Temples and Monuments in the Lower Fort
The Venkataramanaswami Temple
In the lower fort are found the ruins of the Venkataramanaswami Temple whose original tall graceful monolithic pillars are said to have been carried away to Pondicherry by the French and to have been built into the base of the statue of Dupleix in the Place de la République at that town. The stone car-stand at Sittamur nearby, which is still a township inhabited by a fairly numerous body of Jainas, is also said to have been built of stone-pieces dismantled from the Venkataramanaswami temple of Gingee.
This temple is said to have been built by one Muthialu Nayakan. In 1860 a Jain official and a member of the Madras Provincial Service, Sri Baliah, took away a number of stone pieces from Gingee to Sittamur; among them the great stone elephants placed at the foot of the Termutti (car-stand), are noteworthy.
The most admirable carvings in the Venkataramanaswami temple are found in the panels on either side of the gateway under the entrance; and they depict well known scenes from the Ramayana, from the different incarnations of Vishnu and the Puranic legend of the churning of the ocean of milk by the Devas and the Asuras.
The Pattabhi Ramaswami Temple
The Pattabhi Ramaswami temple is also deemed to be architecturally as important as, and perhaps even more than, the Venkataramanaswami temple. The twelve-pillared mantapam in it constitutes its most conspicuous feature. In 1858 the Collector of South Arcot suggested the removal of its pillars to Madras and their utilisation as a base for the statue of General Neill, (the Madras hero of the Indian Mutiny) at Madras, which was then in process of manufacture.
Water Systems and Tanks
To the west of the Venkataramanaswami Temple there is the tank known as the Anaikulam used for bathing elephants. Further west of the Anaikulam are situated the famous tanks, the Chakrakulam and the Chettikulam, the latter of which is said to have been built by one Rama Shetty in the days of the Maratha occupation of the place and under the rule of Raja Ram towards the end of the 18th century.
Near the Chettikulam is a platform where Raja Desing’s (the hero who fought gloriously with the Nawab of Arcot and died on the field) body is said to have been burnt by order of the Nawab with full honours and in orthodox Hindu style. Between the two tanks is a large stone-image of Hanuman under a tottering mantapam.
The Prisoners’ Well
Near the Chakrakulam we see a big-sized boulder of rock, 15 to 20 feet high surmounted at the top with a low circular brick parapet wall. It is a natural hollow and artificially enlarged to some extent and now looks like a dried-up well. This is called the Prisoners Well, because it was at that site that those who were condemned to death were thrown down and left to die of starvation. This is referred to as one of the curiosities of the place by Garstin in the South Arcot District Manual.
The Venugopalasawami Shrine
In one of the gateways of the inner fort there is the little known shrine of Venugopalasawami which contains a stone slab depicting a remarkable piece of sculpture cut out in bold relief on the side of a mass of rock. Herein are carved a panel of Lord Krishna playing on the flute with his two wives, Rukmani and Satyabhama, and two female figures. This is the best piece of sculpture among the ruins of the place. The Venugopalasawami shrine is also mentioned in his account of the place by the Jesuit traveller, Father Pimenta, who visited Gingee in 1599 A.D.
We also see some brick-built and large-sized granaries and a gymnasium in the inner fort. Further east are to be found two great slabs of polished stone which are said to have served as bathing platforms used by Raja Desing and his Rani. To the north are found a long row of low buildings which perhaps served as horse stables in those days.
The Kalyanmahal – Architectural Jewel
To the east of these buildings is situated the Kalyanamahal, which is easily the architectural treasure of the place and the most conspicuous and attractive monument. The Mahal consists of a square court surrounded by rooms for the ladies of the Raja’s or governor’s household; and in the middle of the rooms rises a square tower of eight storeys with a pyramidal roof.
The plan of each storey is the same and consists of a single room about 8 feet square, surrounded by a verandah built on arches from which very narrow and steep stairways lead both upwards and downwards. Father Pimenta probably refers to it as the tower where the Nayak ruler lodged him and his companions. He calls it the rectangular court in the inner fort. The Kalyanamahal is of the age and style of the Vijayanagara school.
The only interesting feature in the building is a number of earthenware pipes leading even to the upper storeys, through which water issuing from the Chakrakulam situated about three furlongs from it was taken for the use of the inmates of the building.
Water Supply System
One of the most singular features of the fortifications is the abundant water supply ensured for the inmates in all parts including the hills. There are two natural springs on the top of Rajagiri, one near the gate-way to the citadel and the other on the summit of the rock. The quality of water obtained in these is said to be excellent and refreshingly cool. These pools never dry up even in the hottest part of the year; they are sheltered from the sun’s rays on the sides by big boulders of rock, and protected from the heat. This is partly due to the fact that the tanks, Chakrakulam and Chettikulam, are fed by perennial springs.