Pallava Architecture, Part I (MASI 17) c2.23

c2.23

Rājasimha built the central shrine of the Kailāsanātha temple at Conjeeveram, and his son Mahendravarman III seems to have completed the work. Paramēsvara-varman II, another son of Rājasimha, constructed the Vaikuntha Perumāl temple at Conjeeveram. The death of the latter is mentioned in an inscription engraved on the wall of the verandah running round the central shrine of this building (South Indian Inscriptions, Volume II, page 344). The events which took place after his death are depicted in bas-relief panels on the walls of the same verandah. A dispute about the succession to the throne after his death seems to have occurred and Nandivarman, a cousin of Paramēsvaravarman II, was chosen by the subjects as their king. It is clear that at this period internal dissensions had set in in the Pallava family. The Chālukyas of Bādāmi were not slow to take advantage of this unsettled state of the Pallava country and Vikramāditya II, grandson of Vinayāditya, having ‘resolved to uproot completely his natural enemy, the Pallava, who had robbed of their splendour the previous kings born from his race, reached with great speed Tonda-mandalam, attacked at the head of battle and put to flight the Pallava called Nandipōtavarman (Nandivarman), who had come to meet him.’ The city of Kāñchīpuram was captured by the enemy.