Arjuna's Penance
Carved in relief on the face of a huge rock, Arjuna's Penance is the mythical story of the river Ganges, issuing from its source, high in the Himalayas. The surface of the rock has detailed carvings showing the most endearing and natural renditions of animals. It also shows deities, and other semi-divine creatures and fables from the Panchtantra. Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers and a consummate archer, is shown standing on one leg, doing penance to obtain a boon from Lord Shiva. It is said that Arjuna had made a journey to a bank on the river Ganges to do penance, in the hope that Shiva would part with his favourite weapon, the pashupatashastra, a magic staff or arrow.
Mandapams (low rise, rockcut halls)
In all there are eight mandapams scattered over the main hill, two of which have been left unfinished.
Krishna Mandapam
This is one of the earliest rock-cut temples. It features carvings of a pastoral scene, showing Lord Krishna lifting up the Govardhana mountain, to protect his people from the wrath of Indra, the God of Rain.
Rathas
These are architectural prototypes of all Dravidian temples, showcasing the imposing gopurams and vimanas, multi-pillared halls and sculptured walls, which dominate the landscape of Tamil Nadu. The rathas are named after the Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharata epic. Although they are widely known as "Five Rathas", there are actually eight of them.
Shore Temples
The shore temples were built in the 7th century, during the reign of Rajasimha, and depict the final phase of Pallava art. These beautiful temples, ravaged by wind and sea, were given the World Heritage listing, a few years ago. The two spires of the temples, contain a shrine for Lord Vishnu and for Lord Shiva.
|
