zirjana corbet seyward
Violet Schoneman
Huddled together at the southern end of Mamallapuram, the Five Rathas were, astonishingly, all carved from single large rocks. Each of these fine 7th-century temples was dedicated to a Hindu god and is now named after one or more of the Pandavas, the five hero-brothers of the epic Mahabharata, or their common wife, Draupadi. The rathas were hidden in the sand until excavated by the British 200 years ago.
Ratha is Sanskrit for 'chariot', and may refer to the temples' form or to their function as vehicles for the gods. It's thought that they didn't originally serve as places of worship, but as architectural models.
The first ratha on the left after you enter is the Draupadi Ratha, in the form of a stylised South Indian hut. It's dedicated to the demon-fighting goddess Durga, who looks out from inside, standing on a lotus, and is depicted on the outside walls. Female guardians flank the entrance; a huge sculpted lion, Durga's mount, stands outside.
Next, on the same plinth, is the 'chariot' of the most important Pandava, the Arjuna Ratha, dedicated to Shiva. Its pilasters, miniature roof shrines and small octagonal dome make it a precursor of many later South Indian temples. A huge Nandi sits behind. Shiva (leaning on Nandi, south side) and other gods are depicted on the temple's outer walls.
The barrel-roofed Bhima Ratha was never completed, as evidenced by the missing north-side colonnade; inside is a shrine to Vishnu. The Dharmaraja Ratha, tallest of the temples, is similar to the Arjuna Ratha but one storey higher, with lion pillars. The carvings on its outer walls mostly represent gods, including the androgynous Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati) on the east side. King Narasimhavarman I appears at the west end of the south side.
According to a plaque displayed at the site by the ASI, the Pallava dynasty had planned the structures as models of chariots in rock based on prototypes of ancient rathas built in wood.[9] The Pancha Rathas were carved during the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Work on these five rathas was discontinued following the death of Narasimha Varman in 668 AD.[5][10] The purpose of their construction is not known as the structures were not completed. Part of the collection within the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, they were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.[2]
The site is located at Mahabalipuram (previously known as Mammallapuram), on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in Kancheepuram district. It is approximately 35 miles (56 km) south of Chennai (previously known as Madras), the capital city,[7] while Chengalpattu is about 20 miles (32 km) distant.[11] The structures are part of the nine monolithic rock cut structures seen here.[12]
The Pancha rathas represent the diversity of Dravidian architecture of the time and it is likely that their original design traces back to wood constructions of temple chariots and were scale models or templates for much bigger temples built subsequently in Tamil Nadu.[6][14] Most of the rathas are stated to be modelled on the Buddhist Viharas and Chaityas.[10][13]
The structural design and elevation are with towers or domes with single (ekathala) to triple (trithala) towers, which present a unique exhibition of South Indian Dravidian architecture. The chiseling done by the stone sculptors are occasional along joints between the stones. The walls are arranged and sequentially partitioned. The projections and recesses in these walls give the appearance of a set of shallow pilasters. The niches created in the walls are of rectangular shape and have carved sculptures of gods, demi-gods and the kings. The skirting around the images are of wild aquatic animals with "foliated tails and open jaws."[15] The wall pilasters have curved brackets, and columns on the porch provide support to an overhanging eave; arch windows occasionally carved with images are located above them. The mouldings culminate in parapets. The carvings above the eave overhangs are decorated roof forms in miniature size, which are seen in rows all round each of the structure.[15]
The rathas have been preserved well on account of the sturdiness of their material, granite, and in spite of constant salty winds from the Bay of Bengal and catastrophic tsunamis in the 13th century AD and in 2004.[2][4][9]
The architectural elegance of the Dharmaraja Ratha is its pyramidal structure which rises in three steps. It is built with a square layout. Its composition has been accentuated with carvings of Hindu gods Harihara, Brahma, Skanda, Ardhanarishvara and King Narasimhavarman I. One of the distinctive carvings seen on the eastern face of the ratha is of Indra (a demi-god of rain and thunderstorms), seated on his mount Airavata (meaning: "a White Elephant"). There is also an independent monolithic stone sculpture of Nandi, adjoining this ratha in the open space. The next in order is the Arjuna Ratha, which is well decorated with an elegant faade and is akin to the Dharmaraja Ratha. Next in line is the Bhima Ratha built to a rectangular plan and with lion mounted columned (four columns) galleries on both long sides.
