Pallava Architecture

• The Pallavas rose to power in the later half of the sixth

century CE in Kanchi.
• The initiation of the rock cut architecture in the south is
credited to the Pallava king Mahendravarman I. (c. 580-630
CE), son of Simha Vishnu.
• Pallavas used hard rocks such as granite, gneiss and basalt
etc. instead of soft sandstone.
• The use of hard rock however imposed considerable
limitations on the size of the caves as well as on the
sculpture, which consists only of large- size figures in relief.
Pallava Architecture
• The first rock-cut architecture of Mahendravarman I was the Lakshitayana Trimurti
Cave temple, at Mandagapattu, hewn out of granite.
• Nine other temples were got excavated by Mahendravarman I. These are:
1. The panch pandava cave at Pallavaram.
2. The Rudravalishvaram or cave temple no. 2 at Mamandur.
3. The Kal mandapam at Kuranganilmuttam.
4. The Vasmateshvara or the larger cave temple at Vallarn.
5. The Mahendra Vishnugriha at Mahendravadi.
6. The Vishnu cave temple at Mamandu.
7. The Lalitankura Pallavesvara griha at Tiruchirapalli.
8. The Shatrumalleshvaralaya at Dalvanur.
9. The Avinabhajana Pallaveshvara griha at Siyamangalam.
Pallava Architecture
• These cave temples imitated the interiors of structural buildings made
out of more perishable materials like wood.
• The plan of the temple was: Mukha Mandapam-Ardha Mandapam-
Mandapam- Garbhgriha.
• A row of equally-spaced pillars (chalukyan system), four, six or eight
in number, and terminating with pilasters at both ends, serves as a
façade, in front of the mukha mandapam.
• A similar arrangement of the pillars behind, parallel to the façade,
comprises the ardha mandapam.
• If no pillars separate the sections, then varying floor levels or ceiling
heights indicate the demarcation.
Pallava Architecture: Pillars
• The massive pillars are divided into three sections- square sadurams at the top
and bottom, octagonal kattu in the middle.
• Sometimes the profile of the huge potika (corbel) above the pillars resembles a
series of rolls (taranga), with a patta (flat median band) running along the
centre of the Taranga.
• Ornamentations like lotus medallions often decorate the square sadurams of the
pillars.
• The prastara (entablature) is not yet developed.
• The kapota (cornice) consists of a straight line cut into the rock.
• The dvarapala figures in the early Mahendra style cave temples stood at either
end of the façade, while in the later ones they also flanked both sides of the
shrine.
Pallava Architecture
• The Laksitayana cave temple bears an inscription of king Mahendravarman I.
• The temple faces east.
• The Plan is- ardha mandapam-mukh mandapam separated by the lower floor level of the latter, as
well as by a row of two pillars and pilasters.
• The façade too has a line of pillars and pilasters. Beyond them, on either side, a pair of recess
were hewn out for dvarapalas.
• The potika (corbels) have a curved profile, but without any tarang ornamentation.
• Plain rectangular niches in the back wall of the ardha mandapa occupy the space between four
pilasters.
• The sockets at the bottom of these niches probably served as receptacles for the bas relief panels
of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
• The traces of thick plaster on the back wall indicate that the objects of worship were originally
painted and that the bas relief panels came later.
• Except for the dvarapala figures on the façade, the absence of any other sculpture shows the early
date of the temple.
Pallava Architecture

• The Panch Pandava cave temple at Pallavaram has five shrine cellas
on the back wall of the ardh mandapa face south- somewhat unusual
for a Hindu cave temple.
• The central one, which projects slightly more than the rest, has a low
adishthana. Originally it had a flight of three steps, with a
chandrashala in front of it.
• The Rudravailshvaram at Mamandur has a similar plan.
• There are three shrine cellas, each with a moulded adhisthana and a
short flight of steps with curved parapets.
• The central shrine was dedicated to Shiva and other two to Brahma
and Vishnu respectively.
Pallava Architecture
Panch Pandava cave temple Rudravailshvaram cave temple
Pallava Architecture
• The Vasanteshvara, the largest of the group at Vallam, is a typical
example of the Mahendra Style.
• The plan is- oblong ardha mandapa, a cubical cella hewn into the rear
wall at a slightly higher level than the ardha mandapa.
• The two niches on either side of the shrine contain dvarapalas in
profile.
• The massive potika, no longer angular, has assumed a curved profile.
• The façade pillars have three inscriptions on the front.
Pallava Architecture
• Under the patronage of the successors of Mahendravarman I, namely
Narasimhavarman I Mamalla, Parameshvaravarman I, and
Narasimhavarman II Rajasimha a series of cave temples were
excavated.
• They usually follow the style of Mahendra with a few differences.
• The general plan of the temple remains the same i.e., mukh mandapa-
ardha mandapa and garbhgriha.
• The pillars are rectangular, tall and more slender.
• The façade had two pillars and pilasters, with wider spaces between
them.
• The Somaskanda relief panel begins to make appearance.
Pallava Architecture: Narasimhavarman Mamalla

• He was successor of Mahendravarman.

