"Rock-cut hillock of Mamallapuram" Mamallapuram by FruitLover

Mamallapuram Travel Guide: 150 reviews and 553 photos

All the monuments here, except for the medieval Vishnu temple in worship in the heart of the village, clearly owe their authorship to the PALLAVAS of the SIMHAVISHNULION who ruled from Kanchi. Mamallapuram was one of the Pallava ports.

The monumental remains at Mamallapuram are informed by three kinds of Rock-Cut techniques:
- Excavated cave temples;
- Monolithic temple models, and
- Structional erections.

The first mentioned are essentially confined to the whale-back granitic hillock rising in the center of the village (eg. the Tirumurti cave, Mahishamardhini cave, Varaha mandapa, Ramanuja mandapa, Dhamaraja mandapa).
The pillars are both of simple square and octagonal shaft type as well as ornate fluted and lion based forms reflecting all the elements of the Pillar Order.

Rock-cut hillock of Mamallapuram - Mamallapuram

The monolithic Rathas, however, display the full form and features of the contemporary temple style and show many varieties both in ground plan and elevations.
They are of square (Dharmaraja, Arjuna and Draupadi Rathas), recangular (Bhima and Ganesa Rathas) and apsidal plans (Sahadeva Ratha), and range from single to triple storays. They are carry art motifs as well as carved wall panels of many Hindu divinities on them. Together with the Valayankuttai and Fidari Rathas on isolated boulders on the western side of the hillock they represent the most impressive and the oldest preserved Vimana models of Tamilnadu.

Last visit to Mamallapuram: Oct 2005
Intro Updated Feb 24, 2008
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goutammitra Mar 29, 2006 at 2:40 AM

Dear Abraham: Your love for India is commendable. Unfortunate we have not met. Both Usha and arun are my friend. I talk to Usha every now and then. Well researched and descripted page on Mamallapuram.
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muddybok Feb 25, 2006 at 3:33 AM

Nice pictures. Will be better if you include text. ;-)