Beach
Temples
The
most renowned tourist attractions of the town of
Mahabalipuram are its beautiful beach temples. The
five rathas (chariots) are architectural precursors
of the temples of south Indian. The smallest and
the simplest is the Draupadi ratha and the largest
is the multi-storeyed Dharmaraja ratha scopped from
a monolithic rock. These small unfinished shrines
ravaged by war and weather are things of undiminished
beauty. The Kailasanatha temple, Sri Varadaraja
temple, Sri Vaikuntaperumal temple, etc are all
amamzing instances of patience, skill and labour.
Varaha Cave
The
Varaha Cave is a small rock-cut mandapam (hall),
that is a faceted and finished gem with four panels
of the famous Pallava doorkeepers.
Arjuna’s Penance
Arjuna’s
Penance, perhaps the world’s largest bas-relief,
is an incredible work of art. According to the legend,
King Bhagiratha had to bring down to earth the celestial
Ganga to purify and redeem the cursed souls of his
ancestors. But the torrential river would flood
the earth, and so he had to undergo a penance to
propitiate Shiva who finally received the flood
in his matted locks and let it trickle down. The
world’s creatures gathered around to watch. The
cleft in the rock depicts the descent of Ganga,
a theory supported by the ruins of a stone water
tank on the hill.
Mahishamardini Cave
The
Somaskanda sculpture in the Mahishamardini Cave
radiates peace, power and wisdom while Lord Vishnu
in omniscient repose is a masterpiece of dhwani
(the art of suggestion) perfected by the Pallava
sculptor. Feeble sunlight glimmers on panels of
classical beauty.
Shore Temple
However,
it is the Shore Temple that evokes the spell of
Mahabalipuram. A three-in-one abode of god-a Vishnu
temple sandwiched between two Shiva temples-it is
a visual delight, its precincts abounding in architectural
masterpieces.
Sculpture Museum
The Sculpture Museum in East Raja Street contains
more than 3,000 sculptures by the local artisans,
made in wood, metal, brass, and cement.
