Mahabalipuram Temples India|Mahabalipuram Temple Information

Mahabalipuram Temple Information

Mahabalipuram Temples Guide - Mamallapuram, situated 58 kms south of Chennai, is a very important tourist stop. From the thousand year old lighthouse situated there, one has a breathtaking view of the turquoise waters of the Bay of Bengal. The lighthouse is not quite as one would expect. It is built on a little platform beautifully carved, perched on a rocky elevation where fires used to be lit a long time ago to guide the ships safely to port.

Mahabalipuram Temples India

Mahabalipuram Temple Information - The Shore temple is situated right on the shores of the beach away from the hustle and bustle of the main area. During high tides, this temple looks majestic with the gigantic waves crashing on it. Below this rocky outcrop and the lighthouse, lies the little village of Mamallapuram. Built between the 8th and 10th century AD, it was a major sea-port of the great Pallava kings. Mamallapuram is today a marvellous open air museum displaying all the wealth of the Pallava craftsmanship. It has rock-cut caves and carvings set amongst the shadycasuarina groves. And a perfect little shore temple, ornaments its wide sun-drenched beach.

Mahabalipuram Temples India
There are, or rather were, two low hills in Mahabalipuram, about 400m from the sea. In the larger one, on both sides, there are eleven excavated temples, called Mandapas, two "open air bas reliefs", one of which is unfinished, and a third enclosed one. Out of a big rock standing free nearby there is a "cut out" temple, called a "Ratha". This type is unique to Mahabalipuram.

Mahabalipuram Temples Guide - Out of the other hill, much smaller and standing about 200m to the south, are fashioned five more rathas, and three big sculptures of a Nandi, a Loin and an Elephant. On the top of the bigger hill there is a structural temple, and a little distance the magnificent beginnings of a Vijayanagar Gopura and also survivals of what is believed to be a palace.

Cave Temples:
The cave temple is usually divided into inner & outer mandapas, distinguished by the difference in levels. Cave Temples were excavated by scooping out the scarp of the hill. The scooping work starts from front to back. The front mandapa will have pillars & plasters numbering 4,6,8,10. The inner mandapa contains single, triple or five cells. The cave temple with little modification is categorized as Mamalla style. The pillars under this style are slender & taller with squatting lion at their base. The pillar is divided into distinct parts known as kalasa, tadi, kumba, padma etc.

Mandapas
The main hill at Mamallapuram is dotted with pillared halls carved into the rock face. These mandapas, with their graceful columns and intricate figure sculptures bear witness to the artistry of the Pallavan rock cutter. The ten pavilions at Mamallapuram, of which two are unfinished, were designed as shrine, with a sanctum and on outer hall. The shallow porticoes are adorned with exquisite sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythological figures.

Five Rathas:
The five rathas are Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Draupadi Ratha and Nakul Sahadev Ratha. "Five Rathas" a small hill sloping from south to north has been segmented into five divisions & converted into monolithic temples. The heights of the segments have been cleverly used for temples with single tier to three-tiered vimana. Each monolithic temples shows different kind of sikhara.

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