My Travel

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On 17th June 2010 at 17.40 h, I boarded 2602 Mangalore - Chennai Central train from Kozhikode. On the next day at 5.30 am, I arrived at Chennai station. From there I reached Parrys by bus. As there was no direct bus to Mamallapuram, I catch a Kovalam bus. I visited the Darga near the Kovalam bus station before boarding the Mamallapuram bus. The crocodile bank, tiger's cave, MGM Dissiworld, Sea lion show were on the 20 km route.

Mamallapuram

Mamallapuram is located 65 km south of Chennai via Kovalam in Tamil Nadu State, India. The main monuments of the town include Arjuna's penance, butter ball, World Heritage sites like Five Rathas and the Shore temple. All the monuments are located within the vicinity of Mamallapuram bus stand at a walkable distance.

On right side of the Mamallapuram bus station was the Arjuna's penance, Butter ball and the Durga temple. From there the road leads to Panch rathas 1.5 km away via a stone carvers' village. There were plenty of finished statues, deities for sale and the artisans were busy in their work.

Arjuna's penance video

One school believes that the sculpture shows Arjuna undertaking a penance to obtain a rare weapon against his enemies. The other School believes that it portrays the legend of the River Ganges's descent to earth. Arjuna's Penance has over 100 figures of gods and semi divine creatures, birds and beasts, man and saint.

Varaha mandapam video

This is a fine completed architecture which lies besides the Arjuna penance. The entrance has two pillars engraved with two horned lion – bases, and a cell protected by two gate keepers. There are four striking bas-reliefs, the northern one with Lord Vishnu (Varaha) Varaha (the mighty boar) standing at one feet on top of Naga, the snake king. He is rescuing Prithvi, the goddess earth from the primordial ocean. Varaha triumphed in his attempt and he holds the disc with his upper hands and lower hands holding Prithvi who is seated on his knees. The southern wall portrays Lord Vishnu as Vamana (a small figured Brahmin). He (Vamana) approaches empower Bali, a tyrant, requesting him to grant a land which will enable him to cover three steps. Empower Bali grants him the wish and Vamana covers the earth with one step, the Heavens with the second and the third on Bali’s head with Bali’s permission. Vamana pushed Bali to the underworld. Lord Vishnu is portrayed with his cosmic form with eight hands and eight legs. Along with Vishnu, stand Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, the Sun and the moon. The eastern wall to portray with Goddess Lakshmi with two maidens and two elephants powering water on the head which are portrayed on the backdrop.

The next side has the carving of Goddess Durga standing on a lotus. She is standing under the shade of a royal umbrella with her four hands. This is exactly portrayed to that of Draupadi Ratha.

Butter ball

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Ramanuja mandapam video

A Mandapa is an open pavilion or a hall with cells in the back wall and is cut out of a single piece of rock.

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Stone carver's village

The exit from the Arjuna's penance - Varaha manadapam - Ramanuja Mandapam - light house - leads to a village full of stone carving families. The shrill sound of working on stone, transforming the raw stone blocks to perfect statues are an unforgettable experience.



Video

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The Panch rathas were of 650 - 675 AD period and the rathas were named after Darupadi, Arjuna, Bhima, Dharmaraja. And the fifth infront of these five rathas was named after Nakula & Sahadeva. The Panch rathas is in the UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. Entry Rs 10, Video Rs 25. Ticket valid for Shore temple (UNESCO's World Heritage Site) also.

PANCH RATHAS OR THE FIVE RATHAS

This World Heritage site is located near Mamallapuram bus station, 65 km from Chennai in Tamil Nadu State.

The five Rathas (chariots) is a set of magnificent monolithic rock temples. Panch is a Hindi world which means ‘Five’. These fine rock temples are located in a sandy compound. There chariots are constructed with Towers, The cars of gods, multipillared halls, and sculptured walls which are chissled out minutely. The Rathas have an association to the great epic Mahabharata which describes the heroes of Mahabharata with their wife Draupadi which is termed as pancha pandava rathas. The five rathas are (i) Draupadi’s Ratha, (ii) Arjuna’s Rath, (iii) Nakul – Sahadev’s Rath, (iv) Bhima Rath and (v) Dharamraja Yudhistar’s Rath.

DRAUPADI’S RATH

This is located at the entrance gate, which is spectacular and simple, shaped like a hut and is dedicated to goddess Durga.
Female door keepers stand on the either ride of the Rath, one holding a bow and another, a sword. At the eastern wall a bas-relief stands portraying Goddess Durga standing on lotus and two worshipers at her feet offering flowers and one of the person’s head respectively. Every other walls have the figure of the great goddess, and at the front of the temple is a Lion’s figure, which is the celestial vehicle to the Goddess.



ARJUNA’S RATH

The next Rath is the Arjuna’s Rath. This one is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This has a small portico and carved pillar stones. Inside the shrine there are no inscriptions or figures whereas on the outer walls. There are carvings of gods and humans. A panel on the northern wall is carved with two door keepers. Beautiful carvings of Lord Vishnu and a Garuda on one panel and the other panel with a couple. The eastern wall is carved with a double Dwarka-Palaks, in the middle wall the portrait of Lord Indra riding an elephant, a log standing of the left with has disciples and two beautiful women are perfectly chiseled out. These beautiful carvings hare been praised by many poets. There is also a figure of Nandi bull on back side of the Rath – which is still left unfinished.

