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Monuments in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India; in 4K.
A subject that opens the door to the immense delight promoted by the sequence of images of these archaeological remains, digitized by an expert of the trade; a trophy hunter with the best of pulses, concentration and dexterity.
Warning: Very recommended viewing in full screen.
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-Video imported from ‘Amazing Places on Our Planet‘ YouTube channel. More information about this film and his author at the end of the subsequent analysis.-
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Unbeaten monarch Pallava
Legend tells that, along with the other twelve great monarchs of the Indian race at the time, Narasimhavarman I was never defeated on any battlefield. As king of the Pallava dynasty, he directed the destiny of much of the South of the Indian territory from 630 to 668 AD.
Heir to his father, Mahendravarman I, he cultivated a deep respect for art and beauty in itself; in this way, he was responsible for completing the building works of temples in the exotic lands of Mamallapuram, on the shores of the Indian Ocean, facing Sri Lanka; a port town also known as Mahabalipuram or Mamallapattana, located in the current state of Tamil Nadu.
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-Location of Mahabalipupram / Mamallapuram. Kanchipuram District (in red). Tamil Nadu State, India – Ancient ports and kingdoms of the Tamilakam region during the Sangam era – Tamil Nadu State, Southeast India.-
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In the era of Bodhidharma, Adi Shankara and Hiuen Tsang.
It is assumed that, during his tenure, the temples carved into the rock of Panch Pandav Rath Temple were erected among others; another one of those architectural feats that neither modern archeology nor the most avant-garde technology is even able to dare to explain or imagine. Also in contemporary periods it is estimated that the site was visited by the famous traveler Hiuen Tsang, from his native China, who in his day attested to the good coexistence between the different sectarian groups of the population run by the Pallava monarchs: Followers of the Jainism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
Xuánzàng became famous for his dense work of translating Indian Buddhist annals into Chinese. He is also responsible for the introduction into the Chinese Empire of the Yogācāra school (yoga practitioners), during the 7th century… -to which he gave the name of Faxiang– …which conforms one of the two main thought branches of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
In Japan it is known as Hossō.
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Xuanzang statue. Great Wild Goose Pagoda. Xi’an. China.
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A Bodhidharma and a Shankara in their Pallava version
In references of Graeme Lyall it is argued that Bodhidharma… -founder of the Zen Buddhist school in China of those days- …would have been a prince of the Pallava dynasty.
At the same time it is estimated that also the great philosopher and theologian, Adi Shankara… -forerunner of the Vedanta Advaita wisdom- …was contemporary of the last period of dominance of this distinguished Hindu lineage, before that emporium ended up being bent by one of its stubborn adversaries, the Cholas, around 895 AD.
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-Hiuen Tsang / Xuan Zang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century – Bodhidharma in Ukiyo-e key, engraved by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi in his compendium ‘One hundred aspects of the moon‘ – Adi Sankaracharya traced in a faint Kitsch aesthetic, typical of the Hindu painter Raja Ravi Varma.-
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Mythic in the genesis of the Pallavas lineage
The theses of the historians S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar and K. A. Nilakanta Sastri suggest that the Pallavas would have been one of the vassals of the famous Satavahanas, once they resided during the Iron Age in the Southeast segment of their empire; perhaps because, according to the writings in Puranás… -and some mentions in currencies found in those lands- …they were considered somewhat ‘alien to those Tamil kingdoms‘ and quite different from the lineages of Cheras, Pandyas and Cholas. According with this argument, the possibility was inferred that, after the decline of the influence of Satavahana, the Pallavas would have managed to become independent, until reaching the lands of Kanchi, a place branded as sacred in all ambits of understanding of history in India.
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Cheras, Chozhas, Pandyas, Pallavas
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Descendants of Aśvatthāma
Together with the other versions of the origin of this dynasty… -and according to the unusual architectural legacy that they left behind- … we bet at the same time on the hypothesis of the also historians R. Sathianathaier and D.C. Sircar (the latter equally epigraphist, folklorist and numismatic); these scholars were also endorsed by the indologist H. Kulke, and researchers D. Rothermund and B. Stein.