• Built the town known as Mamallapuram where introduced the new
method of hewing out temples- the monolithic vimanas or rathas.
• The entablature on the façade reached full development.
• The kapota has kudu motifs (horse shoe arches).
• Above it runs a line of shalas (diminutive shrines), oblong in plan
with a barrel vaulted roof.
• The whole, called hara, has harantara (interconnecting cloisters).
• The adhishthana (basement) of the cave façade is often moulded.
Pallava Architecture
Pillars
• The pillars derive from wooden prototypes.
• They are taller and more slender.
• Circular, octagonal or fluted in section.
• Their bases resemble crouching vyalas (lions).
• The shaft of the pillar has a decoration of malasthana (loops of garland), above which is
a broad band of padambandha (lotus petals) which demarcates the shaft from the capital.
• The latter has various carved members namely kalasha (vase), tadi (shaped like a
saucer), kumbha (bulbous member), pali (resembling a lotus but without any scalloped
petals), and the phalaka (abacus).
• On the phalaka rests the potika (corbel), circular at the edges with Taranga
ornamentation, and a patta (flat median band).
Pallava Architecture
• The number of shrines vary from one to five projecting boldly into the
ardha mandapa.
• The elevation of the shrine is in three angas (parts) namely the
adhishthana (basement), the kudya stambhas (pilasters) with their
capitals, and the prastara (entablature) with its developed kapota
decorated with kudu arch motifs.
• The shrine tends to be more centrally placed and has a sopana
(staircase) in front.
• The sanctuary has no figure sculpture but a rock cut platform for
stucco relief or shallow square sockets at the appropriate height in
order to fix carved wooden plaques.
Pallava Architecture
Pallava Architecture
Pallava Architecture: Dravida Style
Pallava Architecture

• Mamalla style cave temples, all at Mamallapuram, and in varying

stages of completion, include:
1. The Koneri Mandapam
2. The Mahishmardini or Yamapuri Mandapam
3. The unfinished cave temple next to the Koneri mandapam
4. The Panchpandava mandapam
5. The Adivaraha cave temple
6. The Mahavaraha vishnugriha
7. The Ramanuja mandapam
Pallava Architecture
• The Koneri Mandapam, dedicated to Shiva has five shrines.
• Varaha mandapa faces west.
• It consists of mandapa in front and a square shrine behind projecting boldly into the
mandapa on a well-moulded adhishthana with a flight of steps cut into the middle.
• Their curved parapets seem to issue from the mouths of vyalas (lions).
• Dvarapalas occupy the niches on the either sides.
• Kudu arches with human heads adorn the kapota above the shrine, while below it
geese turn their heads in various directions.
• The façade consists of two pillars and pilasters, with characteristic vyalas (lion
socles) resting on well moulded oma (bases).
• The potikas have Taranga ornamentations, and the kapota is decorated with six kudu
arches, the insides of which have lotus ornamentation instead of the usual human
heads.
Pallava Architecture
• The Mahishamardini or Yamapuri cave is a Shaiva temple facing east.
• It has three shrines. The boldly-projected central shrine contains a large and
slightly later Saumaskanda panel.
• A pair of dvarapalas in niches flank the entrance to the shrine.
• a porch, resting on a well-moulded adhishthana, projects far out from the central
shrine.
• Two pillars, with vyala bases and circular shafts and capitals. Support its flat roof.
• Five kudu motifs adorn the well-finished kapota.
• These kudus have been no more than indicated, while the hara elements above it
are merely blocked out.
• The façade, consisting of four pillars and two pilasters, has been left unfinished.
• The Mahishmardini sculpted panel occupies the northern wall of the mandapa.
Pallava Architecture
• The Adivaraha cave temple, or the Paramesshvara-Maha-Varaha-Vishnugriha, bears an inscription of the Chola
King Rajendra I indicating that it was consecrated during the reign of Parameshvaraman I and thus named after him.
• Because of its style cave temples, though it is much more elaborate and shows advanced features.
• The plan consists an oblong mandapa and shrine facing west.
• Two rows of pillars demarcate the mndapa into the maha mandapa in front and the ardha mandapa before the
shrine.
• The oblong projecting shrine stands on a well moulded adhishthana.
• The sanctuary, flanked by dvarapalas on the exterior, contains a bas –relief panel of Varaha as Bhuvaraha or
Adivaraha.
• The other mandapa walls bear relief panels.
• Crouching vyalas on an oblong oma (base) adorn the four pillars and two pilasters on the façade.
• The apex of the shaft has arrow of padmabandha (lotus petals), with malasthana (looped strings of beads and
pearls) below.
• The capital consists of a kalasha (vase), tadi (saucer-shaped member), kantha (necking), kumbha (bulbous member).
• The potika, decorated with ten kudu arch motifs, upholds five shalas connected by harantara (lengths of cloisters).
Pallava Architecture: The Rathas

