MAHABALIPURAM, called by the people Mavelpuram or Mavalivaram, and by the British the Seven Pagodas. In the Sthala Purana, written in Sanskrit, the name is simply Mallapuri. But in the inscription near the Varashvami temple it is enlarged into Mahamallapuram, by prefixing the Sanskrit adjective Maha. It is a village on the coast, 35 miles south of Madras, in let. 12° 30' 55" N., and long. 13' 55" E. Legends describe it as the city of a great king, which was sub merged by the sea, and six temples are said to have been thus overwhelmed. According to the legend, Mahabali was a raja living in the treta yuga, who by penance and austerity had obtained possession of the whole universe, including heaven, earth, and bell, so that he was a universal monarch. He became so elated by his greatness, that he omitted to perform the customary religious cere monies to the gods. Vishnu, in order to check the influence of so bad an example, became incar nate in the person of a wretched-looking Brahman dwarf, and in this form appearing before Maha bali, asked as a boon as much of his wide posses sions as he could pace in three steps. This the king readily granted, upon which the dwarf grew larger, and continued to expand till he filled the whole universe, thus depriving the insolent monarch of all his possessions except hell, which he was allowed to keep. This legend probably represents the victory of Hindus of the Vaish nave sect over some powerful non-Aryan king.
It is a moot point whether to the Malla family of the Chalukyas, or to Bali of legendary great ness, belongs the antiquities of the place. These may be divided into three groups,—(1) the 5 raths to the south of the village, belonging probably to the latest Buddhist period ; (2) the cave temples, monolithic figures, carvings, and sculptures, west of the village, probably of the 6th or 7th century A.D. (these contain some marvellous relieves, ranking with those of Ellora and Elephants) ; (3) the more modern temples of Vishnu and Siva, the latter being washed by the sea. To these two
and five others, buried (according to tradition) by the sea, the place owes its English name.
The shore temple is so close to the sea that the surf in the calmest weather dashes against the doorway. This and the usual stone pillar in front of such temples lying in the sea, as well as fragments of images, large quantities of stom and broken bricks lying about, some partial!: buried in the sea, plainly show that at one time buildings existed to the eastward, but have bee overwhelmed by the sea. Besides tradition, it stated in the catalogue of the Mackenzie MSS that the whole coast from Mailapur, or St. Thomd clown to 3lahlunallapuram was overflowed by tin sea, and that many towns were destroyed. Tin monolith temples consist of chambers cut out o. tho solid rock, and with figures and inscriptions in an ancient character ; only one of them is nom on the land. A temple on the shore has a statue of Vishnu entwined by the cobra ; also lingam and other Saiva remains are observable near. Rocks partly covered at high water arc carved with the figures of tigers. Inland 40( yards are sculptured rocks running parallel with the sea. A small but elegant fano contains s statue of Ganesh. A temple of Vishnu has the giant figure assumed by that deity after throwing off the dwarf form ; in another compartment h a figure of Durga surrounded by adorers, and one of Vishnu as Varalia or the Boar Avatar, with his sakti Lakshmi. Near this is a small Saiva temple with bas-reliefs of Siva and his son Subra manya. Underneath a small monolithic pagoda is a colossal statue of Vishnu reclining amid the coils of an enormous five-hooded cobra. Oppo site this group, Durga mounted on a lion is soen rescuing a figure from Yein-raja, a buffalo-headed monster. There is also a rock 20 feet high and 70 to 80 feet long, facing the sea, literally covered with the sculptured figures in basso relievo of gods, men, and animals, many of them of great artistic beauty.—Chalmers, 1772-76 ; G'o/dingham, 1806 ; Bishop Heber, 1826.