Lalitankura Cave Temple (Upper Caves) — Attraction in Tiruchirappalli

|| Shiva as Ganga-dhara || Upper Cave Temple, Trichy, Tamilnadu, c. 580–630 CE Build by the great Pallava & Pandya dynasty of India ॐ.As you enter the cave to the left is the famous Gangadhara Panel and to the right is the Garbha Griham (Sanctum Sanctorum). The Gangadhara Panel is celebrated by all art historians. It’s such a masterpiece. Centrally placed is Lord Shiva as Gangadhara. Gangadhara is the form of Lord Shiva, who holds River Ganges when she comes to the Earth from Heaven with great force, after Bhagiratha’s penance. The Earth would not take this force. So Lord Shiva accepted to hold her in his matted locks, so the speed is controlled. Here in this panel, he is ready to take her in a single strand of his hair. Shiva is shown standing in tribhanga-mudra, with his one leg firmly set upon the ground and the other leg resting above the head of a gana. The left hand of the gana supports the ankle of Shiva’s leg while his right hand is carrying a snake. Shiva is shown with four hands, upper right hand is holding a tress of his hair, upper left hand is holding an akshamala, lower right hand is carrying a snake and lower left hand is on his waist. On his right is shown Ganga, depicted in a female form, descending over to his tresses. On the left side of his jata-makuta is shown Chandra (moon) and on the right side is a shown a skull. In his upper left hand is shown an animal however its proper identification is not possible due to the present state of preservation. However, A H Longhurst identifies it with a deer. Lockwood, after comparing various Gangadhara images of the Pallavas and finding a dog in few of those, suggests that the animal in this panel may be a dog as well. There are 4 attendants in the scene on either sides at the top and bottom. In the background are 2...

It is closed for public.....ASI needs to consider opening it...... could see the gangadhara image but couldn't see the opposite shrine Edit 1 : it was open, has multiple grantha script and pallavan script inscriptions has a beautiful image of gangadharar and a shrine dedicated to shiva , unfortunately the lingams are missing has multiple images of mermaid like figures...

உச்சி பிள்ளையார் கோவில் செல்லும் வழியில் இடது புறம் உள்ள இந்தக் குகையினை பலரும் பார்த்திருக்க வாய்ப்பில்லை. மகேந்திர வர்ம பல்லவனால் கட்டப்பட்ட் இந்த குகை முகப்பில் நான்கு தூண்கள் உண்டு. அவை கீழும் மெலும் நான்கு பக்கம் உடையதாகவும், இடையில் எட்டு பக்கங்கள் உடையதாகவும் காணப்படும். உற்று கவனித்தால் அவற்றில் கிரந்த எழுத்துக்கள் காணப்படும். வழிபட இக்குகையில் சிலைகள்...