• Narasimha Varman Mamalla went one step further in evolution of rock-cut architecture by
initiating the carving of free standing monolithic vimanas or Rathas chiselled out of the hard
granite and gneiss boulders at Mamallapuram.
• The parts of the temple were carved out from finial to base. Then a small antarala (vestibule) or
ardha- mandapa was cut in front of it. The stupi (finial) however was carved separately and put
over it after the consecration ceremony.
• These rathas have following six parts in its vertical direction from base to top:
• Adhishthana (basement)
• Pada (pillar)
• Bhitti (wall)
• Prastara (entablature)
• Griva (clerestory)
• Shikhara (roof covering over the griva)
Pallava Architecture: The Rathas
• The simple shadanga (six sided) structure, known as alpavimana is ektala
(single storeyed).
• For a dvitala (two-storeyed) vimana, a new element called hara was inserted
between the prastara (entablature) and the griva (clerestory).
• This hara or tier of miniature shrines surrounding each tala (storey) is the
most characteristic feature of the southern vimana.
• Of the three types of hara, the kuta or karanakuta, placed at the corners, is
square with a domical roof and a single stupi.
• The shala, between the kutas, is oblong with a barrel vaulted roof crowned by
a row of stupis on the ridge and the nida or panjara (apsidal -ended) which
appear between shalas, or kutas and shalas.
• The harantara acts as a connecting link between the hara.
• A kshudranasika (arched kudu motif on a pilaster) projects from the middle of
the harantara.
Pallava Architecture: The Rathas
• Besides the ektala and dvitala (single and double storeyed) vimanas, there are also tritala and
chatusthala (three and four storeyed) vimanas.
• These are known as jaati vimanas.
• Larger vimanas having as many as sixteen talas are also found. These are designated as mukhya
vimanas in the shilpa texts.
• Each time a new storey was added a new hara had to be inserted between the prastara
(entablature) and the griva (clerestory).
• Each superimposed tala must necessarily be smaller than the lower one giving the vimana a
pyramidal shape.
• In the southern architectural canons, vimanas are classified according to their shape from base to
finial:
• Nagara: if four sided, square or oblong.
• Dravida: if six or eight sided.
• Vesara: if circular, ellipsoidal or apsidal.
• We however mostly find mixed styles.
Pallava Architecture: The Rathas

• Following are the nine monolithic rathas of the Pallavas.

