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1. Pallava Rathas of
Mahabalipuram
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
Dept. of AIHC & Archaeology,
Banaras Hindu University

2. Pallava Architecture
■ Southern temple architectural Style: Dravid
■ Tamil-Area is known as Dravid region
■ Temples of this region is called “Dravid temples”
■ Different from northern (nagara style)
■ Unlike northern temples, Dravid temples are situated in Group.
■ Time-frame: c.600-900 CE

3. History of South India
■ Aandhra-Satavahana (Caves)
■ Pallavas
■ Pandya
■ Chola
■ Hoyasala
During their reign large quantity of Dravid temples
Each dynasty has their own sub-style of construction

5. Pallavas
■ Temple mostly situated in Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram area, also
in Tanjor and Puttukottai area.
■ Pallava Kings supported and initiated temple constructions
■ Important Kings like
1. Mahendravarman: c. 600-630 CE
2. Narsinghvarman/ Mamalla: c. 630-668 CE
3. Rajsimhavarman/ Narsinghvarman: c.770-730 CE
4. Nandivaraman: c. 730-796 CE
■ Ruled for 300 years.
■ These kings interested in architecture and each has own architectural
style

6. Pallava Architecture
■ Divided in two group
1. First Group: Only rock-cut caves
a) Mahendra Style: Mandap (Mahendravarman: c. 600-630
CE )
b) Narsimha Style: Mandap + Rath (Narsinghvarman/
Mamalla: c. 630-668 CE)
2. Second Group: Only structural temple
a) Rajsimha Style: Shore temples (Rajsimhavarman/
Narsinghvarman: c.770-730 CE)
b) Nandivarman Style: temples at Kanchi
(Nandivaraman: c. 730-796 CE)
Mandap
Rath
Temple

7. First Group: a) Mahendra Style
■ Mahendravarman I ruled for 600/610-630/640 CE
■ Initiated the Pallava (Dravid) style building architecture
■ Started: Rock-cut excavations (14 edifices)
■ Started the construction of Mandapa (Pillared Hall)
■ For the first time rock-excavation was introduced in Pallava period
■ This style was highly influence by primitive house structures
■ The plan of mandapa consisted, simple pillared hall with one or two cells at
rear
■ Inspirations of Buddhist rock cut structures
■ Each pillar is 7 feet high and width of base is 2 feet
■ Plain cubical pillars with heavy corbel-bracket (derived from wooden
prototype).
■ No Decoration

8. Early Mandapa of Mahendra Style

9. a) Mahendra Style
■ Mahendra Style mandap are found in Trichanapalli, Dalvanur, Pandagputtu,
Mahendrabadi, Ballabh, Malcheri, Lingvaram, Tirukklukkanaram, Bejwada,
Mogal-Rajpuram, Udaballi and Bairavkonda etc.
■ First Development: Mandapa of Pallavaram and Mogal-Rajpuram
a) Pallavaram: Cornice (Kapot)
b) Mogal-Rajpuram: Cornice + Kudu
■ Second Development: Udaballi and Bairavkonda
a) Udaballi: Double storied Mandapa (First stage of Shikhra)
b) Bairavkonda: total 8 mandapa of Mahendra, No decoration
Pillars decorated with lion (at base and top)
– At the last stage, pyramidical shikhra with 4 tiers and
– Pillars with Lion-figures on pillar shaft appears

10. First Group: b) Mamalla / Narsimha Style
■ Narsimhavarman I (Title) (630-668 CE )
■ Construction of Mandapa + Ratha
■ Situated at Mamallapuram Dharmraj Mandap
1. Kotikal Mandap
2. Mahisasur Mandap
3. Krishan Mandap
4. Panch-Pandav
5. Varah-Mandap
6. Ramanuj Mandap
7. Panchayat Shiv Mandap
9-10. Ardh-Mandap

11. b) Mamalla / Narsimha Style
■ Plan of Mandapa is similar to Mahendra style but showing further
development
■ Size of the Mandapa get enlarged (Meeting hall, Verandah)
■ Mahisasur Mandap: Pillars are 9 feet high, 1-2 feet at base, impressive from
front, inverted pot with lotus introduced first time, lions
■ Structural decoration:
a) Cornice and decoration (chaitya) at front of Mandapa
b) Decorative railing at the top of Mandapa wherein replica of mandapa design
is implemented
■ Sculptural Decoration:
a) Sculptural Decoration is introduced in inner and outer walls of Mandapa
b) Sculptress of Varaha mandap are highly beautiful
c) Surface between the pilasters was utilized for carvings sculptures

