Dharmaraja Ratha

Dharmaraja Ratha
Dharmaraja Ratha
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictKancheepuram district
DeityShiva
Location
LocationMahabalipuram
StateTamil Nadu,
CountryIndia
Architecture
Completedc. 650[1] Common era[2]
Plan of Dharmaraja's Ratha

Dharmaraja Ratha is a monument in the Pancha Rathas complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is an example of monolith Indian rock-cut architecture. Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I (630–680 AD; also called Mamalla, or "great warrior") of the Pallava Kingdom. The entire complex is under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It is one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram that were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.[3]

Resembling a chariot (ratha), it is carved out of a single, long stone of pink granite.[3][4][5] Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as a temple, the structure was not consecrated because it was not completed[6] following the death of Narasimhavarman I.[4][5][7] The structure is named after the eldest of the Pancha Pandavas, of epic Mahabharata fame,[3][5][8] though this nomenclature is not supported by its iconography.[4] It is dedicated to Shiva.[9]

  1. ^ The Culture of India. The Rosen Publishing Group. 2010. p. 315. ISBN 9780852297629.
  2. ^ Indu Ramchandani (2000). Student Britannica India 7 Vols. Popular Prakashan. p. 5. ISBN 9780852297629.
  3. ^ a b c "Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 March 2007.
  4. ^ a b c "File:Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram.jpg". Archarological Survey of India, Chennai Circle. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "Pancha Rathas, Mamallapuram". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  6. ^ Marilyn Stokstad (2008). Art history. Pearson Education. p. 333. ISBN 9780131577046.
  7. ^ "Mahabalipuram". UCLA Education, South Asia. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  8. ^ "The Rathas, monolithic [Mamallapuram]". Online Gallery of Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  9. ^ Margaret Prosser Allen (1991). Ornament in Indian Arch. p. 139.