The Pandyan empire is believed to have first emerged circa 600 BC and was one of the leading Tamil dynasties of Southern India.[1] There were various forms of art and many architectural communities within the empire, and their work was sold to overseas markets.[2] Rock cutting and structural temples are examples of these, playing a significant role in Pandyan culture.[3] The rock carvings typically depicted religious figures, floral motifs and animals and were made to surround temples and shrines.[4]
The vimana, gopuram and mandapa are some of the predominant features of the early Pandyan temples.[5] Groups of small temples are seen at the Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu.[1] In the later stages of Pandyan rule, finely sculptured idols, gopurams and vimanas were developed. Gopurams are the rectangular entrance and portals of the temples.[6][7]
| Years active | 3rd century BCE - 14th century CE |
|---|---|
| Location | India |
| Influences | Deities of Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. |
Other integral art forms of these Pandyan communities were the paintings, poetry, music and punch-marked coins, each with symbols and transcriptions holding meaning to society.[8][9][10]
- ^ a b Rajan, K. V. Soundara (1998). Rock-cut Temple Styles: Early Pandyan Art and the Ellora Shrines. Somaiya Publications. ISBN 978-81-7039-218-7. OCLC 40418585.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:5was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Rajadhyaksha, P. L. Kessler and Abhijit. "Kingdoms of South Asia – Indian Pandyas". www.historyfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ Thangapandian, K. (2014). "The Artisan Community and Crafts Production During the Later Pandyas". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 75: 239–245. JSTOR 44158385.
- ^ Desai, Pandurang Bhimarao; Ritti, Shrinivas; Gopal, Balakrishnan Raja (1971). Studies in Indian History and Culture. OCLC 1129471497.[page needed]
- ^ Allen, Margaret Prosser (1991). Ornament in Indian architecture. Newark: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-399-8. OCLC 22709659.[page needed]
- ^ Mansingh, Surjit (2006). Historical dictionary of India (2nd ed.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6502-0. OCLC 265011255.[page needed]
- ^ Rapson, E. J. (1898). "Xii. Coinage of S.india". Indian coins. pp. 35–38. doi:10.1515/9783111405957-012. ISBN 978-3-11-140595-7.
- ^ Arnold, Alison (25 September 2017). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia: The Indian Subcontinent. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-54438-2.
- ^ Iyengar, K. R. Srinivasa (1979). "Review of Six Long Poems from Sangam Tamil". Indian Literature. 22 (3): 158–164. JSTOR 23329996.