MAHABALIPURAM TEMPLE

Mahabalipuram is located close to Chennai of Tamil Nadu on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, along the eastern coast of South India. The shore temples at Mahabalipuram are called as seven pagodas, among which six are submerged in the sea and only one has survived from the ravages of nature.

Significance of the temple

The Mahabalipuram Temples consist of several temples of enormous size, which were built by cutting huge boulders into exquisite carves and set against the background of unfathomable sky and vast sea. This was a concept of great Pallava Monarch Rajasimha, which was built during the period 830-1100 AD in the Pallava dynasty. Few of the great monuments of world stand here near the seashore. The freestanding monolithic temples are called `Rathas`. The cave temples are lavishly sculptured with the narration of the story of Arjuna obtaining the `Pasupata`. The temples with two towers, familiarly known as shore temples, also enhance the charm of this place.

There are two low hills in Mahabalipuram which are situated about 400 m from the sea which has eleven excavated temples on both sides, known as `Mandapas`. There is another unique type of temple standing nearby, called `Ratha`s , which have been cut out of large rocks. There are a total of five Rathas and three big sculptures of Nandi (ox of Lord Shiva), Lion and an Elephant. On the top of the bigger hill, there is a structural temple and in a little distance `Vijayanagara Gopura` is also situated.

The Five Rathas are very much famous which comprises of the Dharmaraja, the Bhima, the Arjuna, the Draupadi and the Sahadeva. The Rathas are situated about two hundred metre south of the main hill and were been designed out of smaller hill sloping down from the south. The biggest of the Rathas were the Dharmaraja, which was made from the largest part of the rock near the southernmost side. This follows in a descending order of height and to the direction of north the Bhima, the Arjuna and the Draupadi. A little to the west of Draupadi Ratha, Sahadeva Ratha was made out of a comparatively large rock. Immediately infront of the Draupadi, two smaller rocks were sculptured into an elephant and a lion. Behind the Draupadi and the Arjuna, Nandi is being sculptured on a common base.

The shore temple is a feast of vision to the spectators and it is at the very margin of Bay of Bengal in such a way that those tidal waves sweep away its walls. This is the reason why the sculptures of this particular temple have eroded most during the last thirteen century by saline water and high breeze. The shore temple is the most appealing in sense of aesthetic value. With the rising sun spreading its golden rays and white cloud moving across the azure sky, the tower looks most fascinating.

The Shore temple is the most complex group of all the temples having two shrines placed one behind the other, one facing east and the other west and these two shrines are separated by a third shrine. The first two shrines are Saiva and the third is Visnava, with an image of Lord Anantasavi made of live rock. Here Vishnu lies on his serpent couch and known as Stalasayana Perumal. There is an open large court at the western end. There are `Vimanas` over the Saiva shrines but not on the Vaishnava shrine, it seems to have disappeared with time. This is one of the earliest structural temples in Tamil Nadu, built by Narasimha Varman II and Rajasimha.

A little to the south of the sanctam, there is a majestic lion which carries a miniature of `Mahisasurmardini` carved inside a square cavity cut in the neck of the animal. Two attended deities or women are mounted on either side of the animal. A little north to this, a beautiful dear is carved on a platform, whose head is mutilated unfortunately. In between the lion and the dear a dwarf stands, whose legs are the only remnants now. The Shore Temple on the Bay of Bengal was constructed in the 7th century during the rule of King Narsimha-Varman II Rajasimha (c. 690-728).The Shore temple is a temple complex consisting of two Siva temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The temple at the east is entered by a small gopura. On plan, it consists of a small sanctum and a front mandapa and is a two-tired vimana. The sanctum is housing a linga. The Somaskanda panel consisting of Siva and Parvati with baby Skanda on the back wall of the sanctum. The dhara linga and Somaskanda panel on the back wall of the sanctum are the features of the Pallava temples only. The temple facing west is also dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is large in plan comprising sanctum, mahamandapa, front mandapa, balipitha and dvajastamba. The temple’s vimana is four tiered with octagonal sikhara. It is important to note that stupas of both these temples are not covered by kalasa (copper finials). The carving on Lord Vishnu on a boulder in Anantasayana form is lying in between these two temples. It belongs to the period of Narasimhavarman I and thus it was earlier than the Siva temples.