The Pallavas were a powerful tribe that ruled over an area called Thondaimandalam. When their capital Pallavapuri was washed away by the sea, they moved downwards to Kanchipuram. The Pallavas settled there and established a prosperous kingdom. This war-loving race became a powerful dynasty in the sixth century when Mahendravarman ascended the throne. He was a learned man, and he started work on the cave temples at Mahabalipuram. In fact, these famous shore temples and stone chariots are an important Pallava contribution to our architectural heritage. The Pallava kingdom was also called Tondainadu, for ‘Pallava’ is the Prakrit-Sanskrit word for Tondai or creeper. They ruled for five hundred years, and have left a permanent mark in the field of art and architecture.
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