Mahabalipuram Stone Sculpture

A typical sculpture from Mamallapuram/Mahabalipuram is known to be carved in stone with intricate finely chiselled designs. Keeping with the spirit of the surrounding Pallava art and architecture, the popular stone sculptures made today in Mamallapuram are idols from mythologies or deities depicting divinity. The pose is naturalistic with stylistic presentation and there is not much distraction due to the anatomy of the structures. Mahabalipuram stone sculptures are done at Mahabalipuram/ Mamallapuram and surrounding areas of Mahabalipuram. The exquisite rock-sculpting techniques exhibited there dates back to the early 7th century. Now known as the ‘Rock-cut Architecture’ it was the Pallava king Mahendravarman, who is the originator of this art. It was with this groundbreaking technology of architecture that the art of sculpting in stone was introduced in the land of the Tamils. This is, to date, the most definitive trait of the Pallava school of art.