Professional Martial artists and Wrestlers

[Full title: Socio-Religious Life of the Pallava Period: Professional Martial artists and Wrestlers]

The earliest sculptural group, which attests to the existence of persons skilled in martial arts, can be seen from Avanibhajana-pallavesvara-griham at Siyamangalam. The cave temple carries on the flanks of its facade male warrior figures (fig. 30), which may reflect the prevalent cultural aspect in the form of ritualistic dancing in front of the deity. The physiological and iconographical features show that they had well-built body and pose strikingly at each other. This may suggest the existence of a specialized group, who get trained in martial arts. Thus, they may represent a special warrior class, engaged in duel as part of competition or entertainment.

In support of this interpretation, there is a portrayal of similar warriors engaged in a fight, holding sword and shield in a panel on the eastern wall (fig. 31) of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram. These warriors are shown in the context of a royal court witnessed by the king and his official. Thus, it cannot be interpreted as a battle scene, but a sword-fight competition in progress.

The same panel also depicts a pair of horse men engaged in sword-fighting. They may be interpreted as representing another form of duel fight in a royal court, which was a sort of entertrainment in those days. C. Minakshi^[1] views them as enactment of a contest among the mallas and horsemen in the court of Narasimhavarman I Mamalla.

Sculptural representation of a wrestling performance as witnessed by the courtesans can be seen depicted in a panel on the northern wall of the same temple^[2].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., p. 26.

[2]:

Ibid., p. 15.