Early Chola Art - Part I - SR Balasubramanian - ASIA Publishing House - (incidentally dedicated to Pandit Jawahalal Nehru - pls do recall He hailed from Kashmiri Pandit family !!) - SRB - describes him as Architect of Indian freedom and apostle of (Indian) national integration ...
In the List of Illustrations, in Page xix - item 50 is Kilayur - Avani Gandarpa Iswaragriham - Gopuram.
51 - Kilayur (a) and (b) Dwarapalas (In gopuram). 52 - Kilayur - (a) twin shrines - Agasthiyeeswaram & Choleeswaram (b) Agasthiyeeswaram 53, 54, 55,to 62 are also from these shrines only.
63, 64 and 65 are from MELAPPAZHUVUR Sundareswara temple.
THE KILAYUR " AVANI GANDARP(V)A ISWARA GRIHAM is the same as
KEELA PAZHUVUR..
In Tamil language : KEEZHA means EASTERN.
MELA means WESTERN..
Our Fictious Nandhini hails from this PAZHUVUR only - having married a Cheftan with PALM TREE FLAG !!
Supposedly the Most beautiful Queen - carrying a vengence buried in her heart to eradicate Chola dynasty !!
Dear SPS, more beating of almost dead horse: Keezhaiyur, Melappazhuvur . . . and a third site, formerly called Kilappalavur, now written: Keezhappazhuvur [of Parantaka I's time] with a ThiruAlandurai Mahadevar temple, BSM says the site lies 3 m. E of Keezhaiyur.
- refer to pages 31-38 & BSM's index.
It originally had 2 temples, as does Keezhaiyur, but earlier of the 2, Pasupatisvaram (Maravanisvaram) temple, has only one remaining wall:
Hope this clears it up. BSM's is a wonderful reference book. I've only visited the 1st site mentioned. Kathie
ps - the fan palm was Balarama's cognizance, but don't remember seeing evidence of His worship in TN.