“Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a story teller” – Ibn Battuta
(Ibn Battuta was a 14th century explorer & scholar. He travelled more than 1,20,000 kms in the various journeys he undertook to various lands and wrote the most famous travel logs. His above quote resonates so well with my personal thoughts. I wishfully hope that I shall be able to follow his foot steps !!)
Introduction:
South India has seen the rise & fall of many empires over several centuries. They have been builders of magnificent, imposing temples that still stand tall and inspire awe & wonder. If you consider the period from 6th to 12th centuries, the names of some powerful, famous dynasties that come to mind are the Pallavas, Pandyas, Cholas, Chalukyas, Cheras.
It is unfortunate that Indian history has focussed on the empires from the North and has highlighted their contributions alone. The contributions of these empires from the South are no less impressive. Somehow they have been largely ignored or not covered adequately. We have never been taught the names of the great kings of these empires who built the wonderful temples at Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Tanjavur, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Rameshwaram, Trivanduram and many other places. All these temples are marvels of ancient architecture and have every right to be included in the World Heritage list.
A memorable trip to Mamallapuram:
My travelogue today takes you to Mamallapuram (earlier known as Mahabalipuram). It is a wonderful location on the Coromandel Coast that boasts of an extraordinary conglomerate of temples built by the Pallava rulers in the 7th & early 8th century. They have been included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
It was in the month of February 2019 that my son proposed that we go on a 4 nights/ 5 days vacation. We zeroed on Mamallapuram & Pondicherry and flew to Chennai from Mumbai. My son had booked a cab for 5 days and we drove down 60 kms to Mamallapuram from Chennai airport (taking a lunch break on the way). We checked in at Four Points Sheraton Hotel at around 2 pm.
The mighty Pallavas
The Pallavas were the first major dynasty that ruled the region comprising parts of Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh between the 6th & 9th century CE. Their capital was Kanchipuram. The greatest Pallava King was Narasimhavaran (630-668 CE). He transformed a little seaside village into a bustling seaport and gave it its name Mamallapuram. It became the most important port on the Coromondel coast. Ships laden with spices & silks sailed from here across the Bay of Bengal to Cambodia and the islands of Java & Sumatra. The trade flourished and so did the revenue of the empire.
Pallavas, the great builders:
Due to its strategic location, the Pallava kings chose this little town to record their might in stone. They built amazing pavilions & temples on the edge of the sea. Even after fourteen centuries they are hailed as prototypes of Dravidian architecture. These temples were built largely during the reign of Narasimhavarmam (630-668 CE), his grandson Parmesvaravarman (670-695 CE) and great grandson Rajasimhavarman (695-728 CE).
Chronicle of Pallava dynasty
Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram:
It is believed that the place was given the name Mahabalipuram after the mythological Asura king Bali who was a powerful but benevolent king. He had become invincible due to a boon & immortal after he consumed a drop of Amrit. He conquered both the earth & heaven and terrorized the devas who sought help from Vishnu. Vishnu took the avatar of Vaman and tricked him into accepting his request for ‘three steps of land’. Vishnu then took the gigantic form of Trivikarma and covered the entire heaven & earth in two steps. Bali had to offer his head to Vishnu for keeping the third step.
Origin of the name:
The name Mamallapuram derives from the word ‘Mamallan’ which means ‘great warrior’ or ‘great wrestler’. The greatest Pallavan King Narasimhavarman (630-668 CE) was given the title Mamallan. Since during his reign the sea side village had developed into a bustling port, the place was named Mamallapuram.
Some historians are of the view that Mamallapuram is the ancient name and the place had acquired the name Mahabalipuram sometime after 14th century during the era of Vijayanagar kings. Hence restoring the name to Mamallapuram had done justice to the glory of the Pallava kings.
Even though from my school days, I had got used to the name Mahabalipuram and still use it while speaking but in this blog I am going to stick to the official name Mamallapuram, primarily as a mark of respect to the great Pallava king Narasimhavarman.
