Mahabalipuram (Mammalapuram) : A Reminiscence.

Mahabalipuram (Mammalapuram) : A Reminiscence.

 Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), the sixth century centre of Pallava art and architecture and a world heritage site, known for its centuries old connect with China, has rightfully been chosen for the ongoing meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visible optics and the chemistry between the two leaders, as they walked through the historic sites in Mamallapuram until halting at the precincts of the Shore temple for witnessing a cultural treat in an extraordinary setting with the majestic shore temple as a backdrop, hopefully augurs well for the cementing of the bilateral relationship between the two giants of Asia. Watching live the two leaders walk through the heritage sites in Mamallapuram, reminded me of our visit (my wife and I) to this city during May 2018, and here I am reminiscing our visit to this city, particularly those sites, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited.

The name Mamallapuram - also known as Mahabalipuram - is said to be derived from the word "Mamallan" - meaning great warrior - a reference to the great Pallava King Narasimhavarman I, of the Pallava dynasty, who ruled the region from 630 to almost 670 AD and was known for his love of art and sculpture. This ancient historic beach side city, is a curious potpourri of art, culture, history, heritage, architecture that is considered to be an archeological treasure trove with its famous group of monuments listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The first thing that strikes you in Mamallapuram, is the majesty of the rocks, the pristine sands, the clear blue sky, the deep blue sea.

The Five Rathas are by far the most famous of the many rock cut arts in Mahabalipuram, which are mesmerisingly imposing in their grandeur, intriguing in their concept and amazing in their art. The Rathas represent the five Pandava brothers and their wife Draupadi from the epic Mahabharata and all of them are carved from a single boulder. They are master sculpted with intricate carvings that portray mythological tales, which are depicted in these sculptures.

Shore Temple, by far the most famous heritage structure of Mahabalipuram, is perched atop a rocky outpost with the deep blue sea as its natural backdrop. It is an architectural masterpiece, which represent the peak of the Pallavas’ artistry. Unlike the rathas and the mandapas, the Shore Temple is the earliest example of a stone built temple. The design of the temple is such that its unusual architecture is famously called a landmark by day and a beacon by night. The Shore Temple is also interestingly an abode of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, a rare occurrence in temple architecture.

The Arjuna’s Penance exemplifies illustrated in rock art of the city. The story of Arjuna’s penance or as some historians believe, Bhaghirathis’s penance to bring river Ganges to earth is depicted in bas relief. The surrounding scenes present everyday life depictive of the times. This is what makes Mahabalipuram rock art so unique. It is resonant of the cultural influences that it has absorbed over the times and disseminates it through the various sculptures that depict that time.

Mahabalipuram was a seaport right from the beginning of the Christian era. The epigraphical sources confirm Pallava kings' active contacts with Ceylon, China and the Southeast Asian countries. The city came to the glory after the Pallava started building the structural and monolithic temple architecture in this area. The city was dotted with "Seven pagodas' once upon a time, as referred by the earlier mariners. Now all but one, Shore Temple' has survived and the rest are all believed to have been submerged in the sea as per the local traditions and the foreign accounts. There are records from the European travellers, who gave the name as ―Seven Pagodas, that while they were sailing along the Coromandel Coast, they noticed Seven Pagodas, from a few miles away on the sea. It is believed that there stood seven pagodas topped with copper roofs, which helped as a landmark for the mariners as the sun-rays used to reflect from those roofs. It is also believed that out of a total of seven temples originally constructed, all have submerged in the sea over a period of time and the only temple that has survived is the Shore Temple.

It is therefore no wonder that this historic city, which connects both India and China to more than a thousand years, was chosen for the India China summit meet for the two two leaders and hopefully the ambience and the art and aesthetics of the city helps the two countries to strengthen their bilateral relations.