Mahendravarman I

One of the greatest of the rulers of the Pallava dynasty Mahendravarman I Pallava, was a
great warrior, administrator, playwright, artist, poet, musician and many more.
Mahendravarman I Pallava was the Son of Simhavishnu, he ascended the Pallava throne in
600 A.D. His territory comprised of north Tamil Nadu and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh.
In the thirty years of his rule, the Pallava kingdom, saw unparalleled activities of a unique
nature in many spheres, the most important being the development of temple architecture. 

Mahendra was adequate warrior, however when Pulakesin II of the Chalukya dynasty of the
ancient Karnataka area advanced upon Kanchipuram, the ancient capital of the Pallavas,
Mahendra had to retreat to the gates of his city. With an artistic bent of mind,
Mahendravarman was mostly preoccupied with peaceful governance and the betterment of
education and the fine-arts. He was a fine Sanskrit scholar, his two excellent dramas
Mattavilasa Prahasana and the Bhafjavatajjukam are studied with zest by Sanskrit scholars
even today, approximately 1300 years after they were first composed. 

With love for music Mahendravarman composed the inscription on music at Kudimiyamalai
in Pudukottai district which is in Sanskrit and etched in the ancient Grantha script. This
inscription consists of groups of musical notes arranged for the benefit of students by this
king. This text is divided into seven sections, each of which is arranged in seven sub-sections
each having 16 sets of four notes. Mahendravarman was found of painting and is said to
have penned a treatise on south Indian paintings called Dakshinachitra, unfortunately it has
been lost in the course of time. 

Mahendra's greatest contribution to the culture of the Tamil country was in the field of
architecture. Realizing the need to build temples out of imperishable material, he launched
on the experiment of excavating caves out of hard granite hills. Once these caves were
excavated, supported by huge monolithic pillars, sculptures or paintings of Hindu deities
were placed inside for worship. This was the very first time that such temples of hard rock
were made in the Tamil land and this subsequently led to unprecedented architectural
activity in this part of the country, unparalleled in the annals of Indian history. 

There are many who believe that Mahendravarman was initially a Jain who was later
converted to Saivism by the famous Saiva saint (Nayanmar) Appar who was his coeval.
Mahendra was lucky to have his son and successor, Narasimhavarman I, an equally brave
king who was likewise well disposed towards the fine arts and who ascended the throne on
the death of his father. 
Narasimhavarman I
The famous, Shore Temple in Mamallapuram, the sea-side town, near Chennai, is a very
popular tourist destinations in South India, as to citizens of Chennai this little town gives
them a break from the hush and puff of the metro life. Well besides this, Mamallapuram has
a very interesting history that dates back to 630 A.D. This town got its name from a title of
the great Pallava emperor Narasimhavarman I, who was affectionately called Mamalla
because he was a great wrestler. The word malla in Sanskrit means wrestler and his passion
for and excellence in this sport earned him this title. 

Narasimhavarman succeeded his father the illustrious king Mahendravarman I to the throne
at Kanchi, the Pallava capital city, in 630 A.D., one of the first daring exploits of this great
warrior was to wreak revenge on the famous Chalukyan ruler Pulakesin II who had defeated
his father and ventured far into the Pallava territory. His army marched to Vatapi (Badami,
in present-day Karnataka), defeated Pulakesin and razed his capital to the ground. Acquiring
victory Narasimhavarman returned to his capital, assumed the title Vatapikondan (captor of
Vatapi). 

Narasimhavarman is commemorated today, not for his conquests, but for his contribution
to the art and architecture of Tamil Nadu. The port-city of Mamallapuram was converted
into an Eldorado for architects and sculptors, who were allowed to give full vent to their
artistic imagination. Mamalla continued in the tradition set by his father in excavating cave
temples and the numerous cave-shrines seen at Mamallapuram belong to his reign. He went
a step ahead and chiselled small shrines out of solid rock and these monolithic temples have
come to be called rathas. Also of his reign is an enormous sculpted panel known as Arjuna's
Penance, the largest bas-relief sculptural panel in the whole of Asia. 

introduction

The numerous temples of Tamilnadu built by the Pallava, Chola and Pandya
kings and dating back 1500 years, provide us a glimpse into Tamil history.
Temples older than these have perished as they were basically built of brick.
King Mahendra Varma Pallava (6th Century AD) is credited with constructing
the first stone temples. 

