GANGAWAROHANAYA CARVING

     Maha Mallavapuram had a great artistic tradition which was started by the Pallavas in the 7th century AD and was maintained for about two generations.In this tradition, many works of art have been created in various fields of art.Among these works of art, the river carving carves a special place.This is a carving of the celestial river descending to the earth.This tells the story of the birth of the sacred river Ganga.This carving is also known as the Curse of Arjuna.This is the largest carving found in India, using the basic shape of the rock to represent hundreds of gods, humans and animals.It is said that keep the Thavus Dham, the almighty Bhagyaratha, blessed the devotees with the power of his soul power to please Lord Shiva and bring down the river Akasha Ganga from heaven to earth.Devotees pay homage to the great river, begging it to be absorbed into the earth in the hope that it will not be a disaster for mankind due to the constant flow of water on the ground.Lord Shiva bears on his head the vibration of the river caused by the offerings and prayers made to this sacred river.Legend has it that the hair of Lord Shiva was hung on the ground and then beautifully created to create the Ganga River.