Mahendravarman I

Mahendravarman I ruled as a king of the Pallava dynasty from 590 to 630. He governed lands in parts of what are now the states of Andhra and Tamil Nadu in India. He was a learned man, interested in art, music, and building.

His father, Simhavishnu, had strengthened the Pallava kingdom before him. During Mahendravarman's time, there were battles with another ruler named Pulakeshin II from the Chalukya dynasty. Mahendravarman worked hard to protect his capital, but some northern areas were lost.

Mahendravarman was also a creative person. He wrote a funny play called Mattavilasa Prahasana in Sanskrit. Tamil literature grew during his rule, with poets like Appar and Sambandhar becoming well-known for their writings called Tevaram. After Mahendravarman’s rule ended in 630, his son Narasimhavarman I took over.

Patronage of arts and architecture

Construction began when Mahendravarman I was ruler. He loved art, buildings, and learning. He built a lighthouse at Mamallapuram Lighthouse and a university called Kanchi University. People studied Vedas, Buddhism, Jainism, painting, music, and dance there. He was the first of the Pallavas to build temples by carving them out of rock. One famous temple inscription at the rock-cut Mandagapattu Tirumurti Temple says he was called Vichitrachitta. The temple was made without using wood, bricks, mortar, or metal. During his time, many beautiful temples were built, including the five-celled cave temple at Pallavaram and the Kokarneswarar Temple, Thirukokarnam in Tamil Nadu.

You can see great examples of his rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram, including two twin temples, and at Seeyamangalam with the Avanibhajana Pallaveswaram Siva temple. He also built a few temples for Vishnu, like the Mahendravishnugrha at Mahendravadi and the Ranganatha Temple at Singavaram in what is now Gingee. He wrote a funny play called Mattavilasa Prahasana about Buddhist and Saiva holy people. Some believe he also wrote another play called Bhagavadajjuka, based on inscriptions found at Mamandur cave shrines near Kanchipuram.

Religion

Mahendravarman first supported Jainism but later turned to the Shaiva tradition. This change happened because of a Shaiva teacher named Appar. One story says that a statue in Kanchipuram was taken away when its follower Tirumalisai Alvar was treated unfairly by the king. The Pallava rulers originally followed and helped Jainism.

In literature and popular culture

Further information: List of Sanskrit plays in English translation

Mahendravarman I is a popular character in Tamil historical fiction. The novel Sivagamiyin Sapatham by Kalki Krishnamurthy tells about his brave actions during a war and his life.

He was also known for his clever building ideas. He wanted to use stronger materials for temples instead of wood, brick, metal, or mortar. He built an important irrigation tank called Mahendratankta and started many monuments in Mahabalipuram. Today, these monuments are part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site.