Thursday 27 July 2017

Mahabalipuram / Mamallapuram, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, Miscellaneous monuments, Olakkanatha Temple, Vijayanagara period Unfinished Gopuras, Valayankuttai and Pidari Rathas, Mukuntha Nayanar Temple and Penance Panel, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.

.... a continuation post to Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, A Heritage Visit – Part -9
08th June 2017.
Apart from the well known UNESCO notified Temple, caves and sculptures, which we had seen in the earlier posts, there are small small monuments scattered around the hill and on the sea shore. These are being maintained by Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI )  In that we could cover only few during our one day heritage visit to Mahabalipuram. Some of them ( which we had seen ) are...

OLAKKANATHA TEMPLE.... The of the temple may probably  be Olakkannisvara ( flame eye ) Shiva. This is above the Mahishamardini cave, a masonry temple like shore temple. This might have constructed during Rajasimha Period (690 – 715 AD) and the super structure is missing now. There are usual rampant lions and panels representing Shiva’s various forms.  They are Dakshinamurthy, Ravana anugraha murti ( Shiva showing mercy on Ravana ), Alidhanrittamurti ( siva dancing in the pose of warrior in action )

LOCATION:CLICK HERE



 Ravana anugraha murti ( Shiva showing mercy on Ravana )

 Alidhanrittamurti ( siva dancing in the pose of warrior in action )

VIJAYANAGARA PERIOD UN-FINISHED GOPURAMS....The Rayala-gopuram is an un-finished gopuram or Rajagopuram of the Vijayanagara period showing typical decorations on the jambs. This is the second un-finished Vijayanagara gopuram at Mahabalipuram opposite to Sthalasayana Perumal Temple.


 Rayala-gopuram 
Rayala-gopuram
 Sthalasayana Perumal Temple gopuram

 Sthalasayana Perumal Temple gopuram

 Sthalasayana Perumal Temple gopuram

VALAYANKUTTAI AND PIDARI RATHAS....These Rathas are near the Buckingham canal. These monolithic rathas are smaller in size compared to Shore temples. The Valayankuttai Ratha resembles the Arjuna Ratha and close to this there are two un-finished rock cut shrines facing east.

LOCATION:CLICK HERE



MUKUNTHA NAYANAR TEMPLE....This temple at the entrance of Mahabalipuram. This is of rectangular in shape with a mukha mandapam facing east. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Somaskandar is on the back of Shiva linga. The other murthis are Dakshinamurthy on the south, Yoga Narasimhar on west and Brahma on the north.

LOCATION:CLICK HERE



Photograph of small temples north of the village of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections taken by Alexander Rea in the 1880s.

PENANCE PANEL.... This is about 200 meters away from Krishna Mandapa. This is very similar to the Arjuna’s penance sculptures but un-finished and there is no answer why this was abandoned. Experts  believed that before carving the present Arjuna’s Penance the sculptor might have experimented in this rock.

LOCATION:CLICK HERE





---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

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