Pallava Phase (Circa 600 A.D. to 900)

Pallavas may be said to have contributed to the genesis of the Dravidian style. Percy Brown rightly remarks.

“Of all the great powers that made the history of southern India, none had more marked effect on the architecture of this region than the earliest of all, that of the Pallavas, whose production provided the foundation of the Dravidian style.”

This initial Dravidian architecture, the Pallava phase is characterised by its varying forms of architecture for some three centuries (600—900 A, D.) and its productions resolve themselves into two phases. In the former (i.e. 7th Century A. D.) the examples were entirely rock-cut, and in the latter they were entirely structural. As there were four principal rulers, the works of each phase have been divided into two groups in all, each of which is named after the reigning king of the line. Accordingly the art historians like Brown have classified initial development characteristic of high watermark of artistic creations into two phases, first into Mahendra group (610-640) pillared halls (maṇḍapas) only and Mamalla group (640-690) maṇḍapas and rat has (monolithic temples) which arc wholly rock-cut and the second into Rājasiṃha Group (699-809) and Nandivardhana group (800-900) which are characterised as wholly structural temples.

The maṇḍapa and rock-cut monolithic temples of Mamallapura [Mamallapuram] have already been referred to while we were busy with the chādyas and maṇḍapas, let us therefore concentrate on the second phase of Pallava architecture where the reign of Rajasimha made a mark.

“Of the Rājasimha mode there are some six examples, comprising of the Shore, Īśvara and Mukunda temples at Mamallapuram; a temple at Papanath in the South Arcot district and two temples Conjeevaram, the Kailāśanātha and the Vaikuṇṭha Perumal. In the opinion of Percy Brown three of these are of major importance as each illustrates a stage not only in the style as a whole, but in the developing of the temple formation, as we have seen in the contemporary art of the Chalukyan, which provided the nucleus of evolution to that rich artistic heritage characteristic of Bhuvaneshwar, Orissa and Khajuraho Bundelkhand—cf. the curvilinear exuberance of temple-architecture. These three are the Shore and two temples at Conjeevaram.

The shore temple, though designed on the monolithic rathas of Mamallapuram, especially on the model of the Dharmraja, is remarkable for a new technique of the rising genius of the Dravidian builders when architecture of the day was contemplating to evolve a sculpture of the period.

“This is the appearance in the architectural scheme of a very pronounced type of pilaster, a rampant lion in prominent relief, and which finds a place wherever such a structural form with an ornamental support is required. In the Shore temple this heraldic lion, erect and holding up a Dravidian capital, projects from every angle, and is also introduced at intervals around the lower part of the entire building. As the style progressed this leogriff motif became more frequent and more characteristic so that it may be generally regarded as the identifying symbol of the Pallava style.”

The learned author of “The Indian Architecture” (Mr. Percy Brown) suspects and alludes to its mysterious origin which in my opinion may be taken as a symbol of the patron king whose name was Narasiṃha.