By Swami Harshananda
The Pallavas were a dynasty of kings who ruled over the northern parts of the present Tamil Nadu. Their origin is not known. Though some scholars hazard a guess that the Pahlavas of Persia of an ancient race of 2nd century A. D. and the Pallavas are the same, there are no enough evidences for the same. Their best period was from the 6th to the 9th century A. D.
Mahendravarma[1] and Nṛsimhavarma I[2][3] were the best among them. They were great builders. The remnants of their architecture are the Rathas of Mahābalipuram[4] and also the shore temple and the Kailāśanātha temple of Kāñcīpuram.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore