Mahabalipuram Seashore Temple - மகாபலிபுரம்
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Located at a distance of 58-km from Chennai,Mahabalipuram has everything that makes a site memorable; tradition,history,piety,western annals,and current importance as a centre of tourism.
Mahabalipuram is located close to Chennai (Madras) on the shores of the Bay of Bengal,along the Indian eastern coast. Known for its rocks carvings and monolithic sculptures it has the famous shore temple,the only one to have survived the ravages of nature. Also known as the Seven Pagodas (temples),six now lie submerged in the sea. Mahabalipuram temples whose architecture was inspired by the Pallava Art were built during the period 830 - 1100 AD.
Mahabalipuram contains nearly forty monuments of different types including an "open air bas relief" which is the largest in the world. For centuries it has been a centre of pilgrimage,and even today it attracts devotees and foreigners in large numbers. Mahabalipuram There are two low hills in Mahabalipuram,about 400m from the sea whose both sides have 11 excavated temples,called Mandapas. Out of a big rock standing free nearby there is a "cut out" temple,called a "Ratha". This type is unique to Mahabalipuram.
Out of the other hill,much smaller and standing about 200m to the south,are fashioned five more rathas,and three big sculptures of a Nandi,a Loin and an Elephant. On the top of the bigger hill there is a structural temple,and a little distance the magnificent beginnings of a Vijayanagar Gopura and also survivals of what is believed to be a palace. The Five Rathas 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 Shore Temple The Shore Temple occupies a most extraordinary site at the very margin of the Bay of Bengal so that at high tide the waves sweep into it and the walls. For this reason their sculptures,have been eroded by the winds and waves of thirteen centuries. The Shrines In The Shore Temple There are 3 shrines in the Shore Temple. Two of them are of Saiva and the third is of Vaishnava,with an image of Lord Anantasayi made of live rock. There are Vimanas over the Saiva (also spelt as Shaiv or Shaiva) shrines,but none over the third; it seems to have disappeared with time. Built by Narasimha Varman II Rajasimha,the maker of the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram in the 8th century,this is one of the earliest structural temples in Tamil Nadu. Temple Of Sthalasayana Perumal To the north of the bigger hill there is the temple of Sthalasayana Perumal. To the west of the five Rathas there are three more rathas,two side by side. About 600 m north of Mahabalipuram,along the coast,is Saluvankuppam,where there are magnificent excavated temples and,near it,a rock Mandapa with tiger heads along its periphery,called the "Tigers Cave". Between Saluvankuppam and Mahabalipuram,less than 200m from the sea,stands another structural temple,the Mukunda Nayanar.
Each and every one of these monuments of different types,structural temple,excavated temple "cut out" temple,"open air bas relief",not to mention sculptures and Mandapas to be found here and there,is important and interesting. The Shore temple,the celebrated "open air bas relief" called "Arjuna's Penance",the Mahishamardhani and the Adivaraha "Cave" temples and the Five Rathas are the especial rewards of the visitor. All the monuments are Pallava except that the original Sthalasayana Perumal temple was expanded in Vijayanagar times. To the Chola days belongs a Mandapa at the entrance to the township.
The temple architecture of the South Indian is very different from the temple architecture of the rest of India. The temple building activity of the South India can be divided four periods corresponding to the main kingdoms, which ruled the South India for the centuries.
The Pallava dynasty ruled from AD 600 to 900. The characteristic feature of the Pallava temple architecture is the rock-cut temples. The finest specimen of rock-cut shrines can be seen at Mahabalipuram. The Shore temple at Mahabalipuram is a fully carved temple complex with a towered sanctuary and mandapa.
The Chola dynasty ruled from AD 900-1150. The zenith of the Chola temple architecture can be seen at Thanjavur. It was the capital established by the Chola ruler Rajaraja I. The shrines have rising pyramidal towers crowned with domical roofs. The walls are embellished by the sculptures and paintings. The Bronze sculptures of this period are one of the finest in the whole of the South India.
The period of the reign of Hoysalas is from AD 1100-1350. The temples erected by the Hoysala kings have complex plans with numerous angled projections. The Chlorite stone was carved on the surface with remarkable precision. The columns of the temples are multi-faceted. The example of the Hoysala temples can still be seen at Belur, Halebid and Sringeri. The temple building activity came to an abrupt end due to the Muslim invasion.