Sircar argued that the legends of the Pallavas lineages related connections with an ancestor of the same name (Pallava) descended from the legendary Aśvatthāma after their union with a nagini whose name was Menaka; for some, an entire naga princess from the lineage of serpent deities so often minted in the arcane Hindu texts; although in other versions it is alleged that such a great celestial creature came from the Apsarás ancestry; a sort of aquatic nereids of the vast Hindu pantheon.
In any case and in line with this proposal, the Pallava dynasty would carry naga blood in its entrails and arteries, which could lead to astonishing exegesis regarding their war tactics and its artistic and architectural techniques.
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-Ashwatthama wielding his Narayanastra armament – Narada and Vyasa appear to stop the use of the Brahmashirsha astra weapon by Arjuna and Ashwathama.-
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War weaponry disposed in volatile mansions
Throughout the history and geography of the world there are indications of archaic flying artifacts that are difficult to explain – a priori; very particularly in the Indian Continent, in which the description of war conflagrations with armaments and equipment totally improbable appears both in its literary myths and engraved in the rocks of its archaeological remains.
There are data on the interaction of the men and women of those times with sublime creatures that appeared in the transit of past civilizations alongside which the human race starred in an amalgam of unexplained events in the course of excellent epics; sumptuous chronicles that ended up immortalized, both in canons and/or palm leaves manuscripts, as in graphic, pictorial or stone pictograms.
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Sangama Age in India
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That myth of flying temples
The list of armaments given in the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata would occupy the narrative of hundreds of pages added to this article. The most famous of them, the so-called ‘Vimanas‘ respond in many cases to the descriptions of the shape and geometries of the magnificent temples that are found throughout Hindu territories.
Perhaps, hence it follows that many of those basilicas erected in India are also called ‘Vimanam’ or Vímanas, (this time accentuating the letter ‘i’).
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-‘Vímana temples’ of Brihadesvara, Thanjavur District, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu. – Vímana ‘Temple of the Shore’. Mahabalipuram. – Airavatesvara, Darasuram, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. –
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Legends about the interaction with “deities”
These palaeographic, artistic or archaeological remains describe the human interaction with these “divine” entities; Only a thorough scholar analysis -applied without prejudice- would allow an expert in our timeline to reproduce in detail what really happened at those eras in order to unravel a reliable past that gave form, destiny and substance to our current becoming; a necessary work in order to optimize the course and evolution of an amnesic humanity towards the most dignified future in the scope of this unusual hologram of consciousness.
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-Temple of Airavatesvara. Stone carriage, Mandapam. – Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjore. – Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjore. Inscriptions in Tamil language.-
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Beyond the mythological exegesis
Seen what has been seen so far script size … -a priori “fanciful” – … should be understood only in terms of mythological absurdities; However, the dilemma looms unbeatable when trying to explain in one way or another the origin and methodology applied in the construction of these brutal sanctuaries of Mahabalipuran, as in the cases of many other chilling temples and palaces located in the Indian territory.
Beyond their exegesis in the purely mythologicalm these temples are offered to the visitor as apparent hulks without obvious utilitarian sense; when it becomes impossible to understand how they were unusually dug in the soil or in the rock or excavated in colossal stony masses; so many times without joints, masonry, rubble works rests or isolated structures that had to be jointed together; compiled in, and from a single stone mass. And no leftover remains scattered around surrounding areas.
Because today nobody builds like that anymore.
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-Mahabalipuram. Pancha Ratha beach temple. – Jain statues, Gwalior. – Konarak. Jagamohan temple.-
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Art of carving gnosis on rocks
Any current building barely stands for a couple of centuries or even a few decades in the case of not striving enough in keeping them solid by means of a strict maintainment procedures.