The Nakula Sahadeva Ratha is the next in line. It is built to a simple plan with no embellishing carvings in its apses. A stone monolithic sculpture of an elephant is fixed in the open space, next to this ratha. The Draupadi Ratha, which is the last in the line, is a square structure, which resembles a village hut with thatch roof. The fresco inside this shrine is of mother goddess Durga.[12][16]
Mahabalipuram, a quiet town in Tamil Nadu, holds an important place within the portals of Indian history. It is here that the mighty Pallavas once ruled and built their beautiful monuments, starting from around the 3rd century CE. The Pallavas were a seafaring clan, and are remembered for spreading their culture to many parts of South-East Asia, which includes their Pallava-Grantha script and sculptural style. The Pallavan monuments in Mahabalipuram were built mostly between 6 to the 8th century. CE and they show a remarkable amalgamation of natural elements, culture, and religion in their rock reliefs and sculptures.
Among the forty heritage sites in Mahabalipuram, the Pancha Rathas hold a rather unique position. Built under the patronage of Narasimhavarman I (630-668 CE), these rathas are a group of five monolithic free-standing temples that were cut out from solid granite and diorite rocks. The five temples are symbolically named after the Pandavas and Draupadi but do not have any connections with the Mahabharata.
The Pancha Rathas are unique as they are among the earliest monuments of their type in India. From the types of super-structures seen here, it seems quite likely that the artists carried out various experiments with different types of future temple roof designs here. So it is quite possible that when we look at the Pancha Rathas, we are actually looking at an early medieval laboratory field, where artists once experimented with the transition of rock-cut temples to structural ones.
Draupadi Ratha is the smallest and resembles a mud hut with a thatched Bengal roof. The doorway faces west and has two dwarapalikas on either side. The niches on the other three walls show standing Durgas, while a four-armed standing Durga is seen inside the sanctum.
Arjuna Ratha stands on the same plinth as the Draupadi Ratha and shows a square structure with stairs leading to a shallow pillared porch in front. It has a two-tiered roof and a hexagonal vimana. The sanctum is empty, while the four walls hold various sculptures that include a beautiful Shiva leaning casually on his Nandi, and a rather young looking Vishnu with his Garuda. Directly in front of this temple is a huge monolithic lion.
Bhima Ratha is the largest structure here and has a vaulted barrel-like roof. It stands on a rectangular platform and is elongated with no sculptures on its walls. From its elongated shape, it is believed that the temple could have once held an Anantasayi Vishnu.
Dharmaraja Ratha stands at the southern end and is the highest temple. It has a square base with a pyramidal top showing a number of diminishing storeys. There are eight sculptures on the corner blocks that hold Brahma, Harihara, Skanda, King Narsimhavarma I, three four-armed Shivas, and a beautiful Ardhanarisvara.
Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha shows a south entrance with a shallow pillared porch. There are no carvings on this temple. There is a huge monolithic elephant right beside it, which is suggestive of the elephant-back shape of this rather incomplete looking temple.
Travel tips: Mahabalipuram is best visited during the winters when the weather is relatively cooler. There are regular buses and taxis that ply from Chennai to Mahabalipuram, and it is a pleasant drive down the East Coast road. There are many hotels in Mahabalipuram suitable for all kinds of budgets, and it is advisable to keep 1-2 days to see this ancient town.
Air India, a Tata Group-owned airline, is resuming services to the US after 10 years. It will launch direct flights to Los Angeles and Dallas, targeting the Indian community. It also plans to start non-stop flights to Kuala Lumpur and London Gatwick, and eventually use A350s for North America routes. The airline currently has 120 weekly flights to the US and plans to add more routes.
The Pancha Rathas complex is arguably the most crowded place in Mahabalipuram. The Five Chariots or Panch Rathas are five monolithic temple structures were built by the Pallavas in early 7th century AD. These structures are a part of the Monuments of Mahabalipuram which I have covered in a separate article.
The buildings displaying exquisite carvings have been named individually after Draupadi and the five Pandava brothers though there is no historical basis for it whatsoever. What is even more strange that the Ganesh Ratha found on the Mahabalipuram hill was earlier known as the Arjuna Ratha and the one now called with that name used to be Nakula Ratha.
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