The construction of temples gained fervor once again during the period of the Vijayanagara Empire. The characteristic feature of the temples of this period the growth of the temple complexes. The temples are concentric sequence of rectangular enclosure walls having gopuras in the center. The best examples of the temples of Vijaynagara are at Hampi.
Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram was the important seaport of the Pallava rulers. The place is famous now for some of the greatest architectural and sculptural specimen in India. The beautiful cave temples and gigantic open air reliefs carved from blocks of granite date to the 7th century AD. The Shore temples at Mahabalipuram were built during the reign of Rajasimha in the 7th century AD and marks the of zenith of the Pallava art and architecture. The temple was designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun and to illuminate the waters after dark. Thus the temple has an unusual layout.
Shore Temple The Shore Temple was the first Pallava structure to be built of stone rather than being hewn out of stone like the older temples. The greatest improvement in design is in the shikhara or spire, which has altered from the rounded vihara design to a soaring, tiered style. Elements like the vimana or spire, the gopuram or gateway and animal figures that were to become trademark features of Dravidian architecture can all be seen here. And it is largely the use of dressed stone, which gave the architects greater creative freedom.
The main shrine faces the sea on the east and the gateway, the forecourt and the assembly hall of the Shore Temple lie behind the sanctum. The temple has shrines to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The main sanctum and one of the two lesser ones on the west are dedicated to the Shiva. The enclosing wall has a series of Nandi bulls on it. Interconnected cisterns around the temple meant that the sea could be let in to transform the temple into a water shrine. A stone wall as been added to protect the shrine from the rising seas and further erosion in the recent times.
The Brihadeswara temple at Thanjaur is within a huge compound with walls rising above 15m. The temple is made over a 29 m square base and has a soaring vimana and a stunted gopuram. The inner sanctum and the gopuram were constructed over a period of 12 years. It was constructed from a single piece of granite weighing around 80 tones. The dome was hauled into place along a 4-km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the Egyptian pyramids.
The lofty sanctum tower known as the Srivimana, is enclosed by a rectangular prakara or corridor consisting of two squares. The inner wall of the garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum has sculpted 108 dance poses called karmas performed by Lord Shiva himself. The Shiva lingam is called Peruvudaiya, Rasjarajeshwaramudvya. It is a huge lingam, which is set in a two-storeyed sanctum. Rajaraja Chola crowned it with 12.5 ft tall finial of 9.25 kilograms of choppers plated with 800 grams of gold.
A huge statue of Nandi measuring 6 m length and 3.7 m in height faces the inner sanctum. The statue of Nandi was created from a single rock piece and weighs 25 tones. It is in fact one of the largest statues of Nandi bulls in India. The temple also has a spacious ground, number of pillared halls, shrines and 250 lingams.
The Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid stands on a platform like a casket. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has two shrines connected by the pillared walls. Each of the shrine has the lingam of Hoysaleshwara and Shanthaleshwara. Ketumalla who was the chief of the staff of Vishnuvardhan built the temple in 1121 AD.
The temple is richly ornamented with most intricately detailed scrollwork in stone. Outside there is figure of Nandi or the Bull, the mount of Shiva outside the shrine over a hillock. The figure of mortals and immortals are larger here in comparison to Belur. They are beautifully chiseled in shining black stone. The walls of the temples are embellished with variety of sculptures of the gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls.
Vithala Temple Krishnadeva Raya, the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, constructed The Vithala Temple at Hampi. It has a magnificent stone chariot in the courtyard of the temple. The large ranga mandapa is very impressive as it has 56 musical pillars, which resound with musical chimes when struck. The temple has variety of styles that is characterized in the shrines within the temple courtyard and in the delicacy of the carvings that embellish them. The temple stands over a large rectangular enclosure. The three lofty gopuras on the east, north and south sides are now in a dilapidated condition. The gopuram on the south is most ornate.
A pillared colonnade is surrounded all along the interior of the enclosing wall. The main shrine is in the center of the enclosed courtyard along with mandapa, amman sanctum, the kalyana mandapa, an utsava mandapa, a hundred-pillared mandapa and a stone ratha. There was a originally a lofty kipa-stambha, measuring 12.2 m in height, in front of the east gopuram. But now it is broken condition and lies on the ground. The main shrine was dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Vithala.