• In the south are:
• Draupadi Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Dharmaraja
Ratha, Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha.
• In the north is: Ganesha Ratha
• In the north west are:
• Valayankuttai Ratha, Northern Pidari Ratha and Southern
Pidari Ratha.
Pallava Architecture: The Rathas
Pallava Architecture: Draupadi Ratha
• Dedicated to Durga.
• Facing west.
• Shaped like a hut (kutaghara).
• Has four angas (parts) in elevation: the adhishthana,
the pada, the bhitti, the shikhar and the stupi.
• Does not have ardha mandapa in front.
• It had vase shaped finial which is now not above it.
• Dvarapalikas flank the entrance surmounted by
makar torana.
• It stands on the same upapitha as the Arjuna Ratha.
• Crouching lions and elephants (now eroded) decorate
the upapitha.
• A free standing rock cut lion seems to guard the
western side of this ratha.
Arjuna Ratha
• Dedicated to Shiva. Faces west.
• Next to Draupadi Ratha.
• It has a dvitala vimana.
• It has two pillars in the ardha mandapa (these
are modern pillars the original are lost).
• The octagonal pilasters on the either sides have
cushion capitals.
• Diminutive rampant lions, springing from the
abacus of the capital, support the corbel bracket
over the capital.
• Ganas adorn the underside of the kapota while
its curved outer surface has three pairs of kudu
arches with human heads.
• Over the prastara is the hara of small shrines,
namely karna kutas at the corner and shalas in
between, connected by harantara.
• The shrine behind the ardha mandapa is not fully
excavated due to lack of space.
• The shikhara is octagonal.
Bhima Ratha
• It is a rectangular ekatala vimana with a shala type wagon
roof.
• The ridge is crowned by a row of stupis.
• The ratha is remains unfinished and the basal part is
uncarved and still attached to the parent rock.
• The aditala (ground floor) indicates that the original design
included a rectangular mandapa.
• The façade has four vyala based pillars and two pilasters.
• The solid walls appear only at the corners, while pillars and
pilasters on the middle of each side.
• The kapota over the potika has seven pairs of kudu arches, or
alpa nasikas with human heads.
• The hara consists of shalas between the karnkutas (kutas at
corners).
• The sculptors have carved square –headed transverse beams
to support the carved rafters of the roof on the tall griva.
• On each sides of the two long sides of the griva shikhara are
five well-projected nasikas in three sizes: one in the centre is
the biggest, those on either side of it the smallest and the
ones at the extreme ends of middling size.
• The largest nasika in the centre is known as mahanasika. The
middling sized ones are known as alpa nasikas and the
smallest ones are named kshudra nasikas.
Dharmaraja Ratha
• Facing West it is a tritala (three storeyed) vimana square in its
talas but octagonal in the griva shikhar region.
• it resembles the Arjuna Ratha in style and is incomplete like
other rathas.
• It was intended to have a sanctuary in the centre surrounded by
pradakshinapatha.
• The ardha mandapa stands in the front.
• Pillars and pilasters are hewn at the middle of the each four
sides.
• The pillars are typical with crouching lion bases and simple
capitals.
• The rectangular plain cut niches into the walls have sculptures
with Sanskrit titles of the king inscribed on top of each niche.
• The kapota above the pillars has kudu arches.
• Animal motifs decorate the well-moulded adhishthana.
• All the stories appear to be functional as all of them have
provision for shrines.
• The haras as usual consist of the shalas in between and kutas
at the corners.
• The third member namely panjara or nida, a miniature apsidal
ended shrine makes its appearance in the hara over the ardha
mandapa for the first time.
• The shikhara of the ratha is octagonal like Arjuna Ratha.
Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha
• Facing south it is carved on an independent boulder, near
the Arjun Ratha.
• It has a dvitala vimana with an apsidal end in both its
storeys crowned by a wagon vaulted roof also with an
apsidal end.
• The base remains incomplete.
• An ardha mandapa projects in front, its roof supported by a
pair of lion sided pillars..
• The shrine cut out behind remains incomplete.
• The pilasters flanking it have elephant bases.
• Nine pairs of square pilaster, with capitals corresponding in
position to the kutas and shalas of the first storey, adorn the
apsidal walls.
• A fixed cornice, decorated with kudu arches, runs around
the tops of two talas.
• The hara over the ardha mandapa consists of kudus at the
corners, shalas in between, and panjaras on either side of
the shalas.
• The gable of the wagon –vaulted roof has a miniature bas
relief of dvitala vimanas.
• A monolithic elephant, carved out of the same boulder
stands at the eastern side of the ratha, indicating, perhaps,
that the shrine was dedicated to Indra.
Ganesh Ratha
• Most finished and ornate of all rathas.
• This is a dvitala (two storeyed) vimana hewn from a
free standing boulder near the northern end of the
main hill at Mamallapuram.
• The roof is wagon vaulted and three nasikas, one in
the centre (large) and the two at the extreme sides are
small.
• The temple, facing west, was dedicated to Shiva.
• The ardha mandapa in front has the same size as the
shrine behind.
• The façade has vyala-based pillars and pilasters.
• A pair of dvarapala figures is in the rectangular
niches on the either side.
• The remaining three sides of the ground floor have
pilasters on the exterior.
• A series of stupis crowns the edge of the roof.
• A trident surmounts the gable end of the shikhara.
Valaiyankuttai Ratha
• It is carved out of free standing boulder.
• It is a dvitala vimana facing east.
• A pair of bay niches, projecting from each
exterior wall of the shrine gives it
distinction.
• An ardha mandapa stands in front.
• Two pillars at the middle and pilasters at
the either end are in the faade.
The Pidari Rathas
• The northern Pidari ratha facing north, though
incomplete, belongs to nagara order.
• The second tala has no haras.
• The torana carried on two pilasters, which
adorns the eastern wall serves as a good
example of bhitti torana.
• The ratha has an ardha mandapa in front.
• Above the well finished kapota is a hara of
kutas and shalas interconnected by harantaras.
• The southern Pidari ratha facing east is also
incomplete.
• It too has an ardha mandapa in front.
• The hara elements appear on its second tala as
well.