Any members visited Vrinchipuram near vellore a place where there is a Siva temple called margandeswarar temple and another temple in ruins constructed by Appayya Dikshider after he won the argument with kotikanyadha Thathachariar?
Yes, I visited the main temple not more than a couple of weeks back.
Fairly large temple, and I was told that it's the largest one in Vellore, though I can't verify that statement. Slightly disappointing...
It's a Gajaprastha vimana, - they've covered the prakara around the vimana, but thankfully left the inscriptions intact, and there's place between the vimana and the covering for light to enter, and a sort of moat around the bottom of the vimana. No sculptures in the niches or miniatures. Instead, there are a few platforms off-set from the vimana where they've placed the usual goshta deities. These seem to be much later, and not of much interest.
Much of the temple is badly "renovated", and they've got the typical "no photography" rule (even outside the sanctum!) so I couldn't take any shots of the vimana, except a single-handed one of one inscription. This looks reasonably old - Chola, but I don't know the exact age.
The rest of the temple has some mandapas of the Vijayanagar era that are quite interesting. Since no temple officials were roaming the outer prakara, I snapped away here.
For such a large temple, I wonder how there's no sculpture whatsoever. Were they removed or destroyed?