Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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. Outside each one is a carving of its god's animal mount.
Ratha
is Sanskrit for chariot, and may refer to the temples' form or to their function as
vehicles for the gods. The
rathas
were hidden in the sand until excavated by the British
200 years ago. It's thought they didn't originally serve as actual places of worship, but
were created as models for structures to be built elsewhere.
The first
ratha
on the left after you enter the gate 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. A huge sculpted lion, Durga's mount, stands guard
outside.
Next in line 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 temples in South India. A huge Nandi bull, vehicle of Shiva, stands behind.
Shiva (with Nandi) and other gods are depicted on the temple's outer walls.
The barrel-roofed
Bhima Ratha
was never completed, as is evidenced by the missing
colonnade on its north side. Inside is a shrine to Vishnu. The
Dharmaraja Ratha
, tallest of the
temples, is similar in form to the Arjuna Ratha but one storey higher. Large 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.
The
Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha
(named after two twin Pandavas) stands aside from the other
four and is dedicated to Indra. The life-size stone elephant beside it is one of the most per-
fectly sculpted elephants in India. Approaching from the gate to the north you see its back
end first, hence its nickname Gajaprishthakara (elephant's backside).
Arjuna's Penance
MAP
HINDU, MONUMENT
GOOGLE MAP
(West Raja St)
The crowning masterpiece of Mamallapuram's stonework, this giant relief
carving is one of the greatest works of ancient art in India. Inscribed on a huge boulder,
the Penance bursts with scenes of Hindu myth and everyday vignettes of South Indian life.
In the centre
nagas,
or snake-beings, descend a cleft once filled with water, meant to rep-
resent the Ganges. To the left Arjuna performs self-mortification (fasting and standing on
one leg), so that the four-armed Shiva will grant him his most powerful weapon, the god-