Architecture of Mahabalipuram temples:
These temples built over a period of roughly 80 years showcase the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The mandapas (pavilions), reliefs and rathas (shrines shaped as temple chariots) are hewn from granite rock face. While, the famed Shore temple which was erected 50 years later is built using granite stones. The influence of Buddhist architecture can be seen on some of these shrines. Art historian Percy Brown believes that the roots of Pallavan mandapas can be traced to the rock cut caves of Ajanta & Ellora. He mentions that when Narasimhavaran defeated the Chalukyan king Pulakeshin II, he brought along the sculptors & artisans of Chalukya empire to Kanchi and Mamallapuram as ‘spoils of war’.
The influence of the architecture of Shore temple:
The influence can be seen as far of as in some of the Khmer temples of Cambodia and in the bas-reliefs of Borubudur temple in Indonesia. Probably the descendants of the same artisans went there. Of particular interest to the architects would be the fascinating elaborate water systems with interconnected cisterns to let in the sea water during high tide and transform the temple into a water shrine. But in recent years a stone wall has been erected and casuarina trees have been planted to prevent sea water from entering the premises and to protect the shrine from further erosion.
Testimony of the travellers:
The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang in his travel records mentions Mamallapuram as a Pallava port. Marco Polo in his travel books mentions the Seven Pagodas of Mamallapuram which he saw from the ship during his voyage. Only one, the Shore Temple survives today. The tsunami of 2004 did some minor damage to the temples of Mamallapuram but after the waters receded it showed the existence of number of other shrines submerged under the sea probably during an earlier tsunami. Archaeological teams from India & abroad are making further studies on it. This leads many scholars to believe that what Marco Polo and many other traders & merchants mentioned about the seven shrines/pagodas on the shore could have been true!!
They are among the oldest structural monuments built in India. It is believed that originally the Mamallapuram complex had more than 400 monuments but today not more than 50 survive. These monuments bear testimony to the incredible talents of the artisans and rulers who built them
Exploring Mamallapuram:
We spent one & half days exploring & admiring the many delightful shrines & monuments of Mamallapuram.
The Shore Temple
“Yet even with the ceaseless activity of the sea on one side, and the insidious menace of the drifting sands on the other, the twin towers are still erect and the shrines remain intact, immutable it stands, a silent record of a great but almost forgotten people” ~ Percy Brown
The Shore temple was built during the reign of Rajasimhavarman, also known as Narasimhavarman II (695-728 CE). It is considered to be among the oldest structural temples in South India.
Pyramidal in shape with a height of 60 feet and perched on a 50 feet square platform, the temple is the icon of Mamallapuram. Very close to the shore, it was designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun and to illuminate the waters after dark. In terms of the art historian Percy Brown ‘a landmark by day and a beacon by night’. The temple has an unusual design, the main sanctum with a large Shivalinga faces the sea on the east while the gateway, forecourt and the assembly hall all lie behind the sanctum. In addition there are two more shrines, one dedicated to Vishnu and one to Shiva. The enclosing wall has a series of Nandi bulls carved on it. The twin sikharas of the temple still stand tall and proud. What a tribute to the architectural brilliance of the Pallava craftsmen.
Annual classical dance festival:
Tourism Department organizes annual classical dance festival in January/February with the Shore Temple as the backdrop.
Bas-relief depicting Arjuna’s Penance and the descent of Ganga:
The visitor is left speechless as he comes face to face with this gigantic open-air bas-relief. It is believed to be the largest in the world. It measures 96 feet in length and 43 feet in height and is ornately carved on two adjacent boulders. A natural cleft between the two rocks has been creatively used to simulate the cascading Ganga from the Himalayas. The carvings depict many human & animal figures both mythical & real and also deities. Fables from the Panchatantra, Mahabharata and even daily life are woven into the elaborate carving.
Arjuna or Bhagirath?
Among the profusion of figures is an emaciated ascetic standing on one leg in the posture of penance. It is believed to depict Arjuna. The reference is to an episode from Mahabharata where Arjuna prays to Shiva to procure the divine arms before the war with the Kauravas. Many scholars dispute this and are of the belief that it depicts Bhagirath praying to Shiva to send Ganga on to the earth.
