MAHISHASURAMARDINI CAVE
12.626400,80.172200
Description
A picturesque, monolithic man-made »cave temple« (rock-cut chamber used for religious purposes), excavated in the Pallava period (7th to 8th century CE) from a single, isolated boulder, is dedicated the goddess Durga (note 1) and situated at Mamallapuram just a few metres south-west of the lighthouse. Compare –>Olakkanneshwara / Olakkannesvara Mandapam / Temple. ETYMOLOGY: The Hindu goddess Durga (inaccessible) is an aspect of Kali. Having killed the "asura" (demon) Mahisha, the buffalo-headed, she earned the epithet Mahishamardini, synonymous with Mahishasuramardini. DESCRIPTION 1997:: »Mahabalipuram … Höhlentempel: Die beiden bedeutendsten sind der Krishna Mandapam … sowie die Mahisha-suramardhini- Höhle südwestlich des Leuchturms mit ihren drei Schreinen [note 3]: In dem einen zerstört die Göttin Durga (Kali) den Dämonen Mahishasura (mit dem Büffelkopf), und ein zweites Relief zeigt Vishnu auf den Schlangenbett im kosmischen Schlaf (Ananthasayanam). Auf dem Hügel rings um den Leuchturm befinden sich acht weitere in den Fels gehauene Tempel …« (RAUSCH & LUKOWSKI (1997: 264). DESCRIPTION 1999: »The Mahishasuramardini Cave shows the goddess Durga killing a demon and Lord Vishnu in his cosmic slumber …«(INDIA'S WORLD HERITAGE … 1999: 9). DESCRIPTION 2005: »Mahishamardini Mandapam … [is] just a few metres south-west of the lighthouse. Scenes from the Puranas (Sanskrit stories dating from the 5th century AD) are depicted on the mandapam with a sculpture of the goddess Durga considered one of the finest« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 954). DESCRIPTION 2004: »Mahishamardini Cave Temple has three shrines, but it is the verandah panels that are of importance as fine examples of Pallava artsmanship, these depict Lord Vishnu asleep on the coiled Seshanag, and the Goddess Durga seated on a lion before her attack on the buffalo-shaped demon« (indiaheritage.com/travel/south/tamil.htm accessed 2004.10.31). CULTURAL HISTORY: SI no. 47 on "asi_monu_alphalist_tamilnadu" is the »Mahishamardini rock-cut Mandapa« at the locality »Mamallapuram« (note 2), SI no. 279 on "asi_monu_alphalist_tamilnadu" are »Two unfinished excavations near the Light House« at the locality »Mamallapuram.«
NOTE 1: Durga, literally "inaccessible", is »a form of Shiva's wife, Devi, a beautiful, fierce women riding a tiger; a major goddess of the Shakti sect« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005 glossary: 1107); having killed the "asura" (demon) Mahisha, she earned the epithet Mahishamardini, synonymous with Mahishasuramardini. Durga is the terrible, frightening aspect of the mother goddess Kali (DEVI MAHATMYA, circa 550, chapter 11; KINSLEY 1986 edited 1987: 99, 107; SOMADEVA circa 1100; VAKPATIRAJA, ca. 700: Gaudavaho, Verses 285-337), the untamed and unmarried version of Devi, (The) Goddess, the supreme goddess manifested (VINDHYA MAHATMYA, s.a., circa 1810?; HUMES 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 edited 1998). NOTE 2: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chennai (ex Madras) circle (undated) "Alphabetical List of Monuments - Tamil Nadu" on asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_tamilnadu.asp (accessed 2008.05.31). NOTE 3: Personally, I am tempted to suspect it is not excatly the light-house itself, which is characterised by three shrines, but rather the cave temple.
Documents
Bibliography 08/06/2016- Guide to Mamallapuram a.i.; India's World Heritage Sites 1999; Lonely Planet, India 1997, 2001; Rausch, Barbara & Lukowski, Peter 1997.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | TRIMURTI RATHA, Mamallapuram | ||
| 0.0 | VARAHA CAVE, Mamallapuram | ||
| 0.0 | LIONS, Mamallapuram (2004.12.26) (Cave of the) | ||
| 0.0 | Olakkanneshwara Temple | ||
| 0.0 | KOTIKAL MANDAPAM | ||
| 0.0 | KRISHNA MANDAPAM | ||
| 0.0 | GANESH CAVE, Mamallapuram | ||
| 0.0 | GOPI's CAVE, Mamallapuram | ||
| 0.0 | KONERI PALLAM CAVE, Mamallapuram |