PANCHA RATHAS (FIVE RATHAS)
Monuments of 5 stone chariots bearing the names of the 5 Pandavas, carved in the century and buried in the sand near the shore
These five stone "chariots" bear the names of the five Pandavas, the heroes of the great Hindu epic Mahabharata: Yudhishthira (or Dharmaraja), Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. These monuments would have been sculpted in the 7th century during the reign of Narasimhavarman II. Buried in the sand near the shore, the rathas
were cleared by the British two centuries ago. True architectural marvels, they are the witnesses of the rich Dravidian cultural heritage. The complex is under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India and is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site as a group of monuments in Mahabalipuram since 1984. The Pancha Rathas are among the nine monolithic structures carved out of the pink granite rock of Mamallapuram (along with the Tiger Cave Temple, the Ganesha Ratha, the Makundarayanar temple, located at the entrance to the city, and Krishna's Butter Ball).The smallest and simplest is the Draupadi Ratha, where you can admire a sculpture of the goddess Durga, in a lotus. The largest is the Dharmaraja Ratha, composed of several floors, which is dedicated to Surya, the sun god, and to Indra. One can also admire a beautiful sculpture of elephant, the mount of the god Indra.
These small holy places have been relatively well preserved from the ravages of time and salt winds, and have withstood natural calamities such as the 2004 tsunami. The Pancha Rathas are a site of infinite beauty.
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