Mahabalipuram is a temple town that is situated along the Coromandel Coast 55 kilometers off Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu. The place is famous for its Ratha temples that are a part of the famous shore temple complex. The Pallava king Narsimha built the magnificent 'Ratha' cave temples of Mahabalipuram. The beauty of the sculptural art of the rock-cut temples tells about the architectural contribution of the erstwhile Pallava rulers. These 7th century temples are regarded the pioneer of an entirely revolutionary style of architecture that came to be known as Dravidian architecture style.
These 'Ratha' temples of Mahabalipuram are commonly called the Pancha Pandava Ratha. These temples are considered pioneer of the Dravidian monolith era and mark the point of transition between the earlier tradition of rock-carved temples and the later tradition of freestanding stone structures. There are actually eight Rathas at Mahabalipuram out of which five are named after the five Pandavas of Mahabharata and one after Draupadi. The five rathas that can be seen are Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Draupadi Ratha and Nakul Sahadev Ratha.
The interesting features among all these Ratha temples are the fact that all of them are monolith and are based on the Buddhist Viharas and Chaityas. The largest and the smallest among them are three-storied Dharmaraja Ratha and one-storied Draupadi Ratha respectively. The magnificent way in which these Monolithic Cave Temples were excavated by scooping out the scarp of the hill from front to back is a real treat for the eyes.
Apart from the famous Rathas, there are other magnificent temples in Mahabalipuram too. These temples are renowned for their Mandapas (cave sanctuaries). A Mandapa is an open pavilion or a hall with cells in the back wall and is cut out of a single piece of rock. The giant open-air relief such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges' and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva, are the most attractive. Both of these temples attract a lot of crowd every year.
Of the nine monolithic temples found in Mahabalipuram, the most important are Five Rathas known after the famous five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata fame. These monuments are carved out a single rock with choice of all known forms of plan and elevations. While the Dharmaraja, Arjuna and Draupadi rathas are square on plan, the Bhima and Ganesa rathas are rectangular and Sahadeva ratha apsidal.
The Draupadi ratha is a simple hut like kutagara shrine while the Arjuna ratha is a dvitala vimana with a mukhamandapa. The Bhima ratha is rectangular on plan with a salakara wagon-vaulted roof. The Dharmaraja ratha is a tritala vimana having functional shrines at all the talas. The Nakula-Sahadeva ratha with an apsidal plan and elevation indicate the experimental tendency of the architect.
Though monolithic sculpturing, both cut-in and cut-out, continued even during later periods (Atiranachanda cave, Pidari rathas and Tiger-cave), the structural architecture was introduced on a grand scale by Pallava Rajasimha (AD 700-28), culminating in erection of the world famous Shore temple. The Shore temple is a complex of three temples, viz, Rajasimhesvara (a small tritala vimana facing west), the Kshatriyasimhesvara (the larger east facing vimana) and Nripatisimha Pallava Vishnugriha (an east facing, oblong, flat-roofed mandapa shrine) housing the reclining Vishnu. These shrines are enclosed by two prakara walls with openings constructed in later times. The inner surface of prakara walls once contained panel sculptures which are worn out now.
The notable cave temples here are the Varaha mandapa, Mahisamardini mandapa, Paramesvara Mahavaraha Vishnugriha (Adivaraha cave). These are in the Mamalla style while the Adiranchanda caves temples belong to the Mahendra period.
The caves here were once plastered and painted as indicated by the remains. After Rajasimha, there is lull in the architectural activity of the place, save a few additions during late-Pallava and Chola times. The grandiose Vijayanagara phase here is represented by the Raja Gopurams and the Sthala-Sayana temple, juxtaposed to the carved boulder of Arjuna's penance.
Recent excavations to the north and south of the Shore Temple have revealed rock-cut figures representing religious themes of period prior to the construction to the temple. Besides, a monolithic Bhuvaraha, a reclining image of Vishnu, the base of Durga shrine with deer and a square socket possibly to accommodate mahastambha have also been exposed. To the south of the Shore Temple was exposed a stepped ghat facing the sea.
Mahabalipuram is located close to Chennai (Madras) on the shores of the Bay of Bengal,along the Indian eastern coast. Known for its rocks carvings and monolithic sculptures it has the famous shore temple,the only one to have survived the ravages of nature. Also known as the Seven Pagodas (temples),six now lie submerged in the sea. Mahabalipuram temples whose architecture was inspired by the Pallava Art were built during the period 830 - 1100 AD.
