Five Rathas

Five Rathas Review

The Five Rathas are also called the Pancha Pandava Rathas for the Five Pandava sons in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Rathas, probably the most famous example of Pallava architecture, are carved out of five pieces of granite, and may have been "samples" created by a sculpting school based in Mahabalipuram. Each temple is distinctive, with its own elevation, plan, and exquisite detail. From north to south, they are the Draupadi (named for the wife of the Pandavas), dedicated to Durga, a warrior goddess; the Arjuna (named for the charioteer of the Bhagavad Gita, part of the Mahabharata), dedicated to the thunder god Indra; the Bhima (named for a Pandava son), the largest temple; the Sahadeva (named for a Pandava prince), part of which represents a Buddhist chapel; and the Dharmaraja, dedicated to Shiva. Three animal sculptures—an elephant, a lion, and the bull Nandi (the vehicles of Indra, Durga, and Shiva)—complete the display. Because all the temples are unfinished, it may be that the animal carvings were meant to have been moved to the appropriate Ratha.