12. RATHAS OF MAHABALIPURAM

13. Rathas of Mamalla Style
■ Constructed during 630-678 CE by Narsimhvarman (P. Brown)
■ Second development in architecture
■ Architecture is similar to Rathas (Chariots) were the rock-cut
models of the structural temple
■ Similar to Mandapa; however Mandapas were carved and Rathas
are monolithic
■ Except Droupadi ratha seven are architecturally similar to
Buddhists Chaitya and Vihara.
■ Eight in number five called as Pandava ratha as cluster together,
while three lie scattered.

14. General View of the Rathas

15. Introduction
■ Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram,
■ Situated in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu about 60
kilometres southwest of Chennai on the Coromandel Coast.
■ The term 'Mahabalipuram' means city of 'great power’.
■ “Mahabalipuram” also known as "Seven Pagodas"
■ Mahabalipuram was important port and trade center since
Pallava kingdom.
■ Pallava king Narsimhvarman I, also called (Mahabali) named
the town
■ As the trade enhance and growing economic prosperity, group
of royal monuments, carved out of the rock.
■ Carved out of Granite rock, hard to excavate

16. Map of Tamil Nadu

17. Rathas
■ The Ratha (cave temples, commonly called the Pancha Pandava ratha (the five chariots of
the Pandavas) nothing to do with Pandavas.
■ Each rath is carved from a single piece of living rock.
■ Its shows transition between the earlier rock-carved cave temples and the later tradition of
freestanding stone structures.
■ Carved in the 7th century by the Pallava kings, the Ratha temples are an attempt to imitate
free-standing stone construction in the living rock.
■ The structural detailing of the Ratha temples carefully imitates wooden timber supports,
pilasters, beams, and brackets.
1. Droupadi
2. Arjuna
3. Bhim South Side
4. Dharmaraja
5. Nakul-Sahdeva
6. Ganesh Rath }. North Side
7. Pindari rath
8. Kuttai Rath
■ Life size elephant, bull and lion images

19. Dharmraj Ratha
■ Dharmaraja Ratha is the largest and grandest of all the
rathas in Mamallapuram.
■ It has three floors including the ground floor.
■ Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this elaborately sculptured
tritala vimana facing west
■ Square ground plan measures 8.5 m x 11 m.
■ The sanctum is not finished and left incomplete.
■ The pillars and pilasters have seated-lion bases.
■ Images of of Shiva, Krishna, Skanda, Brahma,
Harihara, and Ardhanarisvara.

20. Dharmra Rath

23. ■ On the prastara (beam) above
the pillars is cornice (kapota).
■ This has chaitya-arches (kudu
arches/horse shoe dormer
windows) with peeping human
faces.
■ Above the cornice is a regular
arrangement of mini shrines,
square (kuta) at the corners and
oblong (sala) in middle.
• The first floor is ornate with 22 carvings including Shiva as Natraja,
Gangadhara and Krishna dancing atop Kaliya Mardhana and resting on Garuda.
• The second floor also contains rich carvings with several figures like
Somaskanda and Dakshinamurthy.
• The shafts of the pillars are supported by seated lions.
• There are total of thirty-eight inscriptions spanned across the three stories of the
ratha; most of them are attributed to Narasimhavarman I.
• “Atyant Kam Parveshwar-gruham”
Dharmraj

24. Bhima Ratha
■ This ektala vimana facing west is an oblong structure with a base
measuring 12.8 m by 7.3 m and a height of 7.6 m.
■ It reminds the Buddhist cave architecture.
■ This structure has a barrel-vaulted terrace and decorated
columned porch.
■ The lower floor of the vimana, although incomplete indicates
pillar-rested circumambulatory passage.
■ It has open veranda with long pillars, lion mounted columned
galleries.
■ The niches seen are carved with regular spacing and are
supported on two pilasters.

