Express press service
CHENNAI: Matangeshwara (Siva) Temple is one of many Pallava-era shrines in Kanchipuram, which was the ancient capital of the Pallava dynasty. Like other temples built during this period, this shrine was built using sandstone blocks with granite near the top and bottom. The architectural style is typical of the Pallava era.
This small temple, which faces west, is entered by a staircase that leads to the mukha-mandapa. This mandapa has lion-based pillars, a characteristic feature of the Pallava style of architecture. Various sculptures representing different forms of Shiva, such as Ravana-anugraha-murti (Siva blessing Ravana), Gaja-samhara-murti (Siva killing a demon who took the form of an elephant), Gangadhara-murti (Siva holding the Ganges ) and Urdhva-tandava-murti (Siva as Nataraja with one foot raised) were carved on the walls of the mukha-mandapa.
The rear wall of the central shrine has an image of Somaskanda (Siva with his wife Uma and son Skanda), again typical of Pallava-era Siva temples, in front of which panel is a black stone Linga. The vimana above this shrine rises on three levels.
The outer walls of the temple are covered in heavily weather-worn carvings, while the corners have the yali motif. These sculptures are again, of various forms of Siva such as Gangadhara, Nataraja, Lindoghbhava-murti (Siva whose feet and tip of head are not visible) and Bhairava. Other deities such as Durga, Subramanya and Surya are also carved on these outer walls.
Thick layers of plaster are visible on many of these carvings, leading some scholars to believe that they must have originally been painted like those at the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram which still have traces of paint. A Nandi is seen in front of the temple, directly facing the main shrine.
Chithra Madhavan
cityexpresschn@gmail.com
The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture
CHENNAI: Matangeshwara (Siva) Temple is one of many Pallava-era shrines in Kanchipuram, which was the ancient capital of the Pallava dynasty. Like other temples built during this period, this shrine was built using sandstone blocks with granite near the top and bottom. The architectural style is typical of the Pallava era. This small temple, which faces west, is entered by a staircase that leads to the mukha-mandapa. This mandapa has lion-based pillars, a characteristic feature of the Pallava style of architecture. Various sculptures representing different forms of Shiva, such as Ravana-anugraha-murti (Siva blessing Ravana), Gaja-samhara-murti (Siva killing a demon who took the form of an elephant), Gangadhara-murti (Siva holding the Ganges ) and Urdhva-tandava-murti (Siva as Nataraja with one foot raised) were carved on the walls of the mukha-mandapa. The rear wall of the central shrine has an image of Somaskanda (Siva with his wife Uma and son Skanda), again typical of Pallava-era Siva temples, in front of which panel is a black stone Linga. The vimana above this shrine rises on three levels. The outer walls of the temple are covered in heavily weather-worn carvings, while the corners have the yali motif. These sculptures are again, of various forms of Siva such as Gangadhara, Nataraja, Lindoghbhava-murti (Siva whose feet and tip of head are not visible) and Bhairava. Other deities such as Durga, Subramanya and Surya are also carved on these outer walls. Thick layers of plaster are visible on many of these carvings, leading some scholars to believe that they must have originally been painted like those at Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram which still have traces of paint. A Nandi is seen in front of the temple, directly facing the main shrine. Chithra Madhavan cityexpresschn@gmail.com The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture
