Eternal India Encyclopedia

ARCHITECTURE

Eternal India

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Pattadakkal. This Western Chalukyan territory was the meeting

place of northern and southern styles. This explains the similarity

in the architectural styles of Alampur and Pattadakal. The nine

temples here although dedicated to Shiva are named after Brahma.

THE PALLAVAS

Every phase of Pallava architecture and sculpture can be seen

at Mamalapuram (Mahabalipuram), 35 miles south of Madras,

where there are rock-cut cave temples, monoliths and structural

buildings. The three major architectural styles are that of the time

of Mahendravarman I (600-630), his son Narasimhavarman I

(630-670) who had the title of Malla from which the name Mamal-

lapuram is derived and Rajasimha (Narasimhavarman II). Cave I

(Varaha cave) contains two royal portraits, one of Simhavishnu

(father of Mahendravarman I) seated on a throne flanked by his two

queens) and another of Mahendravarman leading his two queens

towards his father. Narasimhavarman I continued the tradition of

rock-cut temples but they became more elaborate. He initiated the

method of carving free-standing monolithic

rathas

(chariots), as

they are called. The six monolithic rathas at Mamallapuram each

with a distinctive shrine tower

(vimana)

are named after the Pan-

davas of the Mahabharata. The origin of the idea of complete

replicas of structural buildings is not known but these are the

earliest surviving examples. The Arjunaratha demonstrates the

Southern style of architecture with a superstructure which has

stories that diminish in size as they ascend, forming a pyramidal

roof. Each roof is decorated with a barrel-vault pavilion (Sala) and

the whole is capped with an octagonal

sikhara.

This form is the

basis for what is seen in Chola, Vijayanagar and Nayaka period

monuments. Rajasimha (700-728 A.D.) who began constructing

free-standing structural temples, built the Shore temple out of hard

blackish leptinite. The Shore temple is a double shrine close to the

sea. The main shrine faces east. The adjoining shrine faces west.

The best known of the rock carvings is the immense 27 m long

and 9 m. wide bas relief that is sculpted in detail on a huge whale-

shaped rock. It depicts the story of the Descent of the river Ganga

to the earth. It was after a thousand-year penance that Lord Shiva

agreed to let the heavenly river flow through his tresses since its

direct descent on earth would have meant a certain destruction of

the earth. The river is represented by

nagas

(snake divinities) and

their wives. There is the picture of the emaciated sage Bhagiratha

standing on one foot, while all of creation, animals, humans and

heavenly beings watch the descent of the Ganga.

Another version is that it depicts Arjuna's penance to obtain a

boon from Lord Shiva. The bas relief also has fables from the well-

known Panchatantra sculptured on it, in life size, including the

elephants.

The central cleft, a natural feature of rock, is skilfully incorpo-

rated into the design and subject matter of the sculpture. Secondary

meanings that the Pallavas resembled the Descent and purified the

world can also be read.

"Seventh century Pallava sculpture is of a very high order; it

differs chiefly from that of the Gupta period in the great slenderness

and the freer movements of the forms, a more oval face and higher

check-bones. The divine and human figures are infinitely gracious

and in the representation of animals this school excels all others".

Dr. Anand Coomaraswamy.

Another monument securely attributable to Rajasimha's reign is

the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram which is a fully developed

southern temple. Once the capital of the Pallavas, Kanchipuram is

the ancient city of a thousand temples. Throughout the year,

various temple festivals are celebrated. It is one of the seven

sacred towns of India. In January, April and May are car festivals,

when the deities are taken out in elaborately carved and decorated

wooden chariots pulled along by devotees. The beautifully deco-

rated image of Lord Vishnu is taken out in May-, seated on the figure

of Garuda - a mythological bird.

During major festivals, colourfully dressed people go in proces-

sion to the sounds of Vedic chants and traditional melodies played

on the

'nadaswaram'.

The oldest temple here is the Kailasanatha temple dedicated to

Lord Shiva. The temple has a small gopuram and a shrine to the bull,

Nandi. There are beautifully painted murals on the perimeter walls.

Many have been damaged by the ravages of nature.

Temples were also built by the Cholas, Chalukyas and the

rulers of Vijayanagar when they ruled over Kanchipuram. The Vai-

kunta Perumal temple dedicated to Vishnu was built by the Pallava

emperor, Nandivarman II. It has a colonnade of iron pillars and

beautifully painted murals.

The most famous temple is the Ekambareshwara temple built

by the Pallavas with subsequent additions by later dynasties. It is a

huge temple with five enclosures, a thousand pillared hall and

immense elaborately decorated gopurams that are over 59 m. high.

Here Shiva is worshipped in the form of one of the elements —

Earth

(prithvi).

The Varadaraja temple with 30 m. high gopurams is also

another important temple. It has got a hundred pillared hall. There

are some beautiful sculptures among which is a huge chain, carved .

out of a single piece of stone.

The Sri Kamakshi Amman temple, dedicated to the goddess

Kamakshi has an imposing structure. The temple's annual car festi-

val on the 9th lunar day in Feb-March attracts big crowds.

The Vijayanagar empire, which had its capital at Hampi,

reached the height of its power in the 16th Century. The most

typical characteristic of Vijayanagar temple architecture is the

kalyana mandapa

or marriage hall where the images of the god and

goddess were ceremonially united on festival days. The Vithala

temple at Hampi is one of the finest examples of temple