Today, Mahabalipuram, or the land of seven Pagodas, is a small coastal village near Chennai at the mouth of the Palar River. However, in ancient times, it was a busy port and town under the Pallava kings. Now, the protected sites and relics of Mahabalipuram hold the key to this commercial centre’s golden and glorious past.
According to K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, ” There can be little doubt that Mamallapuram was one of the chief entrepots of South India and that from it streamed fourth strong cultural influences which shaped the art of Hindu colonies in Indonesia and Indo-China“.
TYPES OF MONUMENTS AT MAHABALIPURAM OR MAMALLAPURAM.
The monuments at Mamallapuram can be grouped into
- Cut-in cave temples.
- Cut-out monolithic temples or “Rathas.”
- Sculptures in the outside rocks.
- Structural Temples.
ORIGN OF MAHABALIPURAM.
The monuments of Mahabalipuram are the result of the hard work of sculptors and artisans under the great Pallava rulers. During the reign of Narasimha I (A.D. 630 to A.D. 668), Mahabalipuram developed into a significant port. The correct name, Mamallapuram, originated from Narasimha I’s title, Mamalla or Great Warrior or Great Hero. Among the kings, Mahendravarman I, Narasimhavarma I and Narasimhavarman II Rajasimha were great patrons of arts and responsible for developing Pallava-style architecture. The Mahabalipuram rock temples are practically the last of their kind in Todai Nadu or Todai Mandallam.
MEANING OF TODAIMANDALAM.
From the third century A.D., the region from the northern part of Tamil Nadu and nearby districts of Andra Pradesh, lying between the river Pennar of Nellore and the river Pennar of Cuddalore, was known as Todaimandalam. The word Todai nadu or Todaimandalam means the country of the Todai tribe. During the time of Chola emperor Rajaraj I; it got a new name, Jayangondacholamandalam.
CAVE TEMPLES OF MAHABALIPURAM.
There are fifteen cave temples at Mahabalipuram and two in Saluvankuppam (a nearby village). These cave temples are popularly known as Mandapas.
We will notice different temples with different floor plans if we observe the cave temples.
- Cave temple with sanctum cut at the back wall.
- Sanctums projected into the hall from the rear wall.
- Sanctums with a pillared pavilion.
- Sanctums are created by cutting the outer rock face.
The biggest cave was an ambitiously planned one with a circumambulatory path around the sanctum.
The major cave temples of Mahabalipuram are the Kotikal Mandapa or cave, Adhivaraha Cave, Mahishasuramardhini Cave, Varaha Cave, and Koneri Mandapa.
KOTIKAL MANDAPA.
The cave temples constructed by the Pallavas were smaller and less complex, and they employed simpler excavations than other caves like Ajanta and Ellora.
Kotikal cave consists of a square shrine on the back wall and an oblong Ardhamandapa. During the earlier period, this cave had a structural mukhamandapa.
Two Dvarapalikas guard the shrine entrance. Due to the presence of Dvarapalikas, scholars assume that this cave was dedicated to Durga.
The Dvarapalika sculptures resemble those in the Draupadi Ratha. The ornaments and dress are nearly identical in both cases, but the weapons are different.
The Northern Dvarapalika holds a sword in her right hand; the Southern dwarapalika holds the top of the bow. Due to the bow, the Southern Dvarapalika have an unusual posture (the toes on her right foot are slightly raised to fix the tower end of the bow). They have a slender body with tapering limbs.
This primitive-style Durga cave shrine strongly resembles the Mahendravdi cave temple. The only difference is that Mahendravado has two male Dvarapalakas.
Since this temple belongs to an earlier period, both Dvarapalikas face the front. In the later Pallava temples, doorkeepers had a side view because they were depicted facing the entrance to the shrine.
The floor plan of Kotikal is similar to the small temples at Bhairavakonda and Mogalrajapuram.
A flight of three steps leads from Ardhamandapa to the shrine. A moonstone is present on the floor. But now we can see only two steps. One step was chiselled away in the later period.
RAMANUJA MANDAPA.
The triple-celled Ramanuja mandapa is one of Mahabalipuram’s architecturally finest cave temples. It was originally a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The central cell of this triple-celled mandapa was destroyed entirely to make all three chambers into one big chamber.
This cave originally contained the Sukhasan scene or the Somaskanda scene. There is also a depiction of a procession of bhutas or ganas. One of these ganas has the head of an elephant. If this is Ganapathi, then this is the earliest representation of Lord Ganesha in Pallava times(The image at Vasantesvara temple of Mahendra I is a later addition).
