Pallavas of Kanchi

Pallavas of Kanchi - Rulers and their Contributions

Period: 575- 897 AD

Capital: Kanchi

• Pallavas are noted for their patronage of Hindu temple architecture.
• By the time of Pallavas, south India was contested by the other two kingdoms of Chalukyas of Badami and Pandyas of Madurai.

Simhavishnu (575-590 AD)

• The real founder of the Pallava dynasty.
• Rise: Defeating Kalabhras inaugurated the rule of imperial Pallavas.
• Royal Titles: Avanisimha (lion of the Earth) and Simhavishnupottarayan.
• Bharavi: Court poet.
  • Wrote Kirat Arjuneeya (Duel between Siva and Arjuna).

Mahendravarman I

(600-630 AD)

• Under him, the Pallavas became a major political power.
• Titles: 
  • Mattavilasa-  Addicted to pleasures
  • Chitrakarapuli- Tiger among the painters
  • Lalitankura- Charming offspring 
  • Gunabhara- Virtuous
  • Chattakari- Temple builder, and 
  • Vichitrachitta- Curious-minded.
• Battle of Pullalur, AD 618-19: Killed by Chalukyan King Pulakesin II.

Art, Architecture, and Literature under Mahendravarman I

• Tamil literature: flourished under his rule
  • For example, Appar and Sambandhar wrote Tevaram.
• Mattavilasa Prahasana (Sanskrit satire): Written by Mahendravarman I.
• Mahendra Style: He added a new style to Dravidian architecture.
• Bhagwatajjukam (Satire): Written by Bodhayan. 
  • King Mahendravarman mentioned this on a stone inscription in Mamandur along with his own Mattavilas Prahasan.
• Monuments at Mamallapuram: Those dedicated to Shiva were constructed under his rule.

Narsimhavarman I (630-668 AD)

• He is considered the greatest Pallava ruler. 
• He took the title of Mamalla (great warrior).
• Vatapikonda: He defeated and killed Chalukyan ruler Pulakesin II and destroyed the Chalukyan capital Vatapi. He took the title Vatapikonda (conqueror of Vatapi).
• Mahabalipuram: It was a Port city founded by Narsimhavarman I.
• Seven Ratha Temple under his reign.
• Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas also suffered defeat at his hands. 
• Ceylon Invasion: He invaded Ceylon (Sri Lanka) twice to help Manavamma, an exiled Ceylonese prince who had come to him seeking his support in securing the throne of Ceylon.
• Hsuen Tsang: The Chinese traveller visited Kanchipuram in 642 CE during his reign.

Narsimhaavarman II (Rajamalla) (695-722 AD)

• Peaceful Reign: The reign of Narsimhaavarman II was peaceful as battles between Chalukyas and Pallavas came to a halt.
• He sent embassies to China.
• He is credited with the construction of Shore Temple and Kailashnath Temple.

Art and Architecture under Pallavas of Kanchi

• Dravidian Style: Rock-cut architecture laid the foundation for the Dravidian style of architecture in south India. The Pallavas are credited with the introduction of this style. 
• Evolution: Pallava architecture progressively evolved from rock-cut temples to monolithic rathas, and finally, it gave way to structural temples.
• The evolution of Pallava architecture can be divided into four different stages or styles, viz. Mahendra Style, Mamalla Style, Rajasimha Style, Nandivarman Style.
• Influence of Pallava Architecture: It influenced Southeast Asian temple architecture.

Mahendravarman style of Architecture

• The Pallava architecture began from the time of Mahendravarman I.
• It did not use bricks, iron, lime, wood, etc.
• Temples built in the Mahendravarman style of Architecture were termed ‘Mandapas’. These Mandapas were the pillared Varandas which consisted of Garbhagirha at the end.
• Examples:
  • Rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram.
  • Trimurti Mandapa of Mandaggapattu.
  • Panchapandava Mandapa of Pallvaram.
  • Mahendravishnu Mandapa of Mahendravadi.
  • Lalitankur Pallavaveshwar Griha Mandapa of Trichinapalli.

Mamalla style of Architecture

• Two styles of temples can be seen in the Mamalla style of architecture: Mandapas and Rathas.
• The Mandapas are more ornamental, with pillars built on lions' heads. 
  • Examples: Varaha Mandapa, Mahisasur Mandapa, and Pancha Pandava Mandapa, etc.
• The second component of the Mamalla style of architecture was the free-standing monolithic shrines called ‘Rathas’ (chariots) built of granites which were constructed alongside pillared halls.
  • Western architects call these rathas ‘Seven Pagodas’ or ‘Seven Rathas’ as they are seven in number.
• Examples:
  • Draupadi Ratha.
  • Dharmaraja Ratha. 
  • The Bhim Ratha 
  • Ganesha Ratha.

Rajasimha style of Architecture

• Rajasimha style of Architecture began under the reign of Narsimhavarman II.
• Temples were built using bricks, wood, stones, etc. 
• Examples:
  • Ishwariya temple.
  • Mukunda temple.
  • The Shore temple of Mahabalipuram.
  • The Kailasha temple of Kanchi.
  • Vaikunthaperumal temple.

Nandivarman style of Architecture

• Pallava architecture began to decline once the Rajasimha style of architecture declined.
• The temples of this style were comparatively smaller in size, less ornamented, and lacked innovation. 
• Examples:
  • Mukteshawara temple
  • Matangeshwara temple of Kanchi.