Mahabalipuram contains nearly forty monuments of different types including an "open air bas relief" which is the largest in the world. For centuries it has been a centre of pilgrimage,and even today it attracts devotees and foreigners in large numbers. Mahabalipuram There are two low hills in Mahabalipuram,about 400m from the sea whose both sides have 11 excavated temples,called Mandapas. Out of a big rock standing free nearby there is a "cut out" temple,called a "Ratha". This type is unique to Mahabalipuram.
Out of the other hill,much smaller and standing about 200m to the south,are fashioned five more rathas,and three big sculptures of a Nandi,a Loin and an Elephant. On the top of the bigger hill there is a structural temple,and a little distance the magnificent beginnings of a Vijayanagar Gopura and also survivals of what is believed to be a palace. The Five Rathas 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 Shore Temple The Shore Temple occupies a most extraordinary site at the very margin of the Bay of Bengal so that at high tide the waves sweep into it and the walls. For this reason their sculptures,have been eroded by the winds and waves of thirteen centuries. The Shrines In The Shore Temple There are 3 shrines in the Shore Temple. Two of them are of Saiva and the third is of Vaishnava,with an image of Lord Anantasayi made of live rock. There are Vimanas over the Saiva (also spelt as Shaiv or Shaiva) shrines,but none over the third; it seems to have disappeared with time. Built by Narasimha Varman II Rajasimha,the maker of the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram in the 8th century,this is one of the earliest structural temples in Tamil Nadu. Temple Of Sthalasayana Perumal To the north of the bigger hill there is the temple of Sthalasayana Perumal. To the west of the five Rathas there are three more rathas,two side by side. About 600 m north of Mahabalipuram,along the coast,is Saluvankuppam,where there are magnificent excavated temples and,near it,a rock Mandapa with tiger heads along its periphery,called the "Tigers Cave". Between Saluvankuppam and Mahabalipuram,less than 200m from the sea,stands another structural temple,the Mukunda Nayanar.
Each and every one of these monuments of different types,structural temple,excavated temple "cut out" temple,"open air bas relief",not to mention sculptures and Mandapas to be found here and there,is important and interesting. The Shore temple,the celebrated "open air bas relief" called "Arjuna's Penance",the Mahishamardhani and the Adivaraha "Cave" temples and the Five Rathas are the especial rewards of the visitor. All the monuments are Pallava except that the original Sthalasayana Perumal temple was expanded in Vijayanagar times. To the Chola days belongs a Mandapa at the entrance to the township.
The temple architecture of the South Indian is very different from the temple architecture of the rest of India. The temple building activity of the South India can be divided four periods corresponding to the main kingdoms, which ruled the South India for the centuries.
The Pallava dynasty ruled from AD 600 to 900. The characteristic feature of the Pallava temple architecture is the rock-cut temples. The finest specimen of rock-cut shrines can be seen at Mahabalipuram. The Shore temple at Mahabalipuram is a fully carved temple complex with a towered sanctuary and mandapa.
The Chola dynasty ruled from AD 900-1150. The zenith of the Chola temple architecture can be seen at Thanjavur. It was the capital established by the Chola ruler Rajaraja I. The shrines have rising pyramidal towers crowned with domical roofs. The walls are embellished by the sculptures and paintings. The Bronze sculptures of this period are one of the finest in the whole of the South India.
The period of the reign of Hoysalas is from AD 1100-1350. The temples erected by the Hoysala kings have complex plans with numerous angled projections. The Chlorite stone was carved on the surface with remarkable precision. The columns of the temples are multi-faceted. The example of the Hoysala temples can still be seen at Belur, Halebid and Sringeri. The temple building activity came to an abrupt end due to the Muslim invasion.
The construction of temples gained fervor once again during the period of the Vijayanagara Empire. The characteristic feature of the temples of this period the growth of the temple complexes. The temples are concentric sequence of rectangular enclosure walls having gopuras in the center. The best examples of the temples of Vijaynagara are at Hampi.
Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram was the important seaport of the Pallava rulers. The place is famous now for some of the greatest architectural and sculptural specimen in India. The beautiful cave temples and gigantic open air reliefs carved from blocks of granite date to the 7th century AD. The Shore temples at Mahabalipuram were built during the reign of Rajasimha in the 7th century AD and marks the of zenith of the Pallava art and architecture. The temple was designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun and to illuminate the waters after dark. Thus the temple has an unusual layout.
