Follow on

Trip to Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu on December 5, 2007

Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece)

 This bas-relief, is almost similar to the completed bas-relief of Arjuna's Penance. The theme is the same but the characters sculpted are different. There are two boulders with a gap in the middle with sculptures on both rock faces.

Siva with his ganas and a person doing penance has been carved on an overhanging rock piece on the boulder to our left. The gandharvas in this relief panel are all shown floating on clouds, whereas in the completed main panel they are shown in full. We can see several animal figures - elephants, galloping horses, stylized yali faced lions, deers, monkeys.

Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Arjuna's / Bhagiratha's Penance (Unfinished 2nd piece), Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu



Dr.Swaminathan, retired professor from IIT Delhi had organized a trip to Mahabalipuram to understand and appreciate better the great art treasures gifted to us by the Pallavas.

We visited only a few mandapams and caves, but at every spot Mr.Swaminathan shared with us details such as - the Pallava kings who had contributed, the structural variations / refinement that can be observed in the structures belonging to different periods. And sadly, also the vandalism - mostly broken noses, attempt to project a Siva temple as a Vishnu temple or vice versa and also an attempt by the kings to take credit without contributing. Since several Pallava rulers seem to have shared the same titles, that further adds to the confusion. Mr.Swaminathan first gave a general introduction to the temple architecture and sculpture - the different styles of rock architecture seen at Mahabalipuram - the monoliths, cave mandapams, structural temple, bas relief.