VALLAM VASANTESVARAR CAVE TEMPLE

The Vasantesvaran cave temple carved from a granite hill near the village Vallam (about 3 km from Chengleput) is the uppermost of three plain caves there and the only one which was excavated in the time of Mahendra. One of its inscriptions in ancient Tamil says that the temple was made by a local chieftain, a certain Skandasena, son of Vasantapriyaraja who was a vassal of Mahendrapotaraja. A number of bimdas of King Mahendra were engraved into the face of the northern facade pillar.

At present the original front of the cave temple is bricked up and plastered and looks like a modern structure. One would certainly not expect an ancient rock temple behind it. The excavation itself is small and simple. Two pillars in the Mahendra style and two pilasters at either end, all with plain corbels form the facade in front of a cubical shrine chamber carved from the rock.

Of particular interest here are the sculptures—the dvarapalas in niches on either side of the shrine entrance and the figures of Ganesha and Jyeshtha on the outer facade. Both the dvarapalas, slim and elegant figures decked with heavy ornaments, lean on their clubs in a graceful tribhanga. Thick hair wells forth from under their crowns and large earrings touch their shoulders. A pair of horns protrudes from the crown of one of them, whereas the other has an axe blade in the centre of his headgear, both indicating the Saivaite affiliation of the shrine they guard. The sculpture of Ganesha is an immensely charming representation of the God who looks with scrutinizing eyes at the spectator, his upper pair of arms widely opened out and his slim trunk turned to the right.

An-other rare representation at a Pallava shrine is the eroded figure of Jyeshtha, a popular goddess in the South. Though basically inauspicious and in ancient texts even portrayed as an ogre, she is kind to those who worship her and destroys their enemies. Ganesha and Jyeshtha as godheads in separate niches are neither found during the time of Mahendra nor that of Narasimha Mamalla. It is therefore supposed that they were added to this excavation at a later time.