The visit to this Sri Mallikarjuna Temple at Pattadakal was a part of “Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta and Aihole temples Heritage visit” organized by வரலாறு விரும்பிகள் சங்கம் Varalaru Virumbigal Sangam – VVS and எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு, between 24th December to 28th December 2022. I extend my sincere thanks to the organizers Mrs Radha and Mrs Nithya Senthil Kumar and Mr Senthil Kumar.
The Pattadakal temple complex is on the banks of river Malaprabha, comprises nine temples near to one another in a row and from the north to south as follows…..
1. The Kadasiddhesvara Temple
2. The Jambulinga Temple
3. The Galaganatha Temple
4. The Chandrasekhara Temple
5. The Sangamesvara Temple
6. The Kasi Visvesvara Temple
7. The Mallikarjuna Temple
8. The Virupaksha Temple
9. The Papanatha Temple ( This temple is 200 meters away from Virupaksha Temple on south side ).
மல்லிகார்ஜுனர் கோயில்
காசி விஸ்வநாதர் கோயிலுக்கு தென்புறம் இந்த கோயில் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. இரண்டாம் விக்கிரமாதித்தரின் தேவியர்களுள் ஒருவரான திரைலோக்யமாதேவி இந்த கோயிலுக்கு நிவந்தங்கள் கொடுத்துள்ளார்.கல்வெட்டில், “திரைலோகேஸ்வர மகாசீல பிரசாத” என்று கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது. இக்கோயில் திராவிட வகை கலைப்பாணியில் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது.விமானம் சதுர் தளமாக (நான்கு நிலைகள்) அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. மேலே வட்ட வடிவ சிகரம் காணப்படுகிறது.அதற்கும் மேலே கலசம் உள்ளது.புராண காட்சிகளான பாகவத புராணம், சிவ புராணம், பஞ்ச தந்திர கதைகளுடன் தொடர்புடைய சிற்பங்கள் ஆலயம் முழுவதும் நிறைந்து காணப்படுகின்றன.கருவறைக்கு உள்ளே லிங்கம் காணப்படுகிறது.விருபாக்ஷர் கோயிலை விட அளவில் சற்றே சிறிதாக உள்ளது.
மல்லிகார்ஜுனர் மற்றும் விருபாக்ஷர் கோயில்கள் அருகருகே அமைந்திருப்பதால் இவற்றை “இரட்டை கோயில்கள்” என்று கூறலாம். மேலும், இவை இரண்டும் ஒரே காலகட்டத்தில் கட்டப்பட்ட கோயில்கள் ஆகும்.
The two celebrated royal temples, the Mallikarjuna Temple (Trailokesvara Temple ) and the Virupaksha Temple ( Lokeshvara Temple ) (one beside the other) are immediately to the south of the Kasivisvesvara Temple. The Virupaksha Temple is a little forward and larger than the Mallikarjuna Temple. Mallikarjuna temple is also called as Trailokesvara Temple.
ARCHITECTURE
Both Mallikarjuna and Sri Virupaksha temples are within a prakara with two maha- dvaras one on the east and the other on the west. The prakara is partially extant. The two temples of the tritala- vimana model are almost similar to each other in the layout, elevation, the pillar forms, the dvara- bandha, the ceiling pattern, the external wall projections, recesses of the walls, the scheme of the wall sculptural patterns and forms; the narrative panels on the pillars and pilasters with mithuna and other sculptures. The sikhara of the Mallikarjuna Temple is circular while that of the Virupaksha Temple is square/ nagara.
Temple has an independent pillared mandapa enshrining Rishabam in the front, the temple comprises of a spacious squarish heavily pillared sabha-mandapa having mukha-mandapas ont the north, east and south, a small shrine each at the front corners of the antarala, distinctly bifurcated from the sabha-mandapa by two pillars in the façade in alignment with the inner most rows of the pillars of the sabha- mandapa and a garbha-griha encircled by the sandhara- pradakshina-patha accessible from the antarala. What distinguishes these two temples is the profusely exuberant decoration of the pillars, pilasters, dvara- bandha, beams, ceilings, exterior of the kakshasana, and the exterior of the walls, with miniature and colossal sculptures of various kinds: human and divine, narrative panels displaying episodes from the two maha-kavyas and of other classical Sanskrit works; floral designs, animals and mythical forms and scenes from everyday life. Especially, in the superstructure on the garbha- griha there is a prominent projection on the front of the talas resting on the antarala beneath- a feature to be noticed for the first time in these two temples. This architectural component is known as sukanasi.
