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| Ghatotkacha | |
|---|---|
 Karna and Ghatotkacha engaged in combat | |
| Devanagari | घटोत्कच |
| Affiliation | Half-Rakshasa |
| Abode | Kamyaka Forest |
| Weapon | Gada (mace) |
| Battles | Kurukshetra War |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse | Ahilawati |
| Children | Anjanaparva, Meghavarna, Barbarika |
Ghatotkacha (Sanskrit: घटोत्कच, IAST: Ghaṭotkaca; lit. 'Bald Pot') is a prominent character in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.[1] His name comes from the fact that his head was hairless (utkacha) and shaped like a ghatam, or a pot.[2] Ghatotkacha was the son of the Pandava Bhima and the demoness Hidimbi, and thus a half-human, half-demon hybrid.
He is the father of Anjanaparva, Barbarika and Meghavarna. As the head of one akshauhini army, he was an important fighter from the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra war and caused a great deal of destruction to the Kaurava army. Ghatotkacha killed many demons like Alambusha, Alayudha, and many gigantic Asuras. He was specifically called out as the warrior who forced Karna to use his Vasavi Shakti weapon, and courted a hero’s death in the great war.
- ^ Datta, Amaresh (1 January 2006). The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (Volume Two) (Devraj to Jyoti). ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.
- ^ "Ghatotkacha - Rakshasa Son of Bheema - Indian Mythology". Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2006.