Shore Temple The Shore Temple was the first Pallava structure to be built of stone rather than being hewn out of stone like the older temples. The greatest improvement in design is in the shikhara or spire, which has altered from the rounded vihara design to a soaring, tiered style. Elements like the vimana or spire, the gopuram or gateway and animal figures that were to become trademark features of Dravidian architecture can all be seen here. And it is largely the use of dressed stone, which gave the architects greater creative freedom.
The main shrine faces the sea on the east and the gateway, the forecourt and the assembly hall of the Shore Temple lie behind the sanctum. The temple has shrines to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The main sanctum and one of the two lesser ones on the west are dedicated to the Shiva. The enclosing wall has a series of Nandi bulls on it. Interconnected cisterns around the temple meant that the sea could be let in to transform the temple into a water shrine. A stone wall as been added to protect the shrine from the rising seas and further erosion in the recent times.
The Brihadeswara temple at Thanjaur is within a huge compound with walls rising above 15m. The temple is made over a 29 m square base and has a soaring vimana and a stunted gopuram. The inner sanctum and the gopuram were constructed over a period of 12 years. It was constructed from a single piece of granite weighing around 80 tones. The dome was hauled into place along a 4-km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the Egyptian pyramids.
The lofty sanctum tower known as the Srivimana, is enclosed by a rectangular prakara or corridor consisting of two squares. The inner wall of the garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum has sculpted 108 dance poses called karmas performed by Lord Shiva himself. The Shiva lingam is called Peruvudaiya, Rasjarajeshwaramudvya. It is a huge lingam, which is set in a two-storeyed sanctum. Rajaraja Chola crowned it with 12.5 ft tall finial of 9.25 kilograms of choppers plated with 800 grams of gold.
A huge statue of Nandi measuring 6 m length and 3.7 m in height faces the inner sanctum. The statue of Nandi was created from a single rock piece and weighs 25 tones. It is in fact one of the largest statues of Nandi bulls in India. The temple also has a spacious ground, number of pillared halls, shrines and 250 lingams.
The Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid stands on a platform like a casket. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has two shrines connected by the pillared walls. Each of the shrine has the lingam of Hoysaleshwara and Shanthaleshwara. Ketumalla who was the chief of the staff of Vishnuvardhan built the temple in 1121 AD.
The temple is richly ornamented with most intricately detailed scrollwork in stone. Outside there is figure of Nandi or the Bull, the mount of Shiva outside the shrine over a hillock. The figure of mortals and immortals are larger here in comparison to Belur. They are beautifully chiseled in shining black stone. The walls of the temples are embellished with variety of sculptures of the gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls.
Vithala Temple Krishnadeva Raya, the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, constructed The Vithala Temple at Hampi. It has a magnificent stone chariot in the courtyard of the temple. The large ranga mandapa is very impressive as it has 56 musical pillars, which resound with musical chimes when struck. The temple has variety of styles that is characterized in the shrines within the temple courtyard and in the delicacy of the carvings that embellish them. The temple stands over a large rectangular enclosure. The three lofty gopuras on the east, north and south sides are now in a dilapidated condition. The gopuram on the south is most ornate.
A pillared colonnade is surrounded all along the interior of the enclosing wall. The main shrine is in the center of the enclosed courtyard along with mandapa, amman sanctum, the kalyana mandapa, an utsava mandapa, a hundred-pillared mandapa and a stone ratha. There was a originally a lofty kipa-stambha, measuring 12.2 m in height, in front of the east gopuram. But now it is broken condition and lies on the ground. The main shrine was dedicated to Vishnu in the form of Vithala.
Mahabalipuram is a temple town that is situated along the Coromandel Coast 55 kilometers off Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu. The place is famous for its Ratha temples that are a part of the famous shore temple complex. The Pallava king Narsimha built the magnificent 'Ratha' cave temples of Mahabalipuram. The beauty of the sculptural art of the rock-cut temples tells about the architectural contribution of the erstwhile Pallava rulers. These 7th century temples are regarded the pioneer of an entirely revolutionary style of architecture that came to be known as Dravidian architecture style.
These 'Ratha' temples of Mahabalipuram are commonly called the Pancha Pandava Ratha. These temples are considered pioneer of the Dravidian monolith era and mark the point of transition between the earlier tradition of rock-carved temples and the later tradition of freestanding stone structures. There are actually eight Rathas at Mahabalipuram out of which five are named after the five Pandavas of Mahabharata and one after Draupadi. The five rathas that can be seen are Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Draupadi Ratha and Nakul Sahadev Ratha.
