Mahabalipuram. Shore Temple, from north

Date

Authors

Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham

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Abstract

Description

Another equally famous pilgrimage site at Mahabalipuram is the so-called Shore Temple which illustrates a further development of the southern architectural style. Unlike the Pandava Raths, the Shore Temple was not carved from monolithic granite boulders, but was constructed of granite blocks brought to the site specifically for that purpose. The predominance of horizontality is still present in the temple, but additionally there has been considerable vertical development in the tower. We notice, especially, in comparing the proportions of the Shore Temple's roof with those of the Pandava Raths, that the horizontal bands stacked one atop the other in the roof are of shorter width than before, thus assisting the vertical rise of the tower by illusionistic as well as structural means. The capstone has been given an extra vertical element to suggest height as well. (See also IM-623) -- Late 7th Century A.D. Pallava style.

Citation

Source

Type

Archives Series

Basham Collection

Date created

circa 1970s

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This item is provided for research purposes. Contact the Australian National University Archives at butlin.archives@anu.edu.au for permission to use.

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Restricted until

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