Sculptures of Thirumohoor Temple, Madurai
A cultural photo essay
A bit of a background:
The Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple, located near Melur in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, is a significant Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, revered here as Kalamega Perumal. This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, which are considered the holiest abodes of Vishnu, and it plays a crucial role in the spiritual and cultural landscape of the region.
I headed out there to meet an old friend and relative of mine. We reconnected after losing contact many years ago. It was a quaint place for a reunion I should say.
The temple is believed to have been constructed in the 7th century CE by the Pandya kings, with later enhancements made during the rule of the Madurai Nayaks. It is renowned for its rich architectural style, exemplifying Dravidian architecture with intricate carvings and towering gopurams (gateway towers) that are characteristic of South Indian temples.
We will look at some of the sculptures that I was drawn to at this temple.
My friend pointed out that one of the sculptures looked like a character from Hellboy! I definitely think so. I leave it to your imagination as to which one it is. :-)
I edited them on Capture One - my raw editor of choice. Its AI based masking tools are amazing. I was quickly able to isolate the sculptures and dodge the background to black. Amazing tool really!
The temple complex is encircled by a granite wall and features a prominent five-tiered rajagopuram. But what I was more enamoured by was the sculptures.
This one was spectacular in detail and it was amazing to see the work of the unknown artist who did this poetry in stone. So intricate!
I close this photo essay with this beautiful sculpture of a lady. Just look at the alluring posture!
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I certainly enjoyed capturing these lovely sculptures. I hope you enjoyed them too!
On to the next photography adventure!