Bhima Ratha
Bhima 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), and is one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since
1984.
Resembling a chariot (ratha), it is carved out of a single, long
stone of granite. Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as a temple, the structure was not consecrated because it was not completed following
the death of Narasimhavarman I. The structure is named after one of the Pancha Pandavas, of epic Mahabharata fame, though the nomenclature is not supported by history. It
is dedicated to Vishnu.
Geography
The monument is located at Mahabalipuram (previously known as
Mammallapuram) on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal of Indian Ocean in Kancheepuram district. It is approximately 35 miles
(56 km) south of Chennai (previously known as Madras), the capital
city, while Chengalpattu is about 20 miles (32 km) distant.
History
The feature of this ratha and the other four cannot be definitely
dated to any other similar constructions in the past in any ancient Indian
architecture. However, the five Rathas have been forerunners or templates for
the development of Indian temple architecture. Like the other four Pancha
Rathas, this stone edifice is a replica of a wooden version which preceded
it. Though it is considered to be a monolith temple, "temple" is
a misnomer given that the five Rathas were never completed, as evidenced
by un-carved bedrock at the ground floor and pinnacle. Hence, the Rathas were neither
consecrated nor worship offered. The incomplete status of all the five Rathas
is attributed to the death of the king Narasimhavarman I in 668 AD. Even
the epic name associated with the Pandavas is not supported by history.
All the Pancha Rathas are aligned in a north-south direction and
share a common plinth. They have no precedent in Indian architecture and have
proved to be "templates" for building larger temples in the South
Indian tradition of Dravidian temple architecture. Though cut out of
monolithic rocks, they are carved in the form of structural temples in regular
building form and hence termed as “quasi monolithic temple form”.
Layout
Similar to the Arjuna and Dharmaraja Rathas, the stone temple is a replica of an earlier wooden version which
preceded it. Bhima Ratha is an ektala or single tiered oblong
temple, with a barrel-vaulted roof and ornate columns. It is the third ratha
after Draupadi and Arjuna Rathas, carved over an extended long pink granite
rock out crop that gradually rises from the north to south. It is cut out over
a base plan of 42 by 24 feet (12.8 m × 7.3 m), and rising to a
height of 25 feet (7.6 m) over two floors. The ground floor has remained
incomplete. The unfinished features of the lower floor gives a picture of what
was planned to be built, namely a circumambulatory passage supported on pillars mounted with lion posts as the
base. The oblong scheme of the layout is conjectured as a plan that was
intended to house an Anantashayana Vishnu (reclining
image of god Vishnu).
The ratha is reminiscent of Buddhist cave architecture, such
as Sala-Shikara. Archaeologist, however, are of the opinion that the
stupa suggests a shikara (temple tower) style; there are twelve such styles
depicted in all the Rathas experimented by sculptors during the Pallava
period. It is also mentioned that it has palace architectural style
considering its barrel vaulting and long columned porch. The roof section
resembles a boat. The Bhima Ratha has a pillared open veranda, a column
with a Pallava seated lion, and "horseshoe-arch dormer like
projections" called kudus.
These decorations are carved on the external faces of the ratha,
above the cornices which also forms the dividing line between the ground floor
and the first floor of the structure. Oblong-shaped shrines are carved at the
cornices linked with a passage. The small shrines have a wagon-type roof
supported on lion mounted pillars. The ends of the gables have fine
decorative motifs, with a miniature model of a square at the centre. The
niches seen are carved with regular spacing and are supported on two
pilasters. Nasikas are
mentioned in inscriptions inside the temple.
