In mid-January, we moved on to Mammallapuram, another UNESCO world heritage site in India, located nearly 60 km south from Chennai (India’s fourth biggest city), right on the Bay of Bengal. It is noted for the remnants of the Pallava empire, dating to the mid-7th century, especially its sculptures chiseled directly from stone. The area occupied by traces of the old port city is breathtaking - like Hampi, a boulder-strewn site of small hills, palm trees and agreeable breezes, but right on the beach.
The sculpture is striking - only sensuous and determined hands could have created such art from stone. There are depictions of erotica on some walls, and on others, warriors, chariots and armed elephants. The cattle are represented as charming and nurturing. All of these shapes have been ground to a smooth, soft feel by wind and rain over the centuries. Archeologists suspect there was a school for sculpture here, and that what we see today is likely only a portion of the city. The 2004 Tsunami swept away sand deposits to reveal more remnants below the Bay’s surface, and in 2005 the Archeological Survey of India initiated further explorations.
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