The cultural life of the Pallava Period

Sculptures of Pallava period provide much cultural data regarding the kind of dress, ornamentation, hairstyles, furniture, utensils, musical instruments and weapons used by the people. These material aspects depicted in sculptures can also be correlated with literary and inscriptional evidences, wherever feasible. Apart from this, they also hint into the existing condition of some of the intangible cultural factors like those of performing arts viz., music, dance and drama. Fauna and flora formed an integral part of any culture and they are also found often represented in the sculptures of this period, either directly in their natural form or as a part of ornamentation or religious belief.

Sculptural remains of this period are available only from the period of the reign of Later Pallavas, starting from Mahendavarman I. So, the time frame of this thesis is restricted from circa 6^th century A.D. to 9^th century A.D. A study of the sculptures shows that majority of them are based on religious themes drawing inspiration from the stories narrated in puranas and epics. However, even in such themes, the material aspects depicted along with the puranic elements like costume, coiffure, weapons, furniture, musical instruments, etc., can be safely regarded as inspired from the then contemporary life and they are not imaginary objects. Among the myriad images of gods, goddesses, celestials, etc., a few sculptural depictions can be identified as clearly showing the contemporary life of the people belonging to different classes.

They can be listed as following:

-) Two warriors flanking the facade and a pair of female dancing figures on the pilasters in the Avanibhajana-pallavesvara-griham at Siyamangalam.

-) Gangadhara panel in the Lalitankura-pallavesvara-griham at Tiruchirappalli, depicted as a royal figure.

-) Celestials in the Orukalmandapam at Tirukkalukkunram and in the Varaha-mandapam at Mamallapuram, depicted as royal figures.

-) Dancing panels from the Thantontrisvara temple at Kanchipuram.

-) Portrait sculptures in the Dharmaraja-ratha and Adivaraha cave temple at Mamallapuram.

-) Bas-reliefs of Govardhanadhari, larger and smaller Bhagiratha penance panels at Mamallapuram.

-) Figures identified as devotees in the various cave temples, rathas and structural temples.

-) The historical panels in the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram.

-) Ornamental friezes comprised of floral, faunal and other designs, adorning the various architectural members.

Apart from the above list of sculptures, cultural material of the Pallava period can be adjudged from pure sectarian sculptures also by following the proposition that the dress and ornamentation of divine and other semi-divine beings are inspired from the then contemporary costume and coiffure prevalent among the royal elite and the upper class. And those depictions followed on other sculptural groups like dvarapalakas, ganas, sages, priests, chamara-dharis, etc., follow those who are actually professing similar occupations in the then contemporary period.