Mahabalipuram Panchapandava Cave Temple, Kanchipuram

Address

Mahabalipuram Panchapandava Cave Temple, Kanchipuram

Mahabalipuram,

Kanchipuram district,

Tamil Nadu 603104

Moolavar

Shiva

Introduction

The Panchapandava Cave Temple, also known as the Pancha Pandava Temples and Mandapa of the Five Pandavas, is an impressive rock-cut cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is situated in Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, within the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, India.

Location: The Panchapandava Cave Temple is located in Mahabalipuram, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its Group of Monuments, which includes numerous temples, sculptures, and rock-cut caves.

Architectural Style: This cave temple is a significant example of Indian rock-cut architecture and is dated to the late 7th century. It is known for its remarkable design and craftsmanship.

Dedication: The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. Shiva is worshipped as the destroyer and transformer in the Hindu pantheon.

Unfinished Temple: It’s important to note that the Panchapandava Cave Temple is unfinished. Despite being incomplete, it is an impressive testimony to the architectural skills of its creators.

Cave Layout: The cave temple has the largest cavern among the Mahabalipuram Cave Temples, with a length of 50 feet (15 meters). The long opening suggests that it was intended to have a circumambulatory passage within the cave for devotees to go around the central shrine.

Architectural Elements: The temple features distinctive architectural elements, including columns with lion bases, a characteristic style of Pallava architecture. There are six lion-based pillars on the front facade of the cave, and two pilasters at both ends abutting the rock.

Caryatids and Carvings: Notably, the temple showcases the provision of brackets with lion caryatids over the pillars forming the facade. These caryatids consist of three lions each, with one facing the front and the other two facing to the sides, without a lion on the backside. The brackets above the pillars’ capitals are adorned with decorative elements, including griffins with human riders.

Chambers and Carvings: The cave comprises a long chamber with a second row of four pillars and two pilasters. To the back of this second veranda, there is a small octagonal chamber flanked by two niches. These niches suggest the intended purpose of carving this chamber to a square plan and creating a passage behind it for circumambulation.

Fresco Wall Panels: Inside the cave, you’ll find two fresco wall panels. One depicts Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhana hill to protect the cows and gopis from the rains and floods caused by the god Indra. The other fresco features Krishna and is known as Krishnaduddhadhari.

The Panchapandava Cave Temple, while unfinished, stands as a testament to the architectural achievements of the Pallava dynasty. It is a significant site for both devotees and those interested in ancient Indian rock-cut architecture.