Except the southern part, the prakara has almost disappeared. Similarly, only the front part and Rishabam partially broken in situ on the floor of the adhishthana of the Rishaba-mandapa are extant. The elephants in the adhishthana are in different postures, natural and forceful, are of absorbing interest. The pillars rather slender are ornately decorated.
The temple is on the high adhishthana of the kapota- bandha type. All the mukha- mandapas are provided with flight of steps. Along the edge of the floor of each mandapa is kakshasana with the entrance from the front. In the eastern mukha-mandapa the two pillars located on the kakshasana flanking the entrance are decorated with sculptures, Ugra Narasimha with the inscription mentioning "Sri Perggade" ("the king") on the left and, on the right two charming ladies in vivacious posture, one holding a musical instrument supported by a dwarf maid servant and the other carrying a fly-whisk., a fine sense of contrast, the terrific and the elegant. The dvara-bandha here and in the other mukha mandapas are relieved into five sakhas varied and ornate. The bottom of the sakhara is plain. In the lalata-bimba of the lintel is unusually a tiny motif of Vishnu on the flying Garuda. On either side of the dvara-bandha is a saiva- dvara pala, with four armed carrying trisula, naga (serpent) in the rear hands. In the ceiling is a larger panel of blossomed lotus. In the spacious and squarish sabha- mandapa, are four rows of solid square pillars without a base dividing the hall into a central nave and side aisles. The central two rows are in alignment with the pillars in the façade of the antarala. Every pillar carries atop double crossed corbels / capital / pothyal of mushti and taranga types.
Corresponding to the rows are pilasters in the walls. On the pillars are two semi circular medallions with a vertical band all richly carved into intricate floral and other designs. In the middle zone are sculptural panels displaying the episodes from the Mahakavyas, etc. On the frontal side of the double corbels, are fine reliefs of flying semi divine couples, the Gandharvas and on the top of the double corbels from the beam projects the figure of an elephant rider. The ceiling of the central nave, are covered with large panels of Gajalakshmi, zoo-anthropomorphic Naga with serpentine body and the torso in the human form with folded hands boldly projecting from the centre and natya Siva with Parvati and Rishabam.
In the hall, are four rows of pillars with decorative and narrative panels. Leaving those that are self explanatory and repetitive scenes, the panels depicting significant and the most popular scenes from the literary sources, are identified as:
Pillars (near the garbhagriha) on the south side from the west end and from north face;
1.i. Siva Parvati; a lady cajoling a parrot in front of the mandapa
Royal lady attended by maid servants
An episode from Yashodhara charite:
Infatuated queen Amritamati beaten by an awkward elephant gaurd, Ashtavakra, her paramour and Yashodhara, the Ujjain king knowing the infidelity of his wife, throwing a flowerand she pretends cwooning at the strike of the flower.
ii. People offering the Nagas emerging from termites with Siva Linga below.
iv. Above two noblemen on a seat and below Narasimha, one of the incarnations of Vishnu fighting with Hiranyakasipu, the demon,
2. iii. Krishna and Yasoda, his foster mother; below a pot of nector.
3. i. Krishna's birth; Vasudeva carrying the baby to the Nanda Gokula; Devaki, Krishna's mother in prison. ii. Yasoda Krishna; and a domestic scene.
4.ii. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana moving in a chariot with a battalion of the Vanaras carrying weapons of various kinds in the front.
5. i. Siva and Parvati with Rishabam.
Pillars on the south side from the west end and from north face
2. i. A woman with elongated breasts probably Shurpanakha, Ravana's sister in the court.
i. Rama aiming an arrow at Maricha in the disguise of a golden deer; etc. Hanuman Entering Ashokavana etc.
3. iv. Wrestling between Siva in disguise of a kirata i.e. hunter and Arjuna, and being pleased with Arjuna, Siva blessing him with Pasupatastra, the extraordinary weapon.
4. i. Nandi dancing to the play of ghata, the musical pot.
