Narasimhavarman I

Narasimhavarman I
Vatapikondan
Mahamallan
Sculpture of Narasimhavarman I at Mamallapuram.
Pallava Monarch
Reignc. 630 – c. 668 CE
PredecessorMahendravarman I
SuccessorMahendravarman II
BornKanchipuram, Pallava Kingdom (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
Died668 CE
Kanchipuram, Pallava Kingdom (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
SpouseUnnamed Pandyan Princess
IssueMahendravarman II
DynastyPallava
FatherMahendravarman I
MotherUnknown
ReligionHinduism
Pallava Monarchs (200s–800s CE)
Virakurcha(??–??)
Vishnugopa I(??–??)
Vishnugopa II(??–??)
Simhavarman III(??–??)
Simhavishnu575–600
Mahendravarman I600–630
Narasimhavarman I630–668
Mahendravarman II668–670
Paramesvaravarman I670–695
Narasimhavarman II695–728
Paramesvaravarman II728–731
Nandivarman II731–795
Dantivarman795–846
Nandivarman III846–869
Nrpatungavarman869–880
Aparajitavarman880–897

Narasimhavarman I was a Pallava emperor who reigned from 630 CE to 668 CE.[1] He shared his father Mahendravarman I's love of art and completed the works started by Mahendravarman in Mamallapuram. During his reign, the famous Pancha Rathas, a monolithic rock-cut temple complex and a UNESCO World Heritage Site was constructed.

He avenged his father's defeat at the hands of the Chalukya monarch, Pulakeshin II in the year 642 CE. Narasimhavarman I was also known as Mamallan[2][3] (great wrestler), and Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) was named in his honour.

It was during his reign, in 640 CE, that the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Kanchipuram.[4]

Narasimhavarman I was a Hindu and a great devotee of Shiva. The great Nayanar saints like Appar, Siruthondar and Tirugnanasambandar lived during his reign.[citation needed]

Narasimhavarman I was succeeded by his son Mahendravarman II in the year 668 CE.

  1. ^ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 1885.
  2. ^ Rabe, Michael Dan (1987). The Monolithic Temples of the Pallava Dynasty: A Chronology. University of Minnesota.
  3. ^ Gangoly, Ordhendra Coomar (1957). The art of the Pallavas. G. Wittenborn.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference sen2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).