It is believed that this relief was created to commemorate the victory of the Pallava king Narasimhavarman over the Chalukya king Pulakesin II.
Olakkaneswara or Olakkanath temple:
This rectangular temple is perched up on the top of a boulder at the highest point of Mamallapuram. It was dedicated to Shiva and also served as a lighthouse in the ancient times. Only the lower portion of the temple survives today. Olakkaneswara means Shiva whose forehead contains the crescent moon or eye of wisdom. There are several sculpted figures on the outer wall.
Mandapas (pavilions or pillared halls)
There are ten mandapas (two are unfinished) spread over the rocky hill carved from the rock face. These mandapas with graceful columns and intricate figure sculptures bear witness to the artistry of the Pallavan rock-cutter. Some of them were designed as shrines with sanctum and outer hall. Some porticoes are adorned with exquisite sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythological figures.
Krishna Mandap:
This is a beautiful bas-relief carved inside a pillared hall that depicts the scene of Krishna lifting the Govardhan Parvat. This was to give shelter to the gops & gopis, cows, cattle and other animals from the fury of relentless rain unleashed by the rain god Indra. Of particular interest is a true to life sculpture depicting a gop milking a cow.
Mahisasumardini Cave temple:
This Mandapa has two beautifully carved panels. One of them depicts the battle scene between Goddess Durga atop her lion and the demon Mahisasur along with his companions. The other panel on the other side depicts Lord Vishnu lying under the protective hood of the seven-headed serpent Adisesha. These two sculptures are masterpieces of Pallava art.
Varaha Cave Temple:
Carved in the late 7th century, the columns have lion bases. One wall has Varaha lifting Bhudevi, another wall depicts Vishnu as Trivikrama subduing King Mahabali. On the rear wall figures of Lakshmi and Durga can be seen.
Ganesha Mandapa:
It is a active shrine even today with a black idol of Ganesha installed in it. Scholars believe that it was originally a Shiva temple and Ganesha idol is a much later addition.
An interesting Mandapa with three shrines:
At the extreme lower end of the hill is a cave with shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu & Brahma. To the right of the shrine is a niche with Durga standing on a buffalo head.
Rathas (Chariots):
The Rathas are monolothic temples fashioned as chariots. They remain an architectural mystery, as it is believed that they are reproduction of structures built of wood. Surprisingly, even the grains of the timber beams and rafters have been simulated in wood. Five of the rathas are named after Pandava brothers and their wife Draupadi (Nakul & Sahadev share a common Ratha). There is no historical basis for this.
Description of all the Rathas:
The first Ratha that a visitor encounters is the Draupadi Ratha which is the smallest in size. It is simple in design built like a thatched roof and reminds of the architecture of Bengal. This temple was dedicated to Durga as her images are carved on three sides. A sculpted lion stands in front of the temple.
The next ratha with Dravidian architecture is Arjun Ratha, bigger in size with images of Indra on his elephant Airavat, Shiva with Nandi and Vishnu with Garuda are carved.
The Bhima ratha is incomplete except for columns with seated lions. The large vaulted roofs with arched ends gives the feeling of Buddhist Chaitya Caves.
The tallest and the most elaborate temple is the Dharmaraja Ratha. It has images of Ardhanarishvara, Brahma, Shiva, Harihara and King Narasimhavarman.
The Ratha named after Nakula Sahadeva is near a free standing large sculpture of an elephant
Krishna’s Butter Ball :
In ancient times it was called as ‘Vaanirai kal’ which literally means stone of the sky god. It is a nature’s wonder as it has been perched on a 45-degree slope for centuries. This 20 feet tall rock estimated to weigh over 250 tonnes defies gravity. As per legends attempts have been made to remove it even with the help of seven elephants but the task had to be abandoned as the rock didn’t move at all. The locals fondly refer to it as Krishna’s butter ball and it is the favourite picnic spot for the tourists from nearby locations.
