A beautiful stone mandapam and bell tower
This is just one of the few remaining mandapams between Madurai and Srivilliputhur (75kms), on Madurai – Tenkasi highway. This mandapam is said to be served as a bell tower during Thirumalai Naicker’s rule at Madurai.
Legend has it that, King Thirumalai Naicker is very religious and showed reverence to Aandaal Temple at Srivilliputhur. He is known to have his lunch only after the “Uchi Kaala Poojai” (pooja at noon) performed at Aandaal Temple at Srivilliputhur, about 75Kms from Madurai.
It is interesting to know how the news travelled 75 Kms everyday in time to the king in those days. When the pooja is performed, the big bronze bell at the temple will toll. It can be heard for about 5Kms. So the king built mandapams all the way from Madurai to Srivilliputhur with less than 5Km intervals. When the bell is heard at the first mandapam, the person-in-charge there will toll a similar bell installed at the mandapam, which can be heard at the second mandapam, which in turn strike their own bell. The bell sound is thus carried over all the way to Madurai within a few minutes.
Though there were no signs of a pedestal for a bell in this mandapam, I inclined to believe the story. It is said that he built them bigger so the public who usually travel on foot can take rest in these mandapams.
The mandapam is now unsafe to venture in. But the beauty of the art works were too valuable to loose. It lies just on the edge of the highway near Srivilliputhur, but somehow was left unmaintained. History & architecture casually lying by the road side.