The inscriptions in some of these temples shed light on their importance in

ancient Tamil society. Temples often served as a gathering place for people
from all walks of life, where important social and political issues could be
discussed and debated. They also served as nurturing grounds for the fine arts
of painting, sculpture, dance and music. During times of emergency or natural
disasters, temples also became make shift hospitals. An analysis of the stone
inscriptions and ancient literary works yields a deeper understanding about
early Tamil society, politics, geography, agricultural practices, tax systems,
customs and traditions.
On the basis of their architecture, temples can be classified into three broad
types– cave temples, monolithic temples carved out of a single rock, and
structural stone temples. One can come across all the three types of temples
(Mahishasuramardhini and Varaha cave temples built after the reign of
Mahendra, the monolithic five rathas, and also other structural stone temples)
at Mamallapuram, which was also referred to as Kadal Mallai in ancient
literature.

Most of the temples found in Mamallapuram were built by Rajasimha. The five
rathas were initially thought to be the work of Mahendra's son
Narasimhavarma Pallava. But recent studies have proved that the five rathas
were actually built by Rajasimha. In his book titled "Adhyanthakamam", Dr. R.
Kalaikkovan, Director of the Dr. M. Rajamanickanar Center for Historical
Research, gives detailed evidence that proves that the five rathas were built by
Rajasimha. Other temples built by him in and around Kanchipuram, bear
testimony to Rajasimha's skill and ingenuity. He experimented widely with
various temple architectural concepts and introduced numerous inventions. A
study of the temples built by him is in fact a study of the evolution of temple
architecture.

The Five Rathas

The nomenclature of the buildings is unfortunate. They are called rathas

(pancha rathas means "five chariots"), and named individually after Draupadi
and the Pandava brothers, although they have nothing to do with temple carts
or the Mahabharata. It would be better to call them vimanas and just number
them 1 through 5, but the popular names have stuck.
Architectural Features

Four of the five, namely the Draupadi, Arjuna, Bhima and Dharmaraja rathas,
stand in a single row facing west. The fifth Nakula-Sahadeva ratha, faces the
south, and stands apart with its side facing the other four rathas. 

The Draupadi ratha, the first ratha on the premises has a hut styled vimana –
the simplest form of vimana, with a square base. The Arjuna ratha is a two-
tired temple, with a square section in both the tiers, an octagonal shaped
"Griva" (neck) and "Sikara" (head). "Karnakutas" (a hara structure kept at four
corners above the roof of the first tier) and "Salas" (in the form of a boat or a
bullock cart placed at the center on all four sides), have been introduced in this
temple. The "Karnakutas" and the "Salas" above the roof are together called a
"Hara". Another innovation in this temple is the lower tier, which starting from
the basement is split vertically with projections at equal intervals. These
projections divide the structure into compartments called "Bhadras" with
depressions in between.
The Bhima ratha is a single-tired structure with a rectangular base. The top
portion of the temple is oblong like a tilted boat similar to a "Sala". This type of
vimana is called "Sala Vimana". Another innovation in this temple is the
modification of "Nasikas". The various forms of "Nasikas", described in the
texts are found in this temple. 
The Dharmaraja ratha is the tallest of them all with three tiers. The
architecture of this temple is also very different from all the other temples. The
ground floor of this temple has pillared entrances on all sides. The second and
the third tier has Garbhagriha and parapet wall with space in between them.
The "Hara" structure in this temple has a new component – the "Panjara",
between the "Karnakutas" and the "Salas. The "Panjara" is in the shape of a
wagon-top with the longer portion to the sides as opposed to the "Salas"
which have the longer portion in the front.

The placement of an elephant next to the Nakula-Sahadeva ratha is significant.

One can find similarities between the back of the ratha and the elephant. This
type of vimana is called the "Gaja-prishta Vimana" ("Gaja" means elephant and
"prishta" means back). This ratha is also two-tiered. On the front side, the
"Shikara" of this temple has a miniature replica of the vimana projected out.
Rajasimha's innovations add to the beauty of these monolithic structures.

