There are two shrines and not one, as usual, in the centre of the innermost enclosure. These two shrines are enclosed by an outer wall. The shrine to the south is that of Krishna, popularly known as Parthasarathi, while the shrine to the north is that of Govindaraja. The Krishna shrine is closed for worship on the ground that some mishap overtook the idol inside. There are references to this in inscriptions of die sixteenth century and its closure must have been a subsequent happening. The position of the gopuras is peculiar. They face the shrine of Krishna and not the shrine of Govindaraja. The innermost gopura was built in the thirteenth century, the central one
in the fifteenth century and the outermost in the seventeenth century. The Govindaraja shrine is said to have been built by Ramanuja in 1130 A.D., i.e., a century before die innermost gopura was built Still, the gopura was built so as to face.the Krishna shrine and not the Govindaraja shrine. Why was itso built? It cannot be said that. there was not enough space, because the Mada streets on the.three sides of thetemple were lad only afterthe Govindaraja shrine was built and not before. This peculiar feature can be explained oil the basis that the Krishna shrine was earlier than the Govindarajashrine. Another peculiar feature to be seen in this temple is the mixture of architectural styles. Inside die Govindaraja shrine the pillars’of the open verandah on the three sides of the Garbhagriha and Antarala and of thSrMukhamantapa are of the Chola style while the structures are of a later period. In theopen mantapa before the Mukhamantapa the pillars of the two back rows are of the Chola style while those of the front row and of the other mantapa before it are all in the Vijayanagara style. The Vahanantantapa andthe Salai-Nachchiyar
is that though, the Krishna shrine is earlier the dhyqjastambhaand
Obviously, they were moved herefrom then original place when the Krishna shrine was closed for worship.
