ART & ARCHITECTURE IN ANCIENT INDIA

Each monolith is unique, yet the five seem to form a coherent group and must have been carved at about the same time, probably during the reign of Mamalla-I. Four of the buildings were apparently carved out of what was once a single outcropping of stone, not separate boulders, as has often been stated. The fifth, which is not in a line with the others, was carved   out of a smaller adjoining boulder.

Three large animal sculptures of a lion, an elephant, and a reclining bull, are also associated with the vimanas. The highest part of the major boulder was at the South, where the so-called Dharmaraja ratha is located, and then, the form tapers to the smaller, so-called Draupadi shrine at the other end. From unfinished examples of rock-cut shrines at Mamallapurm, it may be inferred that the workmen proceeded from top to bottom, completing each section as they went and using the uncut rock beneath as a platform upon which to work.

The buildings are important not only their own right but as documents of what must have been the contemporary freestanding temple architecture of the Pallavas.

As such, they provide vital information regard- ing the genesis of South Indian architectural forms and indicate that within a short time after the Gupta period, clear distinction between northern and southern modes were already present, although all of the stages in these development have not been traced. It should not be inferred that Mamallapuram examples represent the beginning of the tradition; rather, they are manifestations of what must have been already widespread forms.

The smallest and simplest of the group is the Draupadi monolith, which is in fact a shrine dedicated to Durga, distinguished by its curved roof, which is believed to have been modelled after that of a thatch proto-type. Square in plan, this single celled, one story shrine shares a low plinth with the adjacent Arjuna ratha. The exterior wall decoration consists of pilasters at each of the four corners and niches containing im- age. The two niches flanking the door to the interior contain life-size female door guardians (dvarapalikas). The single niches on the three remaining sides, each contain a representation of Durga. The rear wall of the interior of the shrines bears a panel showing Durga, standing, being adored by worshipers, one of whom is performing a self decapitation like that seen in the Durga relief in the Varaha cave.

The freestanding lion vahana of Durga is located outside the shrine. The distinctly feminine nature of the sculptural program of this small temple contrasts with the other monoliths, which are male oriented and suggests the growing emphasis on female imagery. In the Trimurti cave, Durga’s importance is ap- parent from the fact that a separate niche had been provided for her. Here,  an  entire  shrine is allotted to her worship. Ultimately, South Indian architects create a separate temple dedicated to the female principle within the compound of the main temple, the so called Amman shrine, already visible in na- scent form in Pallava monuments. As in Buddhism of post-Gupta ages, Hinduism of the later periods is characterized by increasing emphasis on the female principle or female energy (shakti).

Arjuna’s ratha is not much larger than the Durga shrine sharing its plinth but it is significantly different in appearance. The pillared front of this square shrine is reminiscent of the format seen in Pallava cave architecture. However, the super-structure clearly reflects the form of a structural building. The two- tiered roof is pyramidal in shape and is capped by    a dome-like element called a sikhara, which is,  in this case, octagonal.

In South Indian architecture, the term sikhara refers only to this crowning member and not, as in northern India, to the entire tower comprising the superstructure of the vimana. Each of the levels of the roof is decorated with a design of miniature barrel vaulted roofs (sala) interspersed with chandrasalas (essentially a rounded arch of the type formed by  the end of a sala), as well as plastered niches, some  of which contain half-length figures. These figures give the impression that they are partially hidden due to the viewer’s perspective from below, and like the freely moving figures in the other niches, again show the realism characteristic of Pallava Art.

The two sides and rear of the lower story are carved into a series of niches containing figures, each separated by pilasters with bracketed capitals. This format, of figures contained within niches separated by pilasters and in fact, the plastered wall in general, is typical of South Indian temple architecture from this period forward, contrasting strongly with the wall treatment that characterizes North Indian monuments of the later periods.

The two sidewalls have six niches each, although in both cases, the panel nearest the front has been left unsculpted, while the rear has only five niches. Male attendants appear at the corners of each, while the central niches contain images of principal deities of the iconographic program: Vishnu in the North, Shiva leaning in Nandi in the South and a male figures riding an elephant in the East.

This figures has been traditionally identified as Indra on his elephant mount or sometimes, Subrahmanya (known also as Murugan), son of Shiva, who is associated with the elephant in South India. While both of these interpretations bear some credibility, another suggestion is that the figures represents AiyanarSasta, a hunter god, known only in South India.

Not only does Sasta commonly ride an elephant, but also the depictions of Shiva and Vishnu on the shrine reinforce the Sasta, interpretation since the god is believed to be the son of Shiva and Vishnu, a birth which occurred when Vishnu took the feminine form known as Mohini.

The suggestion of the union between Shiva and Vishnu, which led to the birth of Sasta, is strengthened by the presence of mithuna couples in the niches flanking the principal niches. While mithunas are common in many other regional schools of South Asian Art, their near absence in Pallava depictions suggest that their inclusion here was for the specific purpose of amplifying the iconographic program of the shrine.

Bhima’s ratha is a two storied, oblong building with a barrel-vaulted roof. The main image within, although never finished, was intended to be a representation of the reclining Vishnu Anantasayana for which such an elongated structure is appropriate.

Entered on the long side rather than the short side, this building provides a completely different effect than the barrel-roofed Buddhist pillared halls; the somewhat similar roof form may imply only a common architectural proto-type rather than direct influence of one religion upon another. As in the case of the Arjuna ratha, chandrasalas and miniature barrel-vaulted shrines decorate the upper levels of the monument. The pillared façade, with seated lion bases, typifies one Pallava architectural format. Even though it is unfinished and contains virtually no sculpture, this monument provides valuable information about a rare form in Hindu architecture.

The Dharmaraja ratha is the tallest of the group, but it too remains unfinished. The  inscriptions  on the shrine present conflicting evidence regarding the date of its excavation, for while the name Narasimha and a number of birudas suggest that the monument was begun during the reign of Narasimha Varman     I (Mamalla I), other epigraphs refer to later kings. However, it is possible that the additional names were inscribed after work on the shrine was abandoned, for the rather unified style of the monument suggests that it was the product of a fairly concentrated effort, and thus a monument of the reign of Narasimha Varman I.

Similar in concept to Arjuna’s ratha although larger and more elaborate, this shrine also depicts in the rock-cut form what must have been a popular style of free standing monument and demonstrates what a fully developed southern style of architecture was during this period.

Each of the four sides, if completed, would have had a pillared façade flanked by niches containing sculptures. The southern style superstructure has three stories that diminish in size as they ascend, forming  a pyramidal profile, each roof is decorated with the barrel-vaulted shrines (sala) and chandrasalas and the whole is capped by an octagonal sikhara.

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