STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES OF INDIA
TAMIL NADU
Mahabalipuram - Pancha
Pandava Rathams
Draupadi ratham
Photos: Sumathi
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Sculptural Details on the interior walls, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Sculptural Details on the interior walls, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Sculptural Details on the interior walls, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Draupadi Ratham, Carving in a niche on the outer wall, Mahabalipuram
Arjuna
ratham
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Arjuna Ratham, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Arjuna Ratham, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Arjuna Ratham, Mahabalipuram
Pancha Pandava Rathams - Arjuna Ratham, Mahabalipuram
The five rathas
are mini shrines which are carved out of one rock constructed in the form
of chariots. The Dharmaraja, Bhima, Arjuna & Draupadi rathams have
been carved out of one single boulder.
Draupadi and Arjuna rathams
have a common platform.
The rathams
are modeled on different architectural styles:
the Buddhist
Viharas - Dharmaraja; Arjuna; & Nakula, Sahadeva's rathams
the Buddhist
Chaityas - Vessera style - Bhima's ratham with longitudinal structure,
barrel roof
modern Bengali
huts - Draupadi's ratham with a square cell, curvilinear roof.
The Dharmaraja
ratham has a three storeyed vimana.
In the Draupadi
ratham, the image of Draupadi is carved on the inside. On the rear
wall of the Arjuna ratham is the image of Indra. There is a huge
elephant and lion carved out near the rathams.
These rathams
are characterised by open verandahs in the ground storey, with typical
Pallava style pillars. The pillars have crouching lion bases.
These five rathams are in one spot. There are three more rathams Valayankuttai,
Pidari and Ganesha rathams.
The later southern
temples have been largely influenced by the Dharmaraja & Arjuna ratham
styles.
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