Mahabalipuram that was formerly known as Mamallapuram is
one of the most frequented tourism destinations in Tamilnadu, a province in
India. The place is just 55 Kilometers off Chennai, the capital city of
Tamilnadu and forms a major excursion destination around it. In fact,
Mahabalipuram along with Chennai and Kanchipuram forms the famous 'Golden
Tourism Triangle' ashore Coromandel Coast.
Experts say that there were seven pagodas or temples on the shores of Mahabalipuram. All but one were pillaged by the rapacious sea, though there is little underwater evidence to substantiate their existence.
Most of the temples and rock carvings of this place were built during the reigns of Narsinha Varman I (AD 630-668) and Narsinha Varman II (AD 700-728). Though the initial kings of Pallava dynasty were followers of Jainism, the conversion of Mahendra Varman (AD 600-630) to Shaivism led most of the monuments to be related with Shiva or Vishnu.
The five Rathas include The Dharmaraja,The Bhima,The Arjuna,The Draupadi and The Sahadeva. The Five Rathas,about 200 m south of the main hill,were fashioned out of a smaller hill sloping down from the south. From the largest part was made the biggest of the five rathas,the Dharmaraja. Then followed onwards north,in the descending order of height,the Bhima,the Arjuna and the Draupadi. A little to the west of Draupadi there was a comparatively large rock and out of it the Sahadeva Ratha was made. Immediately in front of the Draupadi again two smaller rocks were sculptured into an elephant and a lion. Behind the Draupadi and the Arjuna,which stand on a common base,there is a Nandi.
Experts say that there were seven pagodas or temples on the shores of Mahabalipuram. All but one were pillaged by the rapacious sea, though there is little underwater evidence to substantiate their existence.
Most of the temples and rock carvings of this place were built during the reigns of Narsinha Varman I (AD 630-668) and Narsinha Varman II (AD 700-728). Though the initial kings of Pallava dynasty were followers of Jainism, the conversion of Mahendra Varman (AD 600-630) to Shaivism led most of the monuments to be related with Shiva or Vishnu.
The five Rathas include The Dharmaraja,The Bhima,The Arjuna,The Draupadi and The Sahadeva. The Five Rathas,about 200 m south of the main hill,were fashioned out of a smaller hill sloping down from the south. From the largest part was made the biggest of the five rathas,the Dharmaraja. Then followed onwards north,in the descending order of height,the Bhima,the Arjuna and the Draupadi. A little to the west of Draupadi there was a comparatively large rock and out of it the Sahadeva Ratha was made. Immediately in front of the Draupadi again two smaller rocks were sculptured into an elephant and a lion. Behind the Draupadi and the Arjuna,which stand on a common base,there is a Nandi.
The main hill at Mamallapuram is dotted with pillared halls carved into the rock face. These mandapas, with their graceful columns and intricate figure sculptures bear witness to the artistry of the Pallavan rock cutter. The ten pavilions at Mamallapuram, of which two are unfinished, were designed as shrine, with a sanctum and on outer hall. The shallow porticoes are adorned with exquisite sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythological figures. The Ganesh mandapa is an active shrine even today, with the idol of the elephant-god being revered by the faithful, fourteen centuries after it was first consecrated.Beyond the circular rock called Krishna's Butterball is the Varaha mandapa dedicated to the two avatars of Vishnu as Varaha the boar and Vamana the dwarf.
The pillars of this pavilion are perhaps the earliest to display a motif that became the signature of southern architecture-the lion pilaster, where a heraldic lion support ornamental pillar. The Mahishasuramardini mandapa has the goddess Durga in bas relief, slaying a buffalo-headed demon, and the Vishnu Sayana Mandapa shows Lord Vishnu lying under the protective hood of the seven-headed serpent Adishesha. Of the other mandapas, the Panch Pandava mandapa, that is unfinished, has a more elaborate facade. Its pillars are adorned with rearing lions springing from the capital, and the shrine is the only one surrounded by a passage which allows circumvolutions.
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