Inscriptions
In the dharmaraja ratha, above the icons, inscriptions have been carved on the
walls. These inscriptions are in the "Pallava Grantha" script. The inscriptions in
Dharmaraja ratha contain "birudas" of a king. The similarities between these
"birudas", and the ones found in the Kailasnatha temple at Kanchipuram and
the Panaimalai temple, both built by Rajasimha, leads one to conclude that the
Dharmaraja ratha was also built by Rajasimha. The "birudas" in the Dharmaraja
ratha include the Adhyanthakama (one who has endless desires – it was King
Rajasimha's main name), Bhuvanabaajana, Narasimha, Mega,
Nayanamanohara, Sarvathobhadra, Mahamalla, Ranajaya (one who is
victorious in battle, another frequently used title of Rajasimha), Paraapara and
Para. Out of these, Adhyanthakama and Ranajaya must have been important
"birudas" of the king and they have been inscribed at prominent locations.

Sculptures
Numerous sculptures can be found in the Draupadi, Arjuna and Dharmaraja
rathas. The Draupadi ratha is infact a temple of the Goddess Durga or a
"Kotravai" as she was referred to in ancient times. The sanctum sanctorum of
the vimana contains the Goddess "Kotravai" (Durga) in a standing position with
her attendants. Below her to the left, a devotee prepares to cut off his own
head as a sacrifice to the goddess. To the right, another devotee is cutting
various body parts as a sacrifice to the goddess. These horrible rites were
prevalent among a sect of Hindus called the "Kabalikas". Even the "Dwara
palikas" guarding the doorway are aspects of the Goddess. Even though they
are essentially feminine, their valor and "Gambeera" have been brought out by
their posture and in the way they wield their weapons.
The Arjuna ratha contains figures of both deities and common folk. The
"Arthanareeswara" on the south wall, exemplifies the well-developed
craftsmanship of the Pallavas. The sculpture strikes the correct balance
between dignified masculinity (the twist in the eyebrows, the holding of hands)
and graceful feminity (the slight raise of Uma's hips). The sculpture of two
ladies on the south side of the back wall is another masterpiece. The lady on
the left points out someone to the lady on the right. By studying the facial
expressions of the lady on the right – a mixture of shyness, eagerness and joy,
one can safely perceive that the lady on the left is pointing out the lover of the
lady on the right. She is too shy to look at him directly, yet cannot restrain
herself from glancing at him sideways. The sculptures are breathtakingly real
and artistic. 

The Dharmaraja ratha also contains many sculptural masterpieces on all its
tiers. Various puranic themes revolving around Siva,Vishnu and other deities
are are depicted in the various icons. There are also sculptures of devotees and
common folk. On the ground floor, one finds sculpture of a king. The third floor
sanctum sanctorum contains the deity of "Somaskanda" (Siva and Parvati
seated with the child Muruga between them), with Brahma and Vishnu
standing on either side. 

The sculptures provide details of the fashion and accessories of the Pallava
period. Most men wore only a loin cloth, while others wore a cloth around
their waist that covered their thighs or came up to their knees. Rich men or
royalty wore silk dhotis which covered their legs. Some men and women
draped a long piece of cloth around their shoulders, similar to the sacred
thread worn by "Brahmins". The saree was not in existence in those days.
Breast bands were in fashion among women. Both men and women wore
various kinds of necklaces. They either left both the earlobes elongated or
wore earrings of palm-leaf or metal on either one or both ears. Bangles made
out of metal or sea-shells adorned their wrists, while "Dhandais" (circular
bands) encircled their legs and arm-bands and circular bands - "Tholvalai"
rested on their shoulders. Men wore the "Udharabhanda" – an ornamental
band just above the stomach. Persons of royal lineage wore crowns, secured
tightly to their heads by the "Netri-pattam". Nose-pins were not prevalent.
Conclusion

This article just skims the surface of the ocean of Tamil art, architecture and
history. The details of each ratha are enough to fill the pages of many books
and even then we cover only one temple complex. There are about 30,000
temples in Tamilnadu, each of them a treasure trove of historical knowledge.
Monuments of great artistic value, these temples speak of the greatness of the
bygone era. 

References:

'Architectural Traditions and Innovations of Tamils' by Dr. R. Kalaikkovan;

varalaaru.com, issue 6.

'Mahendrar kudaivaraigaL' by Dr. R. Kalaikkovan and Dr. M. Nalini 

'Adhyanthakamam' by Dr. R. Kalaikkovan and Dr. M. Nalini

'Mahabalipuram: Costumes and Jewellery' by Dr. Gift Siromoney; Madras

Christian College, VOl. 39, April 1970, pp. 76-83

'Temples of South India' by K.R. Srinivasan; Pg. 88 -92