Trichy Muthamil Kalai Panpattu Maiyam is in process of documenting cultural heritage of Trichirappalli

" Trichi Rock Fort," a painting by Francis Swain Ward, 1772-73

Trichy Muthamil Kalai Panpattu Maiyam is in process of documenting cultural heritage of Trichirappalli and the Maiyam also works on the preservation of Tamil Culture and it also documents the historical background of Trichipallai City and its surrounding areas. As guided by Prof.So.Sathiyaseelan noted Tamil Scholar hailing from Trichy takes efforts for documenting the important ant historical features of Trichirpalli.Writer and convener of Trichy Muthamil Kalai Panpattu Maiyam,Jawahar Arumugam who is in the process of collecting data on Trichy states,. “The Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is a historic fort and temple complex built on an ancient rock. The 83-metre rock fort situated in the center of town is a major landmark in the town of Tiruchirapalli and is visible from a long distance. The Pallavas initially built this temple, but the Nayaks made use of its naturally fortified position and designed it again. It is a long climb up the 437 steps cut into the stone to the top. This is also a major tourist spot. The fort complex has witnessed fierce battles between Madurai Nayakas andBijapur, Carnatic and Maratha forces. The fort played an important part during the Carnatic wars helping lay the foundations of the British Empire in India. In the late 18th century, Hyder Ali was a major threat to the British, as were the French who were still fighting for their colonial supremacy in this region. By now, the town was firmly established as a cantonment town and the fort's gate was known as main guard gate. Robert Clive lived near the tank when he was in Tiruchirapalli. The Rock is said to be one of the oldest formations in the world. It is 3.8 billion years old, making it as old as the rocks in Greenland are found in this rock formation. The temple complex in the fort complex is a collection of three temples: the Manikka Vinayakar temple at the foot of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha,The Ucchi Pillaiyar temple at the top of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha,the Taayumaanavar Koyil Shivastalam, a rock cut temple dedicated to a Nayaka era saint, Taayumaanavar Mathrubutheswarar, dedicated to Lord Shiva  , has a lingam which is a projection of the rock itself. It is reached by a flight of steps on the way to Ucchi Pillaiyar temple. The rock-cut temple in the hill temple complex is named Lalitankura Pallaveswaram, with several inscriptions attributed to rulers. .The two-storey-tall Taayumaanava temples are considered to be a masterpiece of construction. At the foot of the rock fort stands a tank and a pavilion which are used during the float festival of the temples. These were by Viswanatha Nayaka of Madurai to hold major religious festivals. Near the tank is the house and 18th-century church built by Reverend Schwartz of Denmark. The mid-17th-century palace at the base of the rock was built by Chokkanatha Nayak, now known as Rani Mangammal Mahal, and features a Durbar hall. Historians thought the palace was built by Chokkanatha Nayak after he demolished three-fourths of the Tirumalai Nayak palace. This palace was supposedly used for materials in this palace. This palace was also the Durbar hall of Madurai Nayak when Tiruchapalli was the capital during the years 1616 to 1634 and 1665 to 1736. Today, it houses a Museum and state government offices. The main guard gate was one of the main entrances for the fort complex. It is located on the major fort wall enclosing the periphery of the rock fort with its temples, lake, the palace and bazaars .The main entrance faces the north. Six worship services are offered each day here. This well-endowed temple celebrates the annual Brahmotsavam in Chithirai. Aadi Pooram and the float festival in Panguni are also of significance here. They were started by the Nayaks of Madurai and are dedicated to both Shiva and Ganesa”. -Govin