Pillars on the northern side from west end and from south face (near the garbhagriha)
1. i. On the southern side, at the top is depiction of Mahishasuramardini, the goddess seated on the lion and chasing Mahishasura, the demon who is fleeing fear stricken: a scene that is one of the most powerfully dynamic and vigorous in Chalukyan art.
iii. Three moving swans one behind the other approaching Garuda who in turn is approaching Vishnu (the story of Tittibhas [plover] birds whose eggs were swept away by the sea, approaching Garuda who in turn entreats Vishnu, his lord, for the restoration of the eggs.)
2. iv. In a semi-circular medallion a hermitage in a grove. A rishi teaching the students in front of his house in a wooded area and monkeys moving about on the summit of a nearby hill.
Indra and Vajra seated and Ahalya, the wife of Gautama, the rishi standing, with their names inscribed.
A lady lying stretched on a couch with a maid servant near her feet.
ii. Siva and Parvati in Kailasa. Below a bowman in chariot probably, Manmatha, the god of love accompanied with a horse faced human, Vasanta (the Spring) Curiously enough, that chariot is drawn by two swans that hold the yoke by their beaks. The divine marriage of Siva with Parvati, i. e. Kalyana Sundara murti. Brahma being the priest.
5. i. Rama and Lakshmana; Jatayu fighting Ravana (on the way while abducting Sita) ii. Two birds facing each other.
Pillars on the north side of the hall from the west end. (from the southern face)
1.i. An episode from the the Panchatantra story of crocodile and monkey succinctly displayed in the semi circular medallion. Below is the panel of the episode from the Panchatantra story of Mangoose and the snake referred to above
2. i. The Pancha Pandavas deliberating (on the strategy for the forthcoming war) iii. Pandu, the king of Hastinapura, with his two wives: Kunti and Madri in the hermitage of Dhaumya rishi; iv. Pandu with his two queens on a couch. A nobleman probably Pandu in a chariot engaged in hunting.
3. ii. A monkey seated on partially split wooden log. trying to remove the wedge fixed into the spilt wood depicted in a semicircular medallion, another story from the Panchatantra. iii. Pandu, the king with his two wives in the hermitage of Dhaumya, the rishi.
Sculptures on the pilasters
On each of the pilasters is a sculpture of a lovely mithuna in moderate royal attire in bewitching postures or a warrior, almost in round relief about one metre high, many being mutilated. One of them holds a cup probably with a stimulating drink. The mithunas in particular are in a frank mood of displaying passion for each other. On a pilaster at the eastern end on the southern side is a beautiful sculpture of a prince seated on a throne. Below is an elephant with ease and comfort transporting a heavy log of wood by its proboscis. the portrayal is undeniably so natural.
Of the two subsidiary shrines in the antarala the one to the left enshrines the image of the Mahishamardini. What is striking is the vigour and force with which the demon in human form but with horns, is being finished by the goddess, one of the rarest conceptual forms in the domain of Chalukyan art. The open space between the two shrines forms the antarala or sukanasa with two pillars in the façade and two behind them. The square panel in the ceiling divided into nine compartments has Siva and Parvati at the centre and Ashtadikpalas such as Indra, Agni and others in the other panels. The pancha-sakha dvara-bandha is as usual ornate. In the lalata-bimba of the lintel is Garuda holding tail ends of the naga in zoo-anthropomorphic form. with folded hands, a common. motif in the Chalukyan structural temples. Above this in a small mandapa are seated four armed Siva with Parvati and ganda bherunda i.e. double-headed eagle. Below Siva is Rishabam. At the bottom of the multiple sakhas is the ghata-pallava. On either side of the dvara-bandha is a saiva-dvara-pala. On the ceiling is a large panel of a fully blossomed lotus flower motif.
On the outside in the northern mukha-mandapa are beautiful sculptures particularly the Gajendra- moksha. The southern mukha- mandapa was in dilapidation. This has been recently conserved by the ASI to arrest further damage to the temple.
Moving from the right side of the eastern mukha- mandapa round the temple up to the beginning point, one would find continuously pillared deva-koshthas under makara- torana in the middle zone of the wall each with a sculpture mostly of Siva in many manifestations. Such as, jatadhari Siva, usually four armed carrying the parasu (battle axe) and trisula in the rear hands, Hari-Hara, a syncretistic form of Siva and Vishnu; Natya-Siva with Gajalakshmi above, Siva and Parvati, Gajasurari; four armed Siva, Lakulisha with staff in the hand standing on apasmara symbolising death, and above with gandharvas flying in the sky, eight armed dancing Siva, Ardhanarisvara Siva, four armed Siva with the usual attributes, Siva, unfinished sculpture probably depicting Siva, Vishnu. indistinct sculptures. Below these deva-koshthas are varied floral designs.
