Sri Veetruirundha Perumal Kovil located at Veppathur is in Ruins

While the innermost layer has murals of the Pallava period datable to circa 850 A.D., above it is the layer of beautiful frescoes of the Raja Raja Chola (regnal years 985 to 1014 A.D.). Obscuring these Chola frescoes is the topmost layer of murals of circa 1520 A.D. of Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijayanagara period.

This is Veetrirundha Perumal temple (of Vishnu in a seated pose) at Veppathur village, near Tiruvidaimaruthur, about 35 km from Thanjavur. What is extraordinary about the temple is that it is the only temple in south India that has murals of three dynasties – the Pallava, the Chola, and the Vijayanagara. But the heartbreaking reality is that like the sanctum and the vimana (the tower above the sanctum) which are totally in ruins, these murals exist today only in flakes, which are falling off too. The good news is that the temple itself will be restored to its original grandeur, thanks to the bold initiative of the REACH Foundation, led by T. Satyamurthy, one of its founders, who were a former Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The mound with the bushes has now come alive with laborers clearing the vegetation around the sanctum. “There cannot be a greater tribute to the memory of Mahaswamigal (Paramacharya) of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt than rebuilding this temple, which was his noble wish. Our first task is to clear the debris, find out the original plan and elevation of the temple, and manufacture materials (bricks) of the same fabric and reconstruct with traditional lime mortar. We have already discovered the steps by which we can approach the first floor. Only skilful digging will expose the temple’s original layout,” says Dr. Satyamurthy.