Pallava Sculpture and Architecture

Pallava Sculpture and Architecture Style:

Pallavas’s sculpture has a lot of passion, and we can see the slender skills of the artists in carving the statues. The Pallava dynasty was famous in South India. The Pallava kings played a patron role in the flourishing of art and architecture in their kingdom. The present Pallava art and sculptures are dated from 610 AD to 690 AD. The rock-cut caves also came into existence during the period of Pallavas. The kings of Pallavas encouraged the artists to construct the temples and replaced the old temples with innovative rock sculptures and architecture.

Pallavas and Their Style of Sculptures:

During the rule of Pallavas, the artists improved their skills in excavating temples from the rocks. There were particular institutions to teach the techniques of carving architecture. They brought the Dravidian art style and introduced it to temple construction. The development of temples and architecture changed from one king to another. They got the cave-based constructing temples into structural temples. The Pallavas created many monuments around the temples. According to Historians, the temple construction styles changed in four stages.

The great Mahendravarma I encouraged the rock-cut temples; we can see them at Mahendravadi, Mamandur, Dalavanm, Vallan and other places in Tamilnadu. We can see the second stage of the Pallava-style temples at Mamallapuram. Here the temple’s architecture was constructed with Monolithic rathas and Mandapas. Narasimhavarman built the temples with magnificent architectural monuments. The temple mandapas had decorations with stunning sculptures narrating Hindu epics’ stories.

Rock Cut Temples to Structural Temples:

Kanchipuram temples Muktheeswara, Matagenswara, and Vaikundaperumal temples belonged to the style of Pallava architecture. At the beginning of the Pallava dynasty, roc,k architecture was in its peak stage. The Pallavas encouraged structural temples. The Pallava king Mahendravarman I was involved in evolving rock-cut structural temples like the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram. During the 6th and 9th centuries, most temples in Tamilnadu were constructed in the style of Pallava architecture.