The superstructure on the garbha-griha i.e. tri-tala vimana is crowned with a square sikhara. On the mukha-patti of the sukanasa projecting from the talas is a fine sculpture of Natya Siva.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The Sri Sangamesvara, Sri Mallikarjuna and Sri Virupaksha Temples can be dated in the light of the inscriptions referring to their patrons.
A few metres south of Sangamesvara temple are the Sri Mallikarjuna Temple and the Sri Virupaksha Temple. These two were constructed in memory of their husband's victories three times over Kanchi, the Pallava capital, by Vikramaditya's (circa.733-744) two chief queens: Lokamahadevi and Trailokyamahadevi. This Mallikarjuna Temple was built by Trailokyamahadevi, hence called as Trailokesvara Temple. These are known from the epigraphical records on the pillars of the maha-dvara of the Virupaksha temple. Further, the trisula- stambha inscription refers to all the three temples; the Vijesvara, the Lokesvara and the Trailokesvara were constructed by Vijayaditya Lokamahadevi and Trailokyamahadevi respectively. The latter two temples therefore were constructed at the same period around 740 CE and the Vijesvara was probably around 710 CE. The dates of the other temples are approximately arrived at on the comparative basis of their architectural characteristic features and styles.
Ugra Narasimha sculpture is with the inscription mentioning "Sri Perggade" ("the king") on the left.
POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHALUKYA DYNASTY
Jayasimha, a Chalukya King probably the founder, carved out a region and ruled. He was immediately followed by Ranaraga who expanded and consolidated the kingdom. However, not much is known about these two Chalukyan kings. It was Pulakesi I, the third king in the genealogical line, who made Badami, the capital of the kingdom in 543 CE and built a fort on the top of what is now known as the North hill. His son, Kirtivarma (1) with the assistance of Mangalesa his younger brother, conquered the neighbouring kingdoms of the Kadambas in the south- west, the Mauryas of the Konkana, the Kalachuris etc,. It was his celebrated grandson Pulakesi-II who extended the political boundaries of the kingdom far and wide from Narmada to Kaveri. He installed his younger brothers Jayasimhavarma in the north comprising Gujarath region and Kubja Vishnuvardhana in the eastern division while he ruled the central part from Badami. However, he met with a crushing defeat at the hands of Pallava Narasimhvarman of Kanchi in 642 CE. Badami was 'terra incognito' for the next twelve years. In 654 CE, Vikramaditya - I, Pulakesi's son, succeeded in re-conquering the kingdom from the Pallavas. The kingdom grew further and was prosperous, strong and generally peaceful under the next three rulers in succession namely: Vinayaditya, Vijayaditya and Vikramaditya II in spite of their frequent, successful wars particularly with their arch enemy, the Pallavas others in the north. Kirtivarman- II, the son of Vikramaditya- II though capable and experienced in wars and administration, succumbed to the 756 CE onslaught by Dantidurga, the Rashtrakuta chief ruling the Ellora region. This ended the Badami Chalukyan rule. The Badami region thus became a part of the Rashtrakuta kingdom.
By 973 CE the Chalukyas till then keeping a low profile at the appropriate occasion seized and rose to power supplanting the Rashtrakutas. Later Kalyana in Bidar district, Karnataka had the fortune of becoming the capital of the kingdom and continued to be so till the ruling dynasty fell in about 1189 CE. However, Pattadakal gained some importance by becoming the headquarters of an administrative division known as Kisukadu 70 ruled by Nolamba Pallava Permanadi Singhanadeva as mandalika (feudatory) under Someshvara II, Bhuvanaikamalla, the Chalukyan king, around 1070 CE and hundred years later by Chavumda II of the Sindha family, a mandalika to Noormadi Taila- III the Chalukiyan king. Chavumda’s senior queen Demaladevi and their son Achideva by virtue of his position as prince were then enjoying Pattadakal.
Ref:
A Hand book on World Heritage Series Pattadakal, published by Archaeological Survey of India.
A Hand book on Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal & Aihole supplied by VVS in Tamil.
HOW TO REACH
Pattadakal Group of temples are 13 KM from Aihole, 17 KM from Badami and 459 KM from Bengaluru.
Nearest Railway Station is Badami.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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