Curved bracelets, a common feature of Chalukyan art, are used in these cave sculptures.
The cornice contains four pairs of “kudus”(horseshoe-shaped or circular-shaped arch), each holding a lotus medallion. Interestingly, the face is not the customary human face.
Dvarapalakas armed with clubs and serpent girdles were present and faced the front side, and during the later period, Dvarapalakas were destroyed. In earlier days, each cell had sculptures of dvarapalakas. When the walls between the three cells were removed, the other dvarapalaka sculpture was also removed.
VARAHA CAVES or VARAHA MANDAPA.
Varaha Mandapa, or Varaha Cave temple, is a simple cave with four incredible sculptures.
This cave shrine projects forward into the Ardhamadapa, with a small tank-like depression in the front of the monument. It is unclear whether or not the tank was created in the early Pallava period.
It has a sculpture of Lord Varaha or incarnation as the primaeval boar. Apart from Varaha, Durga and Gajalekshmi are also present as sculptures. Durga and Gajalekshmi are on the walls, and a sculpture of Varaha is in the shrine.
The fourth sculpture is Gangadhara Siva. A comparable theme can be seen at Thiruchirapalli.
During the Cholas’ period, they renamed Adivaraha Cave Parameswara Mahavaraha Vishnugraham. There are two views regarding the name Parameswara.
- Parameswara was the cognomen of King Rajasimha, so they used it.
- Cholas used the name Parameswara to denote lord Siva’s name.
The Varaha avatar scene is carved on the northern wall of the cave temple. It shows Vishnu’s image with four hands and a boar’s head. His upper right-hand carries the Sudarshana, and his upper left arm carries the conch. The lower hand holds the rescued earth goddess and supports her on his right thigh.
MAHISHASURAMARDINI MANDAPA or MAHISHASURAMARDINI CAVE.
Mahishasuramardini Cave is structurally incomplete, but it is highly advanced in art. This cave got its name from the striking relief sculpture depicting Durga seated on her lion fighting against the demon with a buffalo’s head, Mahishasura.
On the opposite side, Mahavishnu is depicted in cosmic slumber or Ananthasayana. The lord is lying on the fivefold hooded serpent, which forms a canopy over his head. On the front side, three small-sized figures, one female and two males, are carved. In the lower end of the Ananthasayana image, we can notice three figures. The first and second ones are identified with demons “Madhu” and “Kaitabha”. The third one is the goddess Yoganidra Durga.
TIGERS CAVE.
Tigers Cave is a sixty-foot-long and twenty-foot-high cave located at Salvankuppam, a nearby village on the Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram coast. It was originally dedicated to Durga and probably belongs to the Rajasimha period.
ATHIRANACHADA CAVE.
Athiranchada cave, with its primitive facade, is located at Salvankuppam village. The primitive style indicates its earlier origin, while the three black stone fluted lingas and Somaskanda panel within the temples indicate a much later period. This cave’s pillars are similar to those belonging to Dharmaraja Mandapa. Athiranachada cave temple contains two inscriptions in two different scripts. Even though the scripts are different, the contents are identical.
KRISHNA MANDAPA.
This cave has a relatively modern pillared hall built by the Vaishnavas. Krishna cave contains no Shiva figures or symbols attached to Shivates. Krishna cave has Bas reliefs of Krishna in Brindavan, and Krishna with Govardana mountain.
Another peculiarity of this sculpture is Krishna’s tall headdress and big round ear ornaments. These are peculiar to Pallava period art and common to both male and female figures.
PANCHAPANDAVA CAVE.
This unfinished cave is located on the south side of Arjuna’s penance. It is the largest of the so-called cave temples or Mandapas of Mahabalipuram. Panchapandava mandapa is an uncompleted one, but its facade is the only portion of the work that has been completed. The works inside this cave remind us of the Persian columns or Persepolitan capitals of some ancient Buddhist pillars.
DHARMARAJA MANDAPA.
Dharmaraja mandapa is an east-facing cave temple, and in style and plan, it is similar to the Mahendra temple at Mandapattu. This cave contains three small cells with wall images of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The cell at the centre is larger than the other two. It is built during Rajasimha’s period. The name of the cave was “Atyantakama Pllavesvara Graham“, and it is clear from the Pallava Granth epigraph present in the cave.