Rayar Gopuram:
There is no gopuram but only carved pillars with open air raised platform. I couldn’t find any historical reference to it so can’t say whether it is an unfinished monument or this is what remains of a magnificent structure.
Tiger’s Cave:
4 kms away from the other monuments on the Chennai road is an unusual complex. It comprises of a rock-cut monument that resembles the head of a tiger with mouth open. Tiger heads and elephant heads are carved on the outer wall of the cave. In addition there is a Shiva temple carved out of a rock and another rock on which the scene of Mahisasurmardini is depicted beautifully. A large flat rock stands tall at a slant and attracts attention.
Sthalasayana Perumal Temple (also called Thirukadalmallai) :
The ancient temple which was very close to the shore is believed to have been shifted to the current location in the 14th century by Vijayanagar King Parankusa. This is a live temple.
Other attractions:
Boulders & rocks in different sizes & shapes are interesting to watch and capture on camera. Other interesting visits included a climb up the lighthouse built by the British in 1900 and a round of the Maritime museum showcasing the maritime expertise of the Pallavas and also displaying exhibits of the development of ships in different ages.
Crocodile Park:
We also visited the Crocodile Park. The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station. It is on the Chennai Mamallapuram road , 40 kms from Chennai. It has more than 500 crocodiles & alligators. While the alligators couldn’t be sighted as they were inside the water pool, we saw hordes of crocodiles lazing in the sun. We also saw a pair of tortoises and also visited the museum.
Stone Artists of Mahabalipuram:
A millennium and three hundred years have passed since the majestic temples & sculptures of Mahabalipuram were created by unknown & unsung artisans. The descendants of those artisans are still keeping alive the tradition of creating beautiful sculptures in granite!!
In Mamallapuram you would find scores of such road side establishments where sculptures in different stages of finish are strewn all around and the artisans are at work giving shape & finish to the stones. The final result is awesome and these artistic sculptures find their way to curio show rooms across the country or to the gardens, temples or drawing rooms of the wealthy. There is a big export market too.
These pics were taken during our visit to a couple of these artisan
workshops. It was wonderful to see the artisans creating wonders with
chisel & hammer !!
The price of a statue may range from Rs 5k to a
couple of hundred thousands depending upon the size & workmanship
of the sculpture. Unfortunately we could not make up our mind regarding
picking up one of them and now regret it !!!
Four Points Sheraton Hotel:
It turned out to be a well spread out beautiful resort hotel with comfortable spacious suite rooms, good food & excellent service. We enjoyed the garden and the hammock.
References:
(1) A History of South India by K.A. Nilakantha Sastri (2) Penguin’s Monuments of India Volume I by George Michell (3) Speaking Stones- World Cultural Heritage Sites in India (Travel Guide by Good Earth supported by Department of Tourism, Government of India (4) 100 Wonders of India by Roli Books.
I sign off my blog with a quote from Henry Miller: “One’s destination is never a place but a new way of seeing things”
From Mamallapuram, we proceeded to Pondicherry (Puducherry) at a distance of 72 kms. This interesting destination would be covered next week.
Mamallapuram has hotels to suit every budget. Being a World Heritage Site, it is visited by many foreigners. Chennai is well connected by air with all the major cities in India and also with many international cities. The road from Chennai to Mamallapuram is beautiful and for a quite a distance it runs parallel to the sea beach.
The best time to visit Mamallapuram is from December to March. The period from September to November should be avoided due to heavy rains during those months.
In conclusion:
I have clicked all the pics.
I hope that you have enjoyed the arm chair pictorial tour of Mamallapuram from my perspective. If yes, then please comment below and share the link with your friends. If you have missed reading my earlier blogs then you can go to the site www.travelindiathroughmyeyes.com and click on the heading of the respective blogs.
You can reach me at rameshkabra1956@gmail.com for any feedback or queries related to this post.
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Disclaimer: I have made sincere efforts to provide you the correct information about all the places that have been culled out from various sources. I do not take any responsibility for any errors that might have crept in the narration inadvertently. There is no intention to hurt the faith or religious sentiments of any person or community.
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