25. Bhima Ratha

26. Bhim Rath

27. ■ Bhim rath is a replica of
an earlier wooden houses.
■ Single tiered oblong
temple
■ With a barrel-vaulted
roof (like a boat)
■ The ground floor has
remained incomplete.
■ The Bhima Ratha has a
pillared open veranda,
■ Pillars mounted with lions
■ It is dedicated to Vishnu.
■ Sheshshai Vishnu image
inside.
Bhima Ratha

28. Arjuna Ratha
■ This ratha is similar in form to the
Dharmaraja Ratha.
■ The structure of the Arjuna Ratha is
quiet simple.
■ The plan of Arjuna ratha is Square
1. Mukhmandapa
2. Garbhgruha
3. Two tired Shikra (Dwitala)
The shikhara of the Arjuna ratha is
octagonal
Dvi-tala or two tiered vimana has a
height of 6.1 m.
A lion and Nandi on each side between
Arjuna ratha and the Draupadi ratha.

29. Arjuna Ratha
■ The walls of the ratha are carved into panels with fourteen sculptures.
■ Shape of the dome being octagonal and front yard adorned with a finely
chiselled stone lion.
■ The garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum has a pillared Mukhamandapa or inner
porch.
■ The entrance of the ratha rests on two pillars and two lion mounted carved
pilasters.
■ The four sides of the cornices are decorated with kudus.
■ Niches consist Siva, Skanda on an elephant and Vishnu, goddess etc.
■ The 8 niches of the second storey consist of carved figures of couples.
■ A figure of Lord Shiva’s mount, Nandi the bull, is housed on the rear of the
ratha.

30. Arjuna Ratha

31. Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha
■ This ratha dedicated to Lord Indra was named after the
twins Nakula and Sahadeva, the last two of the
Pandava brothers
■ It is the only ratha among the five that faces south
■ To some extent resembles a Chaitya Hall.
■ As the structure looks like backside of an elephant, it is
referred as ‘Gajaprishtakara’ and the style as
‘gajapristha’.
■ A monolithic sculpture of an elephant also finds place
beside the ratha.
■ This ratha is devoid of any idol to worship, carved
figures of gods and demi-gods adorn the niches of its
interior walls.

32. Nakul-Sahdev Rath

33. Nakul-Sahdev Rath

34. Draupadi Ratha
■ Resembling a chariot (ratha).
■ Named after the common wife of the Pancha Pandavas,
■ Entry from West
■ This ratha which lies at the northern end of the five rathas is dedicated to
Goddess Durga.
■ Constructed in the form of a small hut.
■ Draupadi Ratha is the smallest of the five rathas, and measures 3.4 m by
3.4 m with a height of 5.5 m.
■ It is uncomplete structure share a same plinth (Upapitha) with Arjuna
■ The roof has curvilinear shape and ends as a square of 2.5 feet (0.76 m) at
the top.
■ The finial of top is missing.
■ This structure overall resemblance the hut with thatched roof, Kutagara, is
a Vimana shrine.

35. Draupadi Ratha

36. Draupadi Ratha
■ Two female dwarapalakas guard the
doorway.
■ In the sanctum sambhaga Durga on
the back wall standing on a lotus (4
hands)
■ The lion, vehicle of Durga, is a 6 feet
high stone sculpture carved from a
boulder located in the prakara of the
ratha.

37. Draupadi Ratha
• "makara torana" arch
decorations with two
bends above the entrance
door; these torana are
typical of
Mahendraverma's style
and are also seen in caves
and later got modified to a
single bend style during
Rajasimha's rule.
• The entry door is carved
over a high platform,
which is supported by
elephant and lion heads of
large size in regular
intervals.

38. General View of the Rathas

39. Ganesh Ratha

41. Varaha Cave temple

48. Conclusion
■ In Pallava period architecture showed grandeur and beauty.
■ The Pallava architecture shows the transition from the
primitive huts to rock cut temples.
■ The structural detailing of the ratha temples that imitates
wooden timber support, pilaster beams which are unnecessary
in stone.
■ The architecture of gopura begins with the Pallava dynasty as
the initiation is seen in shore temple of Mahabalipuram.
■ The rock cut temples of the Mamallapuram show the
influence of Buddhist rock cut caves.
■ These rock cut structures paved way for structural tempes
■ Influence on South Asian region (Java, Cambodia)

49. Thank You