Located
a little off Chennai, the ancient port town of Mamallapuram reclines unnoticed
on its legendary past. Perhaps underwater archaeology may provide answers about
some of the sunken structures and our maritime heritage, writes CHITRA VIJI.
THE
PALLAVA king, Narasimhavarman I, had the title "Mamalla" and ruled in
the early part of the Seventh Century A.D. and is credited with creating
Mamallapuram. This historic site is referred to in early literature in the hymns
of the Alvars as Mallai. In the 17th and 18th Centuries, European travellers and
seafarers, who viewed the pagodas or spires from the sea, mention seven of them
which presumably include the five rathas, the old Vijayanagara towers and the
Rajasimhesvara temple.
Marine
archaeology might answer a few questions on the ancient port town and clear
doubts on sunken structures, if any. We know that Mamalla, who had a successful
reign, kept the Chalukyas of Vatapi under check and sent envoys abroad and
maintained a successful naval presence in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean.
Mamallapuram would reveal its seafaring past, if underwater or ocean archaeology
is initiated seriously.
When
we approach Mamallapuram, wending our way by keeping the Buckingham canal to the
West, we would notice the abandoned monolithic rathas with their unfinished
carvings. On scrutiny, one understands that all the rock carvings start top
down. The rathas have superbly finished crowns but with an unfinished rock base
bearing rough chisel marks. One is tempted to view the abandonment as the result
of a cataclysmic past but in truth the advancement of building technology freed
our sthapathis from being confined to sites where rock was available and to move
freely to create temples where required.
From
here we arrive at the site of the five exquisite rathas or monoliths popularly
known as the Pancha Pandava Rathas. The first rock structure is delicately
executed in the shape of a thatched village home. Inside is portrayed an
astonishing incident of a young man holding a machete to his head, ready to
sacrifice himself. This cult of sacrifice is eulogised in a number of
inscriptions on tablets called the hero-stones found in this part of the country
and these glorify the warrior clans and their valor. However, in this instance,
the event is scripted in an elegaic form on the wall of a shrine dedicated to
the most powerful mother figure - Devi or Durga. A statue of the lion associated
with her is carved independently and positioned in front of this shrine.
The
Arjuna ratha has great similarity in style and form to the Dharmaraja ratha,
which bears the king's inscription and portrait. There is similarity in the
idiom of architecture as both are derived from the style of the Rastrakutas with
whom this king had close family ties. Stone architecture of the Chalukyas and of
Mamallapuram bear remarkable similarity and arise out of a common shared
tradition. The artisans, profoundly influenced by the woodwork, create pillars
with corbelling, showing tenon joints and exhibiting the style of wood carvers
in their detailing.
On
Arjuna's ratha, a portrait of Siva leaning nonchalantly on the Nandi is the
iconic representation of the Vrshabadevar. This imagery is further developed by
the Cholas, who cast this concept in exquisite bronze. Further on, there is
Indra on the elephant Airavata and
Vishnu
on Garuda.
The
Bhima ratha would have been a temple for Vishnu in his form of Sayanamurthy, as
is evident from the elongated rock bed, that is so hewn to create just such an
image. Since the public has no access to view the vimana or tower where the rock
work is better finished, it would be educative, if the site museum could have an
audiovisual unit to explain the architecture and show the finer details. This
need becomes critical at the Dharmaraja Ratha for it is the tower that carries
the most exquisite carvings revealing a pantheon of gods. Working on a
challenging stone such as the granite, the Pallava sculptor has hewn a wondrous
ratha with its beauty partly concealed from us. The selection of a hard rock in
the first place has preserved these monuments from the constant battering of
salty winds and the Archaeological Survey continues to strive to maintain them
for posterity, this being a Heritage Site.
Dharmaraja
ratha that should perhaps be named Mamalla ratha, in honour of its creator, is a
charming piece of architecture. Notice the waterspouts, shaped like monkeys with
their mouth wide open, introduced to bring levity to the serious aspect of a
royal temple. The calligraphically written Grantha inscription gives two titles
of Narasimhavarman i.e. Sri Megha and Trailokyavardhanavidhi. The Ardhanaresvara
image is a composite of Siva and Parvati and is an early representation of this
form. There are also icons of Harihara, Brahma, Siva and Skanda and in the upper
tiers, we have Siva as Gangadhara, that is when he unties his matlocks to
receive the Ganga and ease her descent to the earth, a picturisation popular
with the Pallavas. Then you have the image of Natesa, which is the dance form of
Siva followed by Vrshabadevar. The Pallava kings were celebrated for their
scholarship, their consummate understanding of the fine arts and the icons of
Siva as Vinadhara and of Dakshinamurthy and Gangadhara are a reflection of that
culture. The aesthetics of the Dharmaraja ratha is pleasing.
Moving
to the Nakula-Sahadev ratha, which is fashioned in the apsidal idiom, the
architect has carved a lovely free standing image of an elephant by its side.
Here he teaches you to look at the evolution of the gajaprishta form that was
particularly popular in the early phase of architectural evolution in India.
