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The ruins in Mamallapuram near Chennai are
a fascinating storehouse of mythological tales,
The ruins make the ancient seaport of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) one of the most popular haunts of the foreign and domestic tourists. The white sand beaches are lined with pretty resorts. It is the kind of place where you can wander around monuments in the morning and retire to the sun-warmed beach in the afternoon. Mamallapuram, known for its rock-cut sculptures, has been classified by Unesco as a world heritage site. Situated 60 km from Chennai, Mamallapuram is a seventh century marvel of Pallava art. The name of Mahabalipuram was changed to Mamallapuram by the Pallava king Narasimha Varman 1 (640-668 AD). He was also responsible for some of Mamallapuram’s greatest works of art. Shore Temple Set against the background of sea, with waves gently rolling over its outer walls; the Shore Temple is the lone survivor of seven such temples, the rest having fallen to the ravages of the sea. There are two shrines cut in rocks. One is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and the other to Lord Shiva. Spanning 12 centuries, the Shore Temple, with its magnificent towers, stands on the Coromandel Coast notwithstanding the salinity of the seawater and breeze partially eroding the sheen of its sculptures. Panch Rathas One of the most interesting legacies of Narsimha Varman I is the panch rathas. Standing among sandy dunes on the southern edge of the town, these rathas look like pagodas and are mini shrines, chiselled out of individual blocks of granite in the form of temple chariots. The temples are decorated with gorgeous bas-relief in typical Dravidian architecture. They are known as Panch Pandava Rathas. These temples are five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes, they are not assembled. Each one is carved out of one huge stone. The Dharmaraja ratha is the biggest and the best of the five. This lofty two-storey structure resembles an art gallery and manifests the Pallava genius for variety of art forms. The lion, Goddess Durga’s mount, stands right in front of her shrine. In addition, there is also a seven-foot-high elephant exquisitely carved out of solid rock. Such touches are common in Mahabalipuram, which compliment the architectural excellence of the Pallava sculptors. Arjuna’s Penance
This bas-relief is a huge rock canvas with chiselled sketches of gods and demigods, men, birds and beasts, and Nagas and nymphs, all blending harmoniously into the theme of the penance of a mythological hero. Arjuna undertook a penance (tapasya) to secure from Lord Shiva a powerful weapon to destroy his enemies. The sketches also depict the penance of Bhagiratha, who brought down Ganga from the heaven to the earth. A cleft in the rock depicts Ganga descending to the earth. The story of the descent of the Ganga is told with a lively cast of characters, including Nagas (snake people), dwarfs and a hypocritical cat. There are also folk art depictions of life in the seventh century, showing woodsmen carrying bows and an exotic collection of animals from elephants to iguanas. Krishna Mandapam The mandapam, an elaborate bas-relief, predates the penance panel. The pastoral scene carved on the mandapam depicts Lord Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana. It is surrounded by scenes of village life, a shepherd playing a flute, a mother nursing her baby, a couple dancing hand in hand, a cow playfully licking her calf while being milked by a farmer. The poetic grace that abounds in the even tenor of pastoral life is presented with vividness, which words cannot convey. Mahishasuramardini Mandapam It depicts Durga’s fight with Mahishasura and his eventual destruction. Another fine example of Pallava art is a sculpture depicting Lord Vishnu in repose on his serpent-couch Adishesha. The Varaha mandapam is one of the best-carved gems of the Pallava art. It portrays the two avtaars of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha panel depicts the story of Vishnu taking the form of a mighty boar and plunging into the ocean to rescue the goddess Earth. A sequence from the story of Vishnu’s incarnation as Vamana, a Brahmin dwarf, is portrayed on the southern wall of the cave. To cap it all, there also stands a rock hill carved into more than a hundred pieces of sculptures. They are a grand expression of stone art, and one of the largest, most captivating and dramatic masterpieces of all times. Verily, art has reached its full mastery here. Fourteen hundred years later the gentle rhythm of chisel tapping against stones in Mahabalipuram’s streets can still be heard, as sculpting still remains a part of everyday life, rather an industry. One can find young men chipping away mounds of stone, producing statues of Ganesha, Shiva and Parvati at a place, which, many experts believe, was a school of sculpture in the ancient days.
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