Temples and Structures under Pallavas of Kanchi

Shore Temple (Mahabalipuram)

• Architectural creations that were initiated by King Narasimhavarman II.
• Called Seven Pagodas by Marco Polo and European Travellers.
• Difference from Dharmaraja Ratha: It is a structural temple and not a rock-cut one. 
• Built with blocks of granite.
• The temple is a combination of three shrines. 
  • The main shrine is dedicated to Shiva, as is the smaller second shrine.
  • A small third shrine is dedicated to a reclining Vishnu.
• Lion Monolith: 
  • Partly carved and partly sculpted lion.
  • A miniature image of Durga is sculpted on the back of the image, depicting Durga as Mahishasuramardini. 
  • The open mouth of the lion is inferred as a representation of its role as the favourite lion.
• A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The architecture of the Shore Temple was continued by the Cholas (in the temples they built), who ruled Tamil Nadu after defeating the Pallavas.

Kailashnath Temple (Kanchipuram)

(Along Vedavati River

• It was Built by Narasimhavarman II shortly after the construction of Shore Temple in the 8th century A.D. 
• Kailashnath Temple is more extensive in dimensions as compared to the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram..
• It is situated in a rectangular courtyard surrounded by a peristyle compos, noncontinuous series of cells resembling rathas.
• It is the biggest sandstone temple in the world.
• The foundation of this temple is made of granite.
• The main shrine (sanctum sanctorum) has 16-sided Shivalinga made in black granite. 
• There are two sculptures of Shiva here, which are seen holding the alapini veena (musical string instrument).
• Unique Feature: 58 devakulikas (mini-shrines) that run around the main temple. 
  • Frescoes that portrayed scenes from the Sivalila and sculptures of Uma Mahesvara, Parvati, Ganapati, and Kartikeya, among others. 
  • The inscriptions in Pallava grantha on the temple walls include the various titles of Narasimhavarman II, such as Rajasimhan, Ajiranakanta, Srithara, Ranathira, and Kshatriya Simhesvara.

Seven Ratha Temple

• It was built under Narsimhavarman I.
• It transitions between the earlier tradition of rock-carved cave temples and the later tradition of freestanding stone structures.
• It attempted to imitate free-standing stone construction in the living rock.
• The structural detailing of the Ratha temples carefully imitates wooden timber supports, pilasters, beams, and brackets.

Vaikunth Perumal Temple

• It is the biggest sandstone temple built in the post-Rajasimha period.
• It was built by Paramesvaravarman alias Nandivarman II (736-796 A.D.) and is dedicated to Vishnu. 
• Chaturasa tri-tala (three-storeyed square): Functional vimana to enshrine Vishnu in three forms, standing (sthanaka), sitting (asana), and reclining (sayana). 

• Alvars have praised the temple as Paramesvara Vinnagaram.
• The most significant feature: Depiction of Nandivarman II ascending the throne. 
• There is a sculpture of a visiting Chinese pilgrim too.

The Descent of the Ganges (Mahabalipuram)

• is also called “Arjuna’s Penance”.
• It captures the story of the descent of river Ganga to earth.
• The penance of the sage Bhagiratha, sometimes believed to be Arjuna, brought it to earth.
• Shiva is shown controlling the fury of the descending river through his hair locks.
• The panel is also shown in the Kailashnath temple at Kanchipuram.

Arts under Pallavas of Kanchi

• The Pallava kings also patronised fine arts.
• The Kudumianmalai and Thirumayam music inscriptions show their interest in music. 
• Musical instruments: Yaazhi, Mridhangam, and Murasu were some of the musical instruments.
• Both Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman I were music experts. 
• The temple sculptures of the Pallava period reveal that the art of dance was popular in those days. 
• The paintings at Chittannavasal illustrate the nature of Pallava painting.
• Mahendravarman was known as Chittirakkarapuli. 

Literature Under Pallavas of Kanchi

• Nature: The literature during the period of the Pallavas was both religious and secular but primarily religious. 
• Language: Both Sanskrit and Tamil literature flourished during this time. 
  • The court of the Pallava rulers granted royal patronage to Sanskrit literature.
  • Mahendravarman I was the author of Mattavilasa Prahasanam, a satirical play in Sanskrit, and Bhagavadajjuka.
• Impetus: Tamil literature received an impetus with the growth of the Bhakti movement. 
• Dandin:  Adorned the court of the Pallava king Narsimhavarman II. He wrote Dashakumaracharita and Avantisundarikatha in Sanskrit.
• Kanchipuram: It was an important center of Sanskrit learning. Mayur Sarman, the founder of the Kadamba dynasty, studied the Vedas at Kanchipuram.
• The Alvar and the Nayanmar: The devotional compositions enriched the Bhakti and Tamil literature because these were written in Tamil, expressing the philosophy of Bhakti. 
• Nalariya Divya Prabandham: The most significant work of the Vaishnavite saints. It consisted of 4,000 Tamil verses and was written by 12 Alvars. 
  • It is also known as the Dravida Veda or the Fifth Veda.
• Tirumurai: It was regarded as the major Shaivite canonical text. It has 12 books. The 1st seven are called Tevaram, written by the three important Nayanmar saints- Sundarar, Sambandar and Appar.