Today’s human narrates his epic on paper while those characters seemed to have no problem in thoroughly carving their footprints at their will, by molding mountains and soil, rock and stone; digging temples in boulders of cyclopean magnitudes, coffering them after with reliefs and figures of unusual detail… even for the most expert Thracian, Visigoth, Gothic or Renaissance goldsmith.
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-Mahabalipuram Shore temple–
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Mysterious compendiums of tools and unthinkable techniques
Ancient constructions hide knowledges and sciences that we cannot understand applying the present rules. No one has to ignore the undoubted fact that this progeny of artists, rulers and warriors used a mysterious compendium of tools, gadgets and utensils capable of proceeding with unthinkable techniques; suspiciously magical or alchemical technologies; totally unknown to the naive science cast of our present times, and never referred in our current treaties, glossaries and encyclopedias.
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–Monuments at Mahabalipuram’ video highlights in still frames–
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The succession of monarch architects
When Narasimhavarman II came to power, he exchanged ambassadors with China and offered assistance to the rulers in their war against the Arabs to defend the Arya Dharma tradition. Although after his period, the Pallavas entered in a period of serious decline against the lethal assaults propitiated again by the Pandyas, Cholas and Chalukyas.
Popularly known as Rajasimha Pallava, his reign was marked by a certain peace statement; during that time it was when he ordered to build more beautiful temples in their regions.
In addition to the Kailasanatha Temple in Kanchipuram, Rajasimha also built other temples, including the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple in Kanchi and the magnificent Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram. He is also credited with the construction of the Airavatesvara in Kanchipuram and the Talagirisvara in Panamalai.
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Sculptures Kanchipuram Kailasanathar Temple
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End of the Pallava dynasty. Start of the Khmer empire.
Under the reign of Aparajitha, the Pallava dynasty came to an end; an outcome that culminated when Aditya I, -King Chola- broke the yoke of the lords of Pallava. Despite this, the Pallavas had been exalted by the adversary monarch, Rajendra Chola. Later, the Khmer empire … -which descended from the Pallavas- … became the vassal people of Rajendra Chola.
In any case, the ages of the dominance of the Pallava kingdom led to a boom in spirituality in India; especially as Buddhism declined and bhakti movements and Jainism emerged.
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-Jainist women – Jain Narayana temple. Pattadakal. Karnataka. – Jain Sculptures at Othakakai. Tamil Nadu.-
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Rathas temple complex
It should be emphasized that much of the monumental complex of Mahabalipuram was carved into the kernel of huge rocks with completely unknown procedures so far.
Highlights include those with the shape of carriages (rathas: Pancha Rathas, Dharmaraja Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, Draupadi Ratha, Ganesha Ratha).
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Layout plan of the Rathas in Mahabalipuram
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–Monuments at Mahabalipuram’ video highlights in still frames–
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Equally or more, the cave-sanctuaries amaze…
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–Monuments at Mahabalipuram’ video highlights in still frames–
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…and its magnificent and large outdoor reliefs, such as the impressive example of the so-called ‘Descent of the Ganges‘ (also known as ‘Penance of Arjuna‘)…
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–Monuments at Mahabalipuram’ video highlights in still frames–
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…or the Temple of the Shore (Shore temple) in which you can literally appreciate thousands of sculptures dedicated to extol the glory of Shiva.
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-Twilight over the Bank of Mahabalipuram temple; stunned by the transit of birds.-
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‘Amazing places on our planet’: The excellence captured with stealth.
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The sequence of captures achieved by Milosh Kitchovitch around the Mahabalipuram temple complex implies a majestic insight even to the eyes most accustomed to witnessing filming and documentaries focused on the area of archaeology, history and travel reports. Only the retinas of a shrewd magician of the lenses can come to summarize with such mastery the atmosphere of that magical enclave, and doing it with the level of detail that, in addition, are added by the landscape, its visitors, natives and protagonists, fauna and flora, sky and earth.
The result for those who view his films becomes an experience of astonishment that exceeds what was originally planned; a task in which he is aided by the magnificent resolution of color and sharpness offered by the CMOS Exmor R sensor chip (with backlit type 1.0) which digitizes life through the ZEISS Vario-Sonnar lenses; the capture device implemented by the new Sony FDR AX100 and AX700 cameras since more than a couple of years.
