Mini Yali Mandapa - Mamallapuram

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Mamallapuram is full of monuments. And, the monuments are full of mysteries. Yali Mandapa, called Tiger's Cave nowadays, is one such unsolved puzzle of the Pallava creators. Located in Saluvankuppam village at a distance of 5 km north of Mamallapuram, this monument has no parallel. The style is entirely different from all other cave shrines of Mallai. You can read more about this site from this link - Yali Mandapa.


If Yali Mandapa is an unsolved puzzle, what would we call this miniature version of Yali Mandapa? Unlike the bigger version, this tiny shrine is not well-known. This structure is located about 500 meters south of the Shore Temple along the beach sand. Three boulders were turned into masterpieces by Pallava sculptors in this location.





Yali Mandapa is sculpted in a thin boulder. A shrine with an unidentified figure is surrounded by five Vyala faces. There are a few other smaller images in the lower part of the rock which are disfigured.





The adjacent bigger boulder is shaped like a rampant lion. Its chest is chiseled into a small temple, which enshrines Durga. 





Relief images of a horse and an elephant are found on the backside of the boulder. Only the head and ears of the elephant are sculpted. It is carrying a howdah. The image inside the howdah could be Indra or Kartikeya. 





I identify the deity as Indra, the elephant as Airavata, and the horse as Uchchaihshravas. Thus, all three figures are related to Indra. 


A few other disfigured sculptures, such as a man holding a bow, are found in this boulder.

In front of Durga's shrine, a lion in a relaxed posture is seen. Lion is the mount of Durga. 





It is worth observing that horse, elephant, howdah, shrine surrounded by Vyala heads, and mini Durga shrine in the chest of the lion are all found in Saluvankuppam Yali Mandapa also. Thus, there is a high possibility that this group of smaller boulders was sculpted as a model before coming up with a massive monument.

Happy travelling.  




Not the exact location, but the nearest point is marked in the Google map below.


Location: Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu 603104, India

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