Amman Shrine

Walking around the temple towards the entrance gate, you will see a single-story shrine dedicated to Amman (also known as Brihadishwara or Brahanayaki or Uma Parameshwari), the consort of Shiva. 

 

The idol of the 12-armed goddess inside this shrine was carved during the time of Rajaraja and originally placed in the Thiruchutru Maligai. From the inscription in this temple, you come to know that the idol was brought from the outer corridor, and a separate temple was built by the Nayakas in the 16th century and the ceiling painted by the Marathas in the 18th Century.

 

The construction of subsidiary shrines like these is indicative of the growing importance of Amman shrines in South Indian temple complexes in this time period.