In the heart of Pallavaram is a hill. Rocky in nature, it hardly seems like it is part of the bustling city. Small houses dot the narrow streets and not many knew of the place we went in search of — the Pancha Pandavar Malai. Google Maps did lead us to the location, which had a board that stated the building in front was the Asthana-E-Moula Ali Dargah, popularly known as Moula Ali Dargah.
People also climb up the hill to have a view of the city. Rajkumar, a resident, says the place is more popular for its Dargah. “People of all religions come here to pray. We do have visitors asking for the hill. People can climb up the road on the side to reach the top. Though I have not been there, my friends tell me that there are caves and even a rail line on the other side of the hill.”
Rock-cut monolithic cave
According to K. V. Raman, a retired professor of Ancient History and Archaeology, the hill had a rock-cut monolithic cave made in the time of Mahendravarman I (600-630 AD). In his book, The Early History of The Madras Region, he says it was considered by archaeologists to be one of the earliest of its kind attempted by a Pallava king in south India. The cave was said to have a pillared hall measuring 9.75 metres in length and 0.76 metre in breath and 2.74 metres in height. There were no doors or figures at the entrance. The architrave above the capitals of one pillar contained inscriptions of King Mahendravarman I, who is said to have done pioneering work in scooping out rocks to construct temples, without using brick, mortar, or timber. Historian Chithra Madhavan says several cave temples were made in the same period at Vallam, Tiruchi, Mandagapattu, and Mahendravadi. These were like the forefathers of regular temples and some of them had idols cut out on the rocks.
Suhail Hyder Khan, Muthawalli of the Dargah, says they have heard stories of a cave atop the hill. “There is a square structure at the back. Perhaps, they are referring to that. It is said that when the British wanted to capture the hill, a lion that was there went into the box-like structure and it was closed. You can see signs that look like bullet marks at that spot where the British fired. We got this land some 300-odd years ago and our forefathers were the Zamindars of Pallavaram.”
No grave of any saint
The Dargah is actually an Imambara belonging to the Shia Muslims. There is no grave of any saint here like other Dargahs. “It is a place where people gather for Majlis to mourn those who were martyred in the Battle of Karbala, including the grandson of Prophet Muhammad,” he adds. The Dargah and the hilltop are places worth visiting.