In
the rock outcropping, you notice grooves and wedge-shaped holes of varying
sizes. These were meant to hold the chisels, which would have been arranged
according to their blade size. The largest would be used to prise or split large
chunks of rock while the finer and smaller chisels were worked to create finer
shapes and moulding, the sculptor wielding them to shape the rock to yield the
form he desired. Proceeding to the rock face depicting Arjuna's penance, you are
a witness to a landmark in art in which the largest sculptural canvas has been
created in Mamallapuram, that was never attempted by the artists once they
abandoned the rock cut carvings in favour of developing friezes and relief that
could be worked into structural temples. The contents of this magnificent panel
have gone through endless debate - is it the legend of the descent of the Ganga
in which case it is Bhagirata's penance? Or it could be Kirartajunya, an episode
where Arjuna prays for some powerful weapons to help bring an end to the battle
in Mahabharatha. The large expanse of relief carved with attention to detail and
with the sense of the quotidian is a delight to observe. The central split,
through which the rain waters course, and the spatial balance of the panels
being centred around this channel leads us to believe that this relief is
related to Bhagiratha's penance. The image of Siva as Gangadhara is reworked
many times in the Pallava scheme of portrayal. The large sculptural frieze is an
attempt to portray a stringent penance witnessed both by heavenly hosts and the
denizens of the netherworld. The frieze is dynamic and draws you into observing
the grouping and as each one is recognised, you tend to wonder "Ah, that's
what this is all about." The light touch of the sculptors is found here
more regularly than anywhere else. The ascetic with his hands in obeisance in
the eka pada tapas is drawn with his ribs showing, indicative of an arduous
penance. Making light of such practice, is the cat in a similar pose standing on
its hind legs mimicking the ascetic.
In
the upper panels, the devas, the kinnaras and other heavenly hosts witness the
proceedings with bhakti and reverence. In the real world called earth, cats,
monkeys and elephants go about their grooming, monkeys de-licing one another.
The
mastery of the artist entices the spectator to watch the tableau unfold before
him. In such a vast canvas the eye focuses on each cluster without fatigue or
boredom. At the end you are mesmerised by the linear rhythm and the counterpoise
of the relief. You are fascinated at the understated subtleties and come away
admiring the excellence in workmanship.
Leaving
this panel to wend your way behind the hill or rock, you go past a small temple
for Ganesha. In the course of the walk you will see the spectacular work of the
royal craftsmen, who have created cave temples for the enjoyment of the royal
family perhaps in their privacy. You have steps carved out to make the climb
easier. There is a Royal bed, even if it is a hard one being carved in granite,
a water-tub to meet the demands of the Pallavas and their gods and a storeroom
with steps, peg holes and markings which indicate that the imperial family took
shelter and pitched camp in this area. Certainly the ground reveals the
existence of brick structures and holes for tents poles.
The
Varaha cave or mandapa with Gajalakshmi and Durga has Vishnu in his avatar of
Trivikrama. You then walk past a dilapidated Vijayanagara Gopura to enter the
Royal enclave, where the sculpture of the lion stands guard. There is a modern
lighthouse and a structure of the Vijayanagara age, often referred to as the old
lighthouse, that is, in fact, a temple sans its tower. It is at this point, that
your mind traverses the horizon and dwells on the possibility of a royal Pallava
naval force waiting in the harbour, quite capable of venturing forth to Sri
Lanka, Khmer and such other countries. Mamalla, the port town, has not received
our focus and it is time to rediscover our seafaring past and our maritime
history.
Walking
towards the stretch of sand, the striking silhouette of the Rajasimhesvara
temple complex bathed in ocean spray beckons you to visit and sit awhile,
soaking in the ambience of this unique site. King Narasimha II, also known as
Rajasimha, had a passion for the arts and was a creative genius, who took the
art of building to new heights. This is further revealed on visiting the
Kailasanatha temple at Kancheepuram where the king's creative genius is evident.
The
west facing shrine on the approach to the complex is the one dedicated to
Somaskanda, that has a bas-relief, which is a group portrayal of Siva in the
company of Uma and Skanda, their young son, seated between them. This theme has
found particular favour with the Pallavas and we do not find the continuation of
this practice spilling into other areas or dynasties. In all probability these
friezes would have been coated with plaster covered with fine painting, to
create charming images. Adjacent to this shrine is an icon of Durga vanquishing
Mahisasura.
Behind
this shrine, is another one for Vishnu reclining on the Sesha in the primordial
ocean. An inscription of the Cholas identifies the shrine as Jalasayanamurthi.
The larger shrine facing the rising sun is dedicated to Siva. Within this shrine
is a fluted Linga that has high polish and may not be contemporaneous to the
shrine.
In
recent years, to create a pleasant ambience and to keep the shifting sands in
check, the land around the complex was turfed. In the process of digging, new
structures, a lot of artefacts and a well with a wonderfully designed well-ring
has been unearthed. The restoration work on the main temple complex, undertaken
years before this discovery, needs to be reassessed in the light of the new
finds, as the stones unearthed obviously belong to the structure, that we see at
the shore temple today.
The
effect of erosion on the shore temple has been debilitating and the problem has
been compounded by the soft laterite rock, which has been used in the
construction. Central agencies use blotting paper and distilled water to remove
the salt accretions and clear the micropores on the rock tablets, which is why
visitors see a creamish mush plastered on the walls. The friable nature of the
stone leads to rapid deterioration. The constant chemical clearing and
stabilisation work done to strengthen the structure and slow down the process of
erosion helps us enjoy this national heritage site. A large number of Nandi
images scattered and parked like sentinels around the enclosure must have
adorned the enclosure to the temple. Mamallapuram in its entirety has maintained
the aesthetic beauty and refinement from the period of Mamalla and Rajasimha.
The administrators of this heritage site need to understand the ethos of
protecting the past for future generations, so that Mahabalipuram does not fall
victim to modern intrusions.
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