The document summarizes the history of the Pallava dynasty and their architecture in South India between 275-897 CE. It discusses the Pallava dynasty's rise after the downfall of the Satavahanas. It then covers the Pallava's use of Tamil and Sanskrit languages, their Hindu religion, and their development of unique architectural styles from the Mahendra to Aparajita periods. Key constructions included the Mandagapattu rock-cut temple, Kailasanatha Temple, Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Vaikunta Perumal Temple.

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presentation begins
HISTORY OF
PALLAVA AND
ITS
ARCHITECTURE

2. HI THIS IS G.M.G THEJAASWINI
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3. INTRODUCTION
01
PALLAVA
DYNASTY
02
ARCHITECTURE
03
CONCLUSION
04

4. The Pallava dynasty was a
Tamil dynasty that existed from
275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a
significant portion of southern
India also known as
Tondaimandalam. They gained
prominence after the downfall
of the Satavahana dynasty, with
whom they had formerly served
as feudatories.
INTRODUCTION
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5. PALLAVA
DYNASTY

6. FEATURES OF THE TOPIC
ARCHITECTURE
Languages
used
Pallava
society
Religion
01
02
03
04

7. • Tamil was main language used by the Pallavas in
their inscriptions, though a few records continued
to be in Sanskrit.
• Many Pallava royal inscriptions were in Sanskrit or
Prakrit, considered the official languages.
• The Pallavas in their Tamil country used Tamil and
Sanskrit in their inscriptions.
LANGUAGES USED :

8. • Under the Pallava dynasty, a unique form
of Grantha script, a descendant of Pallava script
which is a type of Brahmic script, was used.
• Around the 6th century, it was exported eastwards
and influenced the genesis of almost all Southeast
Asian scripts.
Writing system

9. • Pallavas were followers of Hinduism and made
gifts of
land to gods and Brahmins.
• The Chinese monk Xuanzang who
visited Kanchipuram during the reign of
Narasimhavarman I reported that there were 100
Buddhist monasteries, and 80 temples in
Kanchipuram.
Religion

10. • The Pallava period beginning with Simhavishnu (575 CE – 900 CE) was a
transitional stage in southern Indian society with monument building,
foundation of devotional (bhakti) sects of Alvars and Nayanars, the
flowering of rural Brahmanical institutions of Sanskrit learning, and the
establishment of chakravartin model of kingship over a territory of diverse
people; which ended the pre-Pallavan era of territorially segmented people,
each with their culture, under a tribal chieftain.
• As per Burton, south India was aware of the Indo-Aryan varna organised
society in which decisive secular authority was vested in the kshatriyas;
but apart from the Pallava, Chola and Vijayanagar line of warriors which
claimed chakravartin status, only few locality warrior families achieved the
prestigious kin-linked organisation of northern warrior groups.
Pallava society

11. PALLAVA
ARCHITECTURE

12. The beautiful and grand Pallava style of
architecture can be divided into four phases or
styles:
1. Mahendra style (600-625 AD)
2. Mammala style (625-674 AD)
3. Rajasimha and Nadivarman style (674-800
AD)
4. Aparajita style (early 9th century)

13. •The Pallava era witnesses a transition from rock-cut to
free-standing temples.
•Mahendravarman was a pioneer in rock-cut
architecture. Mandagapattu rock-cut temple was the first
rock-cut temple built by him.
•Narasimhaverman II also known as Rajasimha built
the Kanchi Kailasanatha Temple during the late 7th
century AD.

14. •The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram was also built by
Narasimhaverman II. It is the oldest structural temple in South
India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. It is also
called the Seven Pagodas.
•The best example of the Nandivarman group of monuments is
the Vaikunta Perumal Temple at Kanchipuram.
•The Dravidian style of architecture begins with the Pallava
reign.

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