are seen in the inner walls. The rock cut
temple situated in the north side of this temple. This rock-cut temple is carved out of the
stone in 7th -8th centuries by Jains.
Inscriptions in the temple
The cave has four Vattezhuthu inscription found on each sides of entrances as well
as on the pillar. One of the bear the name of the rulers and his reginal year. The inscription
found on temple is related to birthday celebrations of Raja Raja Chola in the temple and
the capture of Muttom found on the western wall of the cave. The inscription on pillar
during 8th century AD records the gift of Ur. The forty lines are inscripted in the pillar
which describes the records the gift of land by Mangalacheri Narayanan Sivakaran to
Tiruvallavazh Mahadevar of Thirunanthikarai it is also list out the land pieces. Resolved
the wages to be given from the land produces overused from the above land four

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measures to Santhipuram , five measures to Uvachar ( temple staff) and Udayar ( cleaning
staff and Pooja rituals).The lamp found in the Temple is known as Raja Rajan Tirunanda
Villakku and it was lit by using 60 measures of ghee. On the east wall contain the registers
a gift of nine buffalos, by Chief Sittukutti Ambi alias Annurruva Muttaraiyan for maintain
the sacred lamp. It also contain the registration of land by one Narayanan Suvankaran for
worship and as wages to drummers, temple servants, Bali offerings, lamp etc. But the
inscription document does not bear the date. But the archaeological survey declared that
the inscription were dated during later half of ninth century.

Paintings in the cave

The interior of the cave and pillars were plastered and painted. The paintings of the
temple depict the oldest relics of Kerala style of murds. The painting are done by local
Hindu painters. The cave of temple is richly decorated. The frescos in the temple depict
the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the natural pigments and vegetable colours are
used in the temple.

Elements in the temple

Artha mandapa with ancient Annaiyavillaku- Entrance porch
Maha mandapa with Nandi shrine at the center
Pillared mandapa
Main Garbagriha consists of lord Shiva shrine
Pradakshanapatha -passage around the temple
Subsidiary shrines-Lord Ganesh, lord Vishnu, lord Krishna, lord sastha.

Retrofitting process – Now

First Renovation process started in 2004 by the Travancore Devasam board
department during that time the wall structure in the cave temple has been demolished and
replaced by iron door and flight of iron steps at the centre.
Second Renovation started in 2019, the roof of the garbagriha was replaced with new
copper plates and the main entrance of the temple get altered.

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Fig2. Ancient Cave temple Entrance Fig3. Cave temple Entrance after

Renovation (2014)

Impacts
Due to the change climatic conditions the copper plate used in the roofing lost its
material effect .The lime plaster used in the exterior of the building get detruded and now
it is replaced by paints. For blinding materials lime is replaced with cement.

Conclusions
The forgoing study portrays that Thirunanthikarai temple is completely retrofitted
in 2019 by using modern building materials. The study reveals that the retrofitting has be
done to protect the temple in such a way that it should not damage the existing artistic
embellishments founds in a temple.

References
Fig1, 2, 3: A Review of Thirunanthikarai Rock-cut Shiva Temple with Special Reference
to its Paintings
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