History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c12.59

c12.59

The Monuments of Rajasimha.—The most important among the temples now existing, built by Rājasimha is that at Kāñchīpuram known as the Kailāsanātha temple. One of the inscriptions in this temple records the construction of this temple by Rājasimha. There is a story in the *Periyapurāṇam* account of Pūsalār Nāyanār¹ which mentions that a Kādava king built a temple to Śiva and heard a celestial voice directing the postponement of the consecration by a day as on the day appointed he had to be present at the temple of the devotee Pūsalār for a similar function. This presumably has a reference to that erected by Rājasimha as it is mentioned that Rājasimha heard a celestial voice in one of the inscriptions the Kailāsanātha temple in itself.² The construction of this temple is also referred to in the Vēlūrpālayam plates in the following terms:—Verse 13 ‘His (Paramēśvaravarman’s) son’s son was Narasimhavarman II who equal to Mahēndra once again organized the *ghaṭika* of the twice-born and built of stone a house for the moon-crested Śiva which was comparable to the Mountain Kailāsa. Among the other temples built during this period we may mention the Śiva temple at Panamalai, the Shore-temple at Seven Pagodas and the Airāvatēśvara temple at Kāñchīpuram. It has been doubted in some quarters whether or not the Shore-temple at Mahābalipuram is a Pallava structure. Recently about six Sanskrit verses in Pallava script have been discovered round the plinths of the two *balipīṭhas* here. The record is not complete but contains an eulogy of a Pallava king whose surnames were Atyantakāma, Aparājita, Śivachūḍāmaṇi,