Mahabalipuram - Shore Temple

We had a stop over at Chennai while returning from our Kerala trip. One day my younger brother wanted to visit Mahabalipuram and I was happy to join him for it was many years ago that I visited the place. Incidentally I ought to tell that Mahabalipuram is around 60 kilometres South of Chennai on the way to Pudussery (Pondicherry). It was a bright sunlit day and quite warm under the Sun. In less than 2 hours we could reach Mahabalipuram which was earlier known as Mamallapuram.

We headed straight to the famous Shore Temple, known so, for it faces the Bay of Bengal and is just on the Shore. It is supposed to be one of the oldest structural temples of South India. 

I believe  a little bit of history could be tolerated. There was a great dynasty known as Pallavas who were ruling that area with their Head Quarters at Kanchipuram between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE. They were sea farers and Mahabalipuram was their main sea port,  for access to South East Asia as also Sri Lanka as evidenced by various artefacts/coins found thereat. One of the dynasty’s illustrious ruler Rajasimha Atyantakama (he had several titles) was reigning during the 7th century.Needless to say that he was a great conqueror and would have carried out several missions to expand his empire.   During that period Pallavas were   the strongest military power in the Sub Continent. Without going into controversies, we may conclude that the artisans would have been brought in from central/western parts of India where rock cut temple construction was in vogue. They were put to work at Mahabalipuram (we shall be speaking about the marvellous rock cut creations thereat in a separate post).

When we look at the Shore Temple from a distance they look like two pagodas but when we are in, we find three temples in a row. We were talking about the artisans/masons (not to be misconstrued for the free masons of the Masonic lodge!). To begin with they were instructed to carve out a Vishnu (reclining) shrine out of a monolith on the shore. They did their job well and their skills having been tested, were then assigned many other structures to be carved out at some distance.

The reclining Vishnu appears to have been the earliest creation as per a label inscription found on the lintel of this temple, calling it “Narapatisimha Pallava Vishnu Griham”. Narapatisimha is a title of Rajasimha. Then followed the construction of other two temples, but not immediately. It has probably been done after about 50 years  to appease the sentiments of a larger faction of Hindus who were staunch believers of Lord Shiva. Thus this is seen as a balancing act on the part of the royalty.   In the process Lord Vishnu got sandwiched between two shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva.

As said earlier, after carving out a Vishnu's (Reclining form known as Anantashayana) out of a megalith, two more shrines for Lord Shiva got constructed with dressed up granite stones. The smaller one in the front and a larger one at the back and in between sleeps our Lord Vishnu. Some suggest that the smaller one facing west was originally the mandapa (porch)  for entry  to Vishnu's shrine but we could not find any opening as such. However, the wall adores a Somaskanda (Shiva). Supposedly there was a Shiv Linga (Phallus) which is now missing.

The larger temple at the back (facing East) was not open that day. There is said to be a large (broken at the top) Shiv Linga with sixteen faces made of polished granite and also a Somaskanda on the wall identical to what we have seen at the smaller temple facing West. There are many other sculptures in and around the temple which have eroded to such an extent that  it is becoming difficult to identify them. We therefore, instead of spending time on that, decided to  go round and circumambulate the shrines.  We could discover the following three inscriptions which holds clues with regard to this complex..

This was probably  in the smaller Shiva Shrine

While moving clockwise, we figured an oval tank in the centre of which there was neat hole of about 8 inches with a clean cut slot to serve as a lock.  This is generally done to hold things securely. Probably a Shiv Linga was located there. But then there is a beautiful pillar quite tall looking like a Capstan of a ship just in front. We could not figure out what it is and with what  purpose. Since there is an opening on one side, we assumed that it could have been a very small shrine. The same tank also accommodates a rock cut damaged boar, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Within the tank like structure, we also came across two sculptures, one seems to be that of Shiva on the Bull and the other one remained elusive.

While moving southward, we encountered a large seated lion which in itself was a shrine for Goddess Durga with an opening in its chest with a seated Durga.

Some other photographs relating to the site:

Such structural pieces remains scattered all around

This Ganesa is difficult to locate

While concluding it would be pertinent to add here that the site is supposed to have had 7 pagodas as stated by Marco Polo. 5 of them are supposedly swallowed by the Sea leaving the two, we now see. However deep water explorations by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) only reveal the existence of a wall stretching into the sea and no more than that. Of course some of the fragments of the existing structures do surface when the sea recedes.

Now we are moving towards other part of Mahabalipuram where the rock cut temples etc. await us. 

Achievement Motivation : Asokan Inscription

Once upon a time there was a king who was fighting a battle with a neighboring kingdom. Sensing imminent defeat, he ran away from the battle field and took shelter in a cave. While he was resting, his eyes fell on a spider which was engaged in making a large web. The king observed that the spider was falling down again and again but finally it succeeds in creating a beautiful web after some relocation. Taking a cue from the spider the king leaves the cave, reorganizes his army and attacks his enemy from a different front and wins.

Some 84 km's. from Jabalpur towards Katni, there is a Hindu religious place ( a Shiv Linga), Roopnath near Sleemnabad. It is here that we come across a rock (sheltered in a canopy) bearing the inscriptions of Asoka the Great (3rd Century BC). Quoting his own example, he advocates vigorous efforts to be made for achieving success. He stresses that not only the rich, even people of lower means could succeed in attaining heavenly pleasures provided determined efforts are made.
Generally we have found that most of the rock inscriptions speak of the achievements of the king in a highly exaggerated manner, couched in a spicy language. But the Asokan inscription, we are discussing about is plain and simple. We provide hereunder an English version of the contents:

"Thus speaks the Beloved of the Gods, (Asoka): I have been a Buddhist layman for more than two and a half years, but I did not make much progress. Now for more than a year I have drawn closer to the Order and have become more ardent. The gods, who in India up to this time did not associate with men, now mingle with them, and this is the result of my efforts. Moreover this is not something to be obtained only by the great, but it is also open to the humble, if they are earnest and they can even reach heaven easily. This is the reason for this announcement that both humble and great should make progress and that the neighboring peoples also should know that the progress is lasting, And this investment will increase and increase abundantly, and increase to half as much again. This matter must he inscribed here and elsewhere on the hills, and wherever there is a stone pillar it is to be engraved on that pillar. You must go out with this document throughout the length and breadth of your district. This announcement has been proclaimed while on tour; 256 nights have been spent on tour."
(Scholars are not unanimous about the exact translation. Interpretations differ.)

One may observe from the above translation that the sentence beginning "The Gods, who in India ........(in italics)" looks meaningless (absurd). Some scholars are of the view that "Deva" also means "Clan". Therefore the term "Deva" occuring in the original inscription is not a reference to "God". If this view is accepted, it would mean that the Clans which followed a faith of their own, were pursuaded to accept Buddhism. An extreme view could be that the places of worship were converted into Buddhist shrines.

(For an abridged Hindi version click here)