Architecture of the Mahendra style

The following is a brief description of the architectural and sculptural development of Mahendra style.

Plan

On plan, the cave temples consist of a large mandapa with one or more smaller square shrine-cells, either at the rear or lateral wall. In addition to the row of pillars and pilasters on the facade, there is a second row inside the mandapa, thus dividing the cave temple into distal ardhamandapa and frontal mukhamandapa. In the absence of the row of pillars, the division between these two mandapas is often indicated by difference in the floor-level of the two sections. However, the rock-cut cave temple at Kilmavilangai (Villupuram district) and the recently discovered one at Avur (Tiruvannamalai district)^[1] give a rare example of excavating the cell directly into the natural rock face without any provision for a porch in front. Another variant, but unfortunately unfinished is seen in the cave temple no. III at Mamandur (Tiruvannamalai district), wherein the original plan was to excavate a central shrine in the mandapa with circumambulation around it.

Elevation

The rock-cut cave temple on elevation consists of a simple adhisthana and facade composed of pillars, pilasters and entablature, which may be well developed or rudimentary at sometimes.

The pillars of the Mahendra style of cave temples are carved out with equal space between them and are divided into square sections (saduram) on top and base with an octagonal kattu portion in between. The saduram in some of the cave temples are ornamented with lotus and other variety of medallions like in the Lalitankura-pallavesvara-griha at Tiruchchirappalli. The corbels or the potika on the top of the saduram, are simple heavy blocks with curved or angular sides. The corbel with curved profile is often ornamented with a series of large roll like moldings, called taranga and hence known as taranga-potika. The rolls are shown as if held together by a median band or patta. The rolls i.e. taranga is often painted in different colors, while the patta is adorned by carvings of the lotus or creeper designs (kodikkarukku or patralata) and is often painted. In some cases a thin plank like molding (phalaka) is provided between the top of the pillar and base of the corbel. A fine makara-torana and stambha-torana spanning the entrance between the two central pillars of the facade is seen in the Satrumallavesvaralaya at Dalavanur (Villupuram district) and in the Avanibhajana-pallavesvara-griha at Siyamangalam (Tiruvannamalai district). The lalatabimba of the makaratorana is also interesting. At Dalavanur, a gana is shown seated in between the two upraised proboscis of the central makaras. At Siyamangalam, the central figure is a seated male on full-blossomed lotus with a prominent channavira crossing over his chest.

The pilasters in the earlier examples are differently shaped when compared to that of the pillars. The pilasters are uniformly tetragonal from base to top, while in a few of the later examples they were modeled resembling the pillars.

The entablature or prastara in the Mahendra style of cave temples consists of the cornice and above it the hara element is absent. The cornice in almost all the examples is the rough projecting ledge of the rock with irregular outline, but with the undersurface dressed. Only in few cases, as at Pallavaram (Kancheepuram district) and Dalavanur (Villupuram district), the cornice or kapota is decorated with kudu arches and above kapota are shown horizontal lines imitating timberwork and terracing. This shows that the wooden or brick-mortar structures which they imitated are flat-roofed structures without parapets.

Shrine cells

The shrine-cells are cut on the rear wall of the mandapa, if it faces east or west. If the mandapa faces north or south, the shrine-cells are cut on its side walls, so that they face east or west. Perhaps such an arrangement or tradition developed so as to facilitate the entry of direct sunlight. Pallavaram is the only example where the mandapa, as well as the shrine-cells faces south.

The shrine-cells are cut at a level higher than the floor of the mandapa, with a flight of steps in front. These cells are often on the same plane with the rear wall of the mandapa or cut with projected shrine fronts having various members like the adhisthana, pilaster and kapota moldings with or without kudu arches. However, rock-cut door-jambs are absent and the nakula-pada pilasters (split pilasters) flanking the shrine entrance served the purpose of door-jambs. In the cave temple at Dalavanur there is a monolithic pillared porch, in front of the shrine-cell.

The shrine-cells neither contain any bas-relief sculpture of the principal deity nor any rock-cut linga. But often a rock platform at the rear wall of the sanctum or a socket on the floor of the shrine cell can be seen. In the Sikhari-Pallavesvara griham at Melacheri, lotus motif can be seen carved on the ceiling. Perhaps it is an influence of the Chalukya art of Badami.

Sculpture

The only sculptures in most of the cave temples of Mahendra’s time are the dvarapalakas, flanking the facade as at Mandagapattu and Dalavanur or the shrine entrance alone. Strangely at Pallavaram the dvarapalas are absent. A dvarapala of this period is always portrayed as having two arms with or without clubs in their hands. In some Saivaite cave temples, one of the dvarapalas has curved horn like projection on either side of their head. Some of the scholars had indentified such a feature as representing anthropomorphic form of Siva’s weapon sula or his mount Nandi^[2].

Apart from the dvarapalas, the lateral wall of the mandapa, as in the Tiruchchirapalli upper cave temple or the pillars in the Avanibhajana-pallavesvara-griham at Siyamangalam, also bear sculptures. The western wall of the mukhamandapa at Tiruchchirapalli has a large bas-relief panel illustrating the scene of Gangadhara. It is provided with an adhisthana modeled in the form of a railing with lotus petal designs on it. The earliest usage of such a pattern can be found in the context of the Buddhist stupas built or renovated and expanded during the reign of the Sungas and the Satavahanas, found from several sites like Sanchi (Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh), Bharhut (Satna

district, Madhya Pradesh), Amaravati (Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh), etc. Nearer to the study area, and in the context of Saivite shrine, similar railing can be seen adoring the base of the Siva linga at Gudimallam (Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh). Repetition of similar motifs spread over a large area and time hints at the mutual interaction between these regions which resulted in dispersal of ideas. The same can be said of the lotus medallions as well, which appear depicted on the saduram part of the pillars and pilasters. In addition to the usually noticed lotus medallions, the cave temple at Tiruchchirapalli also contain various figures such as kinnari, elephant and swan with convoluted ornate creeper designs. Apart from the usual pair of dvarapalaka, the facade of Avanibhajana-pallavesvara-griham at Siyamangalam is also flanked by a pair of warrior figures enshrined in niches bordered by torana-stambhas. The top saduram portion of the pillars and pilasters in the facade also has sculptural representations like Siva dancing in anandatandava pose, Siva with his consort Parvati and vehicle bull, female figures and squatting lions.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

D. Dayalan,“Pallava Rock-cut cave temple at Avur”, in Kalpavrksa –Essays on Art, Architecture and Archaeology, Delhi, 2003, pp. 94–99.

[2]:

Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy 1921-22, part 1, pp. 3–4.