MAMALLAPURAM

                     MAMALLAPURAM

Thirty Five miles to the South of Madras,on the coast of Coromandel,are the 7th

century rock-cut temples of Mamallapuram,popularly known as Mahabalipuram.'But how shall I

describe this masterpiece of ancient Indian Architecture?Never in my life did I behold a work of

the like kind.'The movie Mamallapuram begins with these words of San Bartholomeo.He was an

orientalist and a missionary who voyaged to India in Late Eighteenth Century.This comment

from him-who scrutinized Indian culture and customs keenly is certainly an accolade to the

momentous Town of the Pallavas ,unfortunately a part of the grand city was destroyed by a

fierce Tsunami.

When a discussion comes of Natural Beauty we can't help but think of the Grand

Canyon of Colorado,interestingly Mamallapuram also has a similar distinction of being called a

'natural beauty' owing to its ornate landscape which inspired the artists to chisel those stupas

and prompted me to write this article..A great muse indeed!

The town was named after one of the pre-eminent 7

th century Pallava kings-Narasimha

Varman-I.He was called ‘Mamallan’ for being adept in wrestling.Much of the famous

Mamallapuram temples took shape during his period.Later,In around 14th to 17th

centuries,Mamallapuram was named Mahabalipuram which means ‘The city of immense

power.’

 The caves which were carved in the deeper hills are absolutely awe-inspiring since they

were built in a time when Modern Technology was alien to the architects.Monolithic shrines

which were brimming with devotion and expertise is undoubtedly an offering to the Gods who

protect the inhabitants of Mamallapuram from the fury of nature.Almost Thirteen Centuries

ago,Mamallapuram was one among the prominent ports through which the Pallavas extended

their trade and spread their valiance.Unfortunately this celebrated city of old is now deserted

and inhabited only by the Fisher folk.This town is gifted with stones which are inherently

aesthetic.Nature has embellished it with immanent perfection which only needed a touch of

Pallava Artistry to look ethereal.The unparalleled elegance emanated from these beauty-clad

rocks is something which entices visitors to witness this impeccable artwork. The legends which these statues recount is another attraction of

Mamallapuram.The stories of Markandeya Puranam are vividly engraved on the rocks.In

Mahishasuramardhini Cave, the serene Lord Vishnu who sleeps peacefully on the ocean of Milk

is in absolute contrast to the enraged Goddess Durga who flays her Eight arms in all

directions .

Purity is remarkable in all of these structures.These sculptures are perfect while

being imperfect.The Surface of these Stupas are not smoothened by tender breeze but rather

hardened by harsh tornadoes.The Sculptors who carved Lord Krishna holding the Mount

Govardana,with his cattle surrounding him seldom failed to mark their unique imprints on their

brainchild...This vision of the saviour protecting his subjects from the wrath of Lord Indra is an

eye feast to all of the devotees who visit Mamallapuram.

Aryan Culture reflected in both Pallava Society and Pallava Architecture.These Hindu

Rulers mostly worshiped Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.Since 1984,the Shore Temple which was

built by Narasimhaverman-II is considered to be a UNESCO world heritage site.Though Pallava

Architecture lacks the grandeur of Chola Building Art,the grace of the free standing temples are

unrivalled.The scenery of the serene landscape,calm ocean and vast Blue above is much

gratifying.The first scene of the movie which beautifully portrayed the sun lit ocean at dusk is

one of a kind.Pancha Rathas is one of the most celebrated of Pallava Temples wherein five

Monolithic shrines are erected with great majesty in various directions.

These shrines,carved

out of a single rock were named after Draupadi and the epic heroes- Dharmaraja,Bheema,Arjuna,Nakula and Sahadeva.Some of the stupas have an inexplicable

dynamism about them.The 'Ardanari' Stupa is the most formidable among all of the other

stupas.The temples of Mamallapuram are irrevocably a perfect amalgam of the Pallava

Architecture and Nature's esoteric Grace.

 -Santhwana Thomas