Spruced up Pallava-era sculptures ready for PM Modi, Xi Jinping visit

ancient Mamallapuram monuments, spruced up ahe of this week's Indo-China summit, is a quiet cue to artistic genius of Pallava era artisans, who created poetry in stone to bring alive several ideas like time of day, long before clock was invented. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to visit over 1,000-year-old monuments, a deeper study of scintillating sculptures brings out brilliance of its creators.

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T Satyamurthy on Mamallapuram

On Mamallapuram monuments, ted archaeologist T Satyamurthy said, " Pallava artisans excelled all ir counterparts anywhere else." Illustrating his point, rewned scholar, who was formerly superintending archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India, referred to grand work of Arjuna's penance to get "Pasupatastra" from Lord Shiva.

"In entire frame, re are 64 demi-gods, one temple, 13 human beings, 10 elephants, 16 lions, nine deer and antelopes, two sheep, two turtles, one rabbit, one wild pig, one cat, 13 rats, seven birds, four monkeys, one iguana (double-tongued lizard) and eight trees," Satyamurti told PTI in an interview.

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Lord Shiva's standing posture with four arms is striking and his lower hand shows "vara-mudra", deting grant of boons to Arjuna. Lord wears "Jata-Mukuta," (a crown of artfully plaited braids) with Chandra (moon) decorating it at Centre and along with "ganas" (attendants) he arrives to shower boons and all of se are skillfully sculpted. "It is unique in many respects, including selection of rock for such execution." Two large boulders (192 x 92m) with a narrow fissure in between were selected to represent a series of rows of gods and goddesses and or natural sceneries. A narrow split in between boulders divides entire scenery into two blocks vertically and fissure is converted into a flowing river. Nagas and Naginis are carved in this gap, furr strengning scene as event that took place on banks of a river.

Again, depiction is divided into two horizontal planes and celestial happenings over a huge hill are depicted in upper plane. lower plane shows day to day life scenes that generally took place on banks of a river in ancient India. It includes rituals by Brahmins in front of a miniature Vishnu shrine. " upper panel is found to be more animated with rows of gods and goddesses like Chandra, Surya, pairs of Kinnaras, Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Apsaras all glancing at a central point where a s stands on his left foot deeply engd in penance," he pointed out. Apart from celestials, re are hunters, ss, disciples and wild animals like lion, tiger, elephant and boar.

" group of elephants so faithfully true to nature are a real masterpiece, enhancing charm of this wonderful carving."

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young ones nestle in between legs of parent and play with trunks, showing ir delightful life. In vicinity is a temple of Vishnu, where a number of ss are depicted in deep meditation. Below m are ir disciples, one of m carrying water in a pot on his shoulder, ar wringing out water from a wet cloth and a third engd in "suryopasthana." Suryopasthana is a posture wherein hands are joined toger by interlocking fingers and are placed just above and in front of forehe. joined fingers are justed in a manner to create an opening through which sun is seen as in "mhyanikam sandhyavandana," a prayer performed at on.

"In accordance with dharma sutra texts,this prayer has to be performed at on. sculptor created this scene within frame to indicate that event took place at on, hence, this miniature carving at lowermost part of great relief became a clock of Pallava period," he ted.

A hermit is carved on lowermost segment and he is on sourn side of river, looking at sun on rrn direction. "It indicates Uttarayan (movement of sun towards rth).. interestingly, sun and moon are placed on both sides of river over sky. ... y are in opposite directions...such an astromical position happens only on full moon day... through this, "tithi" is indicated, which is full moon day," he said. season 'Vasanta ritu (spring)" is indicated by fully ripened seasonal jackfruits in forest.

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" event thus took place on full moon day of Vasanta ritu during uttaryana at on and Lord Shiva granted a boon to Arjuna on this day and time, which is considered auspicious," Satyamurti said he was thankful to late Kanchi Mahaswami, Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (1894-1994) for his guidance on areas, including suryopasthana, which was of great use to him in his work. Shore temple and Five Rathas are also part of group of monuments at Mamallapuram, which are about 1,300-years-old.