Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c23.26

c23.26

From the unfinished state of nearly all the rock architecture at Mamallapuram, much of it lacking that final effort which would have made these shrines really serviceable, it would seem as if some unexpected political cataclysm had intervened, causing the rock-cutter to throw down his mallet and chisel and hasten away, never to return History records no such upheaval, so that an explanation must be looked for elsewhere What these incomplete shrines reveal is that the patronage of Narasimha Mamalla having ended with his death in A D. 674, under his successor Rajasimha a new architectural movement began. For with the rule of this king, the rock method ceased, no further labour was put either into the excavated mandapas or the monolithic rathas, in a word as a form of expression it became obsolete [Figure: Fig. 1 Trichinopoly. Interior of Jambukeswar Temple; c. A D 1600]