Four distinct stages of architecture can be gleaned from the Pallava
temples. The first is the Mahendra style. The influence of the cave
style of architecture is to be seen in an ancient pillar engraved in the
Ekambaranatha (Kanchipuram) temple. The second is the Mamalla style.
The seven Pagodas are small temples, each of which is hewn out of a
single rock boulder. They lie near Mahabalipura Mahabalipuram, founded
by Narasimhavarman. These monolithic temples are complete with all the
details of an ordinary temples and stand as an undying testimony to the
superb quality of the Pallava art. The third is the Rajasimha style. The
most famous temple of this style is the kailasha style. The most famous
temple of this style is the Kailasha temple of kanchi. It has a
pyramidal tower, a flat-roofed mandapam and a series of cells surround
it resembling rathas. This style is a very elaborate one foreshadowing
the ornate Chola architecuture. The fourth is the Aparajita style. This
is more ornate resembling the Chola architecture. A few temples built in
the style are found at Dalavanur. The note worthy feature of some
shrines is that they are aborned by beautiful life-like images of
Pallava kings and their queens. All told they are unique in the history
of temple architecture.
Pallava sculpture owed more to the Buddhist tradition. On the whole it
is more monumental and linear in form, thus avoiding the typical
ornamentation of the Deccan sculpture. The free standing temples at
Aithole and Badami in the Deccan and the Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram
in the Tamil country, provided a better background for sculpture than
the rock-cut temples. And the Pallava sculpture was monumental and
linear in form resembling the Gupta sculpture. Although the basic form
was derived from the older tradition, the end result clearly reflected
its local genius.
Now for literature it has been recently proved that Bharavi and
Dandinlived in the Pallava court. Bharavi's Kiratarjuniyam and Dandin's
Dashakumaracharita were the two masterpieces. One of Dandin's poems was
written with such skill that when read normally it gives the story of
the Ramayana; and whe read in reverse, the study of Mahabharata. Dandin
was the author of a standard work on poetics. Till the eight century
Pallava influence was predominant in Cambodia. Saivism was the of ficial
form of worship. And the Pallava type of sikhara is to be found in the
temples of Java, Cambodia and Annam. This dissemination of Hindu culture
proves that it was dynamic till 1,000 A.D. in southern India.
Thus, the Pallavas rendered invaluable service to the country both
within and without as they were one of the torch bearers of Hindu
civilization to south-east Asia. Far more singular is their contribution
to architecture-transforming the architecture and suculpture from wood
to stone. Smith opines that this grat disparimmense length of the course
of Indian history, and the extreme slowness with which changes have
been effeated.
ADDITIONAL POINT
The temples of the Pallavas bear resemblance to the Buddhsit cave
shrines. The temples of Mahabalipuram reveal traces of barrel-vaults and
archways associated with Buddhist cave shrines.