We understand that the ‘size-quality’ relationship that this Sony technology entails makes these cameras to be among Milosh’s favorites.
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-[ 2019 Rewind: Amazing places on our planet in 4K Ultra HD (2019 in Review – Best selection from all 42 videos released in 2019 – Music: Herrin – Cloud Forest; Inner Strength https://www.herrin.com.au ]-
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Monuments in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India; in 4K (UHD) -[ ‘Amazing Places on our Planet’ YouTube channel. ]-
Because the main objective of this article goes beyond showing the unique and spectacular architecture and sculptural art of the heritage of an ancestral India … -misunderstood as incomprehensible- … but at the same time … -or rather: In the first place- … we tried to make a special emphasis on the elegant, serene and balanced tone and pulse of this specialist; ‘aikidō master’ in the art of catching and immortalizing the beauty of the World … – without altering it in the least.
His editions of intelligently intertwined sequences and the calmed might of the slow displacements impel the viewer to feel located in the same whereabouts as the real protagonists of the scenarios, as if a kind of wormhole suddenly led us through to make appearance on the stages packed by Milosh.
In this way, being able to count on with the author’s express authorization to insert his recordings in this modest blog not only fills his administrators with satisfaction but also, they will feel especially honored for it.
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-Video imported from the spectacular YouTube channel ‘Amazing Places on Our Planet‘-Watch better in FULL SCREEN–
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[ The town of Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) is one of the major attractions around Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The monuments at Mahabalipuram were carved out of rock in 7th and 8th centuries, they are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Locations in the video: Mahishamardini Cave (0:05), Old and new light houses (0:22), Krishna’s Butterball (2:08), Descent of the Ganges (Bagiratha’s Penance) (2:41), Pancha Rathas (Five Rathas, Five Chariots) (3:50), Shore Temple (4:35), Mahabalipuram beach (5:00).
Recorded February 2016 in 4K (Ultra HD) with Sony AX100. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
Music: Hans Christian – Hidden Treasures – 08 – Incessant heat:
Licensed via
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About ‘Amazing Places on Our Planet’:
Immerse yourself in scenic beautiful places on our planet without the distraction of words. New 4K video every Friday or every second Friday.
Video footage can be licensed out by contacting me. …/… ]
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Mahabalipuram frame by frame
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–Monuments at Mahabalipuram’ video highlights in still frames–
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Immense stones of Mahabalipuram, in unusual balance. Video frame from ‘Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India in 4K (Ultra HD)’. Imported from ‘Amazing Places on Our Planet‘ YouTube channel. February 2016.
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About ‘Amazing places on our planet’
[ There are many reasons people are obsessed with travel. For me it is only one: witness the most amazing, scenic, beautiful, sacred, energy filling places on our planet. And share this experience with others. I do this mostly through my videos. Hopefully one day I will find enough time to share my experiences in a Blog, but for now – it is just ‘The Beauty of Our World Without Words’
Over the last 15 years I have visited hundreds of great locations. In my YouTube channel Amazing Places on Our Planet you will find 180+ videos in 4K Ultra HD quality, more than 260 videos if you include the older HD videos. These videos present the places in a natural way, in a similar way you would see them if visiting. Enjoy!
–Milosh-. ]
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Amazing places on our planet website
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Sony 4K FDR AX100
Sensor
CMOS Exmor R® backlit type 1.0 (13,2 x 8,8 mm)
Effective pixels (Video)
Aprox. 14,2 megapixels (16:9)4
Lens
ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar® T
Optical zoom
12x
Sharp Image Zoom
4K: 18x HD: 24×5
Screen
LCD™ Xtra Fine (921.000 points) panoramic (16:9) of 8,8 cm (type 3,5).
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Riberas de Mahabalipuram – Banks of Mahabalipuram
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-[ Article started on November 16, 2019 and published on March 8, 2020. ]-
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