Places
To See
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 semidivine
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 pashupatashatra, 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
kinsmen from the wrath of Indra, the God of Rain.
Rathas
These are architectural prototypes of all Dravidian temples, demonstrating
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 7th century, during the reign of
Rajasimha, and represent the final phase of Pallava art. These beautiful and
romantic temples, ravaged by wind and sea, are so significant that they were
given World Heritage listing, a few years ago. The two spires of the temples,
contain a shrine for Lord Vishnu, and for Lord Shiva.
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