Mandagapattu inscription
Topic: Southern Dynasties: Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Mandagapattu inscription is a short record of the Pallava king Mahendravarman I, of the early 7th century. It is carved at a rock-cut cave temple at Mandagapattu, in Tamil Nadu. It says the king made a shrine for Brahma, Shiva (Ishvara) and Vishnu "without brick, timber, metal or mortar". It matters because it marks the start of rock-cut temple building in the Tamil region. Before this, temples there were built of perishable materials.
Example
In the inscription, Mahendravarman I calls himself Vichitrachitta, "the curious-minded". The cave is a simple pillared hall cut into a granite hill. Later Pallava rulers developed this style into the rock-cut monuments at Mamallapuram.
Related concepts
- Pallava dynasty
- Mahendravarman I
- Narasimhavarman I
- Kanchipuram
- Kailasanatha temple, Kanchipuram
- Mamallapuram
- Pancha Rathas
- Shore Temple