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I didn't know which way to look ... every little detail seemed to draw my attention ... I was mesmerised by it all and felt rather uneasy as I tried to "get hold" of everything whilst listening to Sagar's explanations whilst walking towards a detached temple dedicated to the deity's consort Periya Nayaki, situated North of the main Airavatesvara Temple, said to have once been part of it, when the outer courts were complete.
Among the carvings one could still see some of the amazing paintings that must have embellished the ensemble, which despite being faded were quite impressive.
As I was photographing some of the lower stone slabs sculpted with numerous images Sagar called my attention to a particular one depicting a woman being helped by a group of other women as she gave birth. I would have most probably not taken notice of it immediately, had he not pointed it out, as he did a few others. The richness of the carving was such that there were times in which I could feel they were moving ... and the variety of the sculpted themes such that it was very hard to chose which ones not to photograph.
Although the Temple was smaller than the one we had visited in the area it was in no way less interesting and worth visiting. According to what I had previously read it is said to have been built with nityi-vinoda (perpetual entertainment) in mind and whether that may have had any bearing on what we had in front of us it was undeniably a marvellous architectural ensemble to remember over time.
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