The interesting features among all these Ratha temples are the fact that all of them are monolith and are based on the Buddhist Viharas and Chaityas. The largest and the smallest among them are three-storied Dharmaraja Ratha and one-storied Draupadi Ratha respectively. The magnificent way in which these Monolithic Cave Temples were excavated by scooping out the scarp of the hill from front to back is a real treat for the eyes.
Apart from the famous Rathas, there are other magnificent temples in Mahabalipuram too. These temples are renowned for their Mandapas (cave sanctuaries). A Mandapa is an open pavilion or a hall with cells in the back wall and is cut out of a single piece of rock. The giant open-air relief such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges' and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva, are the most attractive. Both of these temples attract a lot of crowd every year.
How to Reach Rathas Temples
Air
Chennai is the nearest airport from Mahabalipuram. Flights are available for almost all major destinations in India and abroad.Rail
The nearest railway station is Chengalpattu. You can easily get trains for Chennai and several other south-Indian cities.Road
Mahabalipuram is well connected by road to Chennai, Kanchipuram, Pondicherry, Madurai and other towns and cities of Tamilnadu.Group of Monuments Mahabalipuram (1984), Tamil Nadu
Mamallapuram, the city of Mamalla, is after the title of great Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman-I (AD 630-68). It was a sea-port during the time of Periplus (1st century AD) and Ptolemy (AD 140) and many Indian colonists sailed to South-East Asia through this port town. While there is some evidence of architectural activity going back to the period of Mahendravarman-I (AD 600-30), the father of Mamalla, most of the monuments like rock-cut rathas, sculptured scenes on open rocks like Arjuna's penance, the caves of Govardhanadhari and Mahishasuramardini, the Jala-Sayana Perumal temple (the sleeping Mahavishnu or Chakrin at the rear part of the Shore temple complex) are attributed to the period of Narasimhavarman-I Mamalla.Of the nine monolithic temples found in Mahabalipuram, the most important are Five Rathas known after the famous five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata fame. These monuments are carved out a single rock with choice of all known forms of plan and elevations. While the Dharmaraja, Arjuna and Draupadi rathas are square on plan, the Bhima and Ganesa rathas are rectangular and Sahadeva ratha apsidal.
The Draupadi ratha is a simple hut like kutagara shrine while the Arjuna ratha is a dvitala vimana with a mukhamandapa. The Bhima ratha is rectangular on plan with a salakara wagon-vaulted roof. The Dharmaraja ratha is a tritala vimana having functional shrines at all the talas. The Nakula-Sahadeva ratha with an apsidal plan and elevation indicate the experimental tendency of the architect.
Though monolithic sculpturing, both cut-in and cut-out, continued even during later periods (Atiranachanda cave, Pidari rathas and Tiger-cave), the structural architecture was introduced on a grand scale by Pallava Rajasimha (AD 700-28), culminating in erection of the world famous Shore temple. The Shore temple is a complex of three temples, viz, Rajasimhesvara (a small tritala vimana facing west), the Kshatriyasimhesvara (the larger east facing vimana) and Nripatisimha Pallava Vishnugriha (an east facing, oblong, flat-roofed mandapa shrine) housing the reclining Vishnu. These shrines are enclosed by two prakara walls with openings constructed in later times. The inner surface of prakara walls once contained panel sculptures which are worn out now.
The notable cave temples here are the Varaha mandapa, Mahisamardini mandapa, Paramesvara Mahavaraha Vishnugriha (Adivaraha cave). These are in the Mamalla style while the Adiranchanda caves temples belong to the Mahendra period.
The caves here were once plastered and painted as indicated by the remains. After Rajasimha, there is lull in the architectural activity of the place, save a few additions during late-Pallava and Chola times. The grandiose Vijayanagara phase here is represented by the Raja Gopurams and the Sthala-Sayana temple, juxtaposed to the carved boulder of Arjuna's penance.
Recent excavations to the north and south of the Shore Temple have revealed rock-cut figures representing religious themes of period prior to the construction to the temple. Besides, a monolithic Bhuvaraha, a reclining image of Vishnu, the base of Durga shrine with deer and a square socket possibly to accommodate mahastambha have also been exposed. To the south of the Shore Temple was exposed a stepped ghat facing the sea.
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 Photo by : Indyblue in Flickr |
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 Photo by : Ravages in Flickr |
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