NAKUL – SAHADEV’S RATH

In front of Arjuna’s Rath is the Nakula – Sahadev Rath. This is a double decored building, dedicated to Lord Indra – the God of Rain. As in Greek and Roman mythologies, where there are different gods for various aspects and qualified, the Indian mythologies too lane assigned specific gods for different aspects. There is some proof depicting this Ratha to which might have been dedicated to Subramanya associated with elephants. The elephants shaped sculptures face towards the sea and is named as Gajaprishthakara which means elephant’s back side. The elephant sculptures are huge and are highlights of the Panch Raths.

BHIMA RATH

This Ratha is faced towards west and this is laid third of the Rathas. The shrine is gorgeous as it measures 42 ft in length, 24 ft in width and 25 ft in height. The pillars are lion carved whereas the other parts are plain. This Ratha too is an incomplete one. In the epic Mahabharata Bhima the huge guy is bulky and strong he is fond of eating all the time.

DHARMARAJA YUDHISTAR’S RATH

Of all the five Rathas, this last one stands huge. It is named after the eldest of the pandavas. Innovative and well carved designs can be seen in this Rath. This Rath is also dedicated to Lord Shiva like that of Arjuna’s Rath. The ground floor is in complete. Above the ground floor stands minutely designed double floor. The peculiarity in this monumental construction is that there is no stair route from the ground floor to the first floor, but, there in stairs from the first floor to the second floor. There are eight panels in the ground floor. One panel is carved with the portrait of the kind and the rest with gods and goddesses.

On one particular wall the figure of Shiva is named ‘Ardhanariswarar’ which is the mixture of Shiva and Shakti. This is very attractive as one can find the manly structure and the luring female charm. Other portrayals show Lord Shiva as ‘Bhikshatana’ – meaning cosmic designer and the god of death.

Twenty two carves are found on the first floor. The portrait of lord Krishna dancing on top of the fierce Kaliya snake is depicted on the southern wall. Lord Vishnu’s portrayal is found on the Northern wall. Carving of a bearded ascetic holding a bell in his hands, a devotee with a tuft, holding a flower basket, a temple attendant with bunch of keys and carrying offering to god are marvelously inscribed. The second floor is well carved. Figures of Dakshinamurthy, Somaskanda, the sun the moon and other worshipers all found in this floor.

Video

THE GANESH RATH

The only completed sculpture of the five Rathas is the Ganesh Rath. This lies west to the Bhim Rath and it resembles the Arjuna Penance. It was earlier dedicated to lord Shiva and now it is a shrine of Ganesha. There was a lingam structure earlier and now an idol of lord Ganesha has been replaced the pallavas did not stop with there five Raths but they went on to build more sculptures of them four are found lying on the outskirts of mahabalipuram. Two Raths which lie side by side on the way to Tirukkalakundram are named as Pidari Rathas. To the south of these two Rathas lies the Valayankuttai Rath and the fourth one which lies opposite to the Mahishasura Mardini Mandap is nameless.

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After visiting the Panch rathas, I retraced my path to the bus station to visit the ancient Shore temple. The sea wave weathered stones will tell the glorious past glory.

Mamallapuram Shore temple

This 7th century shore temple is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is located 65 km from Chennai in Tamil Nadu State.

There are three temples of which two Shiva Temples face east and west respectively. The other one is the Vishnu Temple. The Vishnu temples were built by Narasimha Varman I and the other two were built by Narasimha Varman II. One can find the beautifully carved twin Dwarka Palaks (gate keepers) at the entrance of the east facing Shiva Temples. On both sides of the temple inside are the marvelous sculptures of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu with their better halves. The top part of the Shivalinga figure inside the temple is found damaged. There are sculptures of Somaskanda - lord Shiva with his better half, Parvati, and his sons, Skanda and Ganesha are found on the near wall. Apart from Lord Shiva’s sculpture, one can find the sculptures of Narasimha and Goddess Durgha also.

The central shrine is in the form of a rectangle. It has a magnificent statue of lord Vishnu which is known as Sthala Shayana Perumal or Ananthasayana which means sleeping Vishnu. The peculiarity about this particular temple is - Vishnu reclines on the floor listening silently the sounds of names. The figure of Vishnu is found in segments which are to be looked through various doors. The other sculpture is portrayed in such a way that Lord Vishnu seated in mount Garuda helping Gajendra, the elephant, found in the southern wall and the northern wall is the portrayals from the life of lord Krishna. The grand temple is surrounded by mandapas and compound walls. There is a rock-cut of a lion rode by two young women. The lion has a small cut, a square shaped cut in its belly. A Huge rock near by the temple has been the target of the waves to touch it from the ancient days. There is also a carving of a buffalo demon running with a stick in his hand, located in the northern side. The temple looks beautiful due to the lights during weekend evenings.



Video

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After enjoying a limited Veg lunch from ... Bhavan hotel located near the Mamallapuram bus stand, I catched a Chengalpattu bus and get down at Thirukallukundram hill temple, 16 km away. The 180 m hill temple has steps to the top and the entry is from 8 am to 1 pm & 4 to 8 pm. Due to shortage of time, I missed the hill temple, but visited the near by Vedhagireeswarar temple with a high gopuram and a chariot near the bus stand.

Vedhagireeswarar temple video



Then I traveled by bus via Chengalpattu and reached Kanchipuram (50 km) at 4 pm.

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On 20th June 2010, I visited Mylapore Kaapaleeshwar temple. I enjoyed the vegetarian lunch from Hotel Saravana Bhavan located near the Mylapore Kaapaleeshwartemple pond. The temple gopuram (tower) with colourfully painted statues was the main attraction. The shops selling puja items in front of the gopuram was worth a visit.



Video