Hinduism - Who Was Rajasimhavarman Of The Pallava Dynasty?

 

Rajasimhavarman (8th c.) was a Pallava dynasty ruler who, like his forefathers, was a great supporter of the arts.

During his reign, the last of the spectacular coastal temples erected on the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, was completed.

The god Shiva was the temple's main deity, but a secondary shrine also housed an image of the god Vishnu.

Despite the fact that these temples have been battered by time and the elements, they remain among the most popular tourist destinations in southern India.

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Hinduism - Who Is Narasimhavarman I?

 

Pallava dynasty emperor Narasimhavarman I (r. 630–668) was the ruler during its most vigorous phase, when it was a bastion of Tamil culture.

Narasimhavarman was the son of Mahendravarman, who was slain in a fight with the Chalukya monarch Pulakeshin II's army.

Narasimhavarman avenged his father's death by capturing the Chalukya empire and slaying Pulakeshin II in combat, but the two kingdoms were so well matched that neither could maintain control.

Narasimhavarman, like his father, was a strong supporter of the arts.

Construction on the magnificent statues at Mahabalipuram in the state of Tamil Nadu began during his reign.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Where Is Mahabalipuram In India?

 

Mahabalipuram is a Tamil Nadu village on the Bay of Bengal, some thirty miles south of Madras.

Despite its current popularity as a beach resort, Mahabalipuram was a prominent port during the Pallava empire (6th–9th centuries), second only to Kanchipuram as the capital.

Narasimhavarman I (630–668 C.E.) and Narasimhavarman II (700–728 C.E.) constructed numerous remarkable religious structures at Mahabalipuram.

A rock-cut sculpture representing the tale of the Ganges Descent, utilizing a natural vertical fissure to draw out the river's passage, is one of the monuments.

The "Rathas," a succession of free-standing temples cut from a single massive rock dedicated to the Pandavas, the protagonists in the epic Mahabharata, are another famous structure.

The temple along the sea, erected during Rajasimhavarman's reign, is the most recent attraction (early 8th C.).

The god Shiva is the main deity of the temple, although there is also a shrine dedicated to the god Vishnu.

Despite the fact that they have all been weathered by time and the elements, they remain among the most popular tourist destinations in southern India.

You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.