The Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is a significant and historical fort temple compound built on a prehistoric rock. It was built on a 273-foot high rock. There are two Hindu temples inside the Rockfort, The Uchchi Pillaiyar Koil and The Shiva Temple. This rock is 3.5 million years old which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland. This is older than the rocks of Himalayas. The location of the rock at the centre of flat region is a matter of curiosity. Perhaps this is one of the existing relics of the old godwana land that continued to exist even after.

Location of Rock Fort Trichurapalli
The location of the rock at the centre of flat region is a matter of curiosity. It is situated in the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.

History of Rock Fort Trichurapalli
The oldest construction of Rock Fort Trichurapalli is a cave temple built by the Pallavas in 580. The Cholas reasserted themselves in the 10th century. In the middle of the 14th century, the area was controlled by the Delhi Sultanate after Malik Kafur`s forced entry on South India. During the early part of the 16th century, the region came under the rule of the Madurai Nayaks. The fort has witnessed fierce battles.

The Madurai Nayaks constructed the Rock Fort Temple Lake along with major walls as foundations and created the town as a trading city and afterwards, their capital. In recent times, the fort is maintained and administered by the Chennai Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Architecture of Rock Fort Trichurapalli
The fort is almost reduced to ruins which include nearly 344 steps to reach the top. There are two rock cut temples in the fort. One in the lower part of the fort called Lower Cave temple and the other in the compound exterior side of the Thayumanswamny on the way up to Uchi Pillayar Kovil. The design of the rock-cut caves in the temple is parallel to the design of other rock-cut temples like the Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple at Thiruvellarai and Pechipalai cave temple. The rock-cut temple in the hill temple compound was built throughout the Pallava period and is named as Lalitankura Pallaveswaram.

The temple compound in the fort consists of three temples and these are the Manikka Vinayakar temple which is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the Ucchi Pillayar Temple at the peak of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha and the Taayumaanavar Koyil Shivastalam which is a rock cut temple devoted to a Nayaka age saint, Taayumaanavar. Lord Shiva is worshiped as Thayumanavar, and is symbolized by the lingam and his companion Parvati, both of them are depicted as Mattuvar Kuzhalammai.

Attractions of Rock Fort Trichurapalli
Tourist attractions of Rock Fort Trichurapalli consist of the famous Pallava period, Ganesha temple and the Nayaka period fort. The Taayumaanavar Temple is another attraction of Rock Fort Trichurapalli. The Ucchi Pillayar koil is a 7th-century Hindu temple and is dedicated to Lord Ganesh situated at a peak of Rockfort, Trichy. According to the local myths, this rock is the place where Lord Ganesha ran from King Vibishana.

Visiting information of Rock Fort Trichurapalli
Trichy or Tiruchirapalli is well connected to the different parts of Tamil Nadu by private and public bus services. Tiruchirapalli is connected with various parts of India like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Karnataka, Maharastra, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Tiruchirapalli has an international airport also.