Ganesha Ratha, Mamallapuram
Ganesh Ratha Temple is a beautiful temple in Mahabalipuram
constructed by the Pallavas. This structure is built in Dravidian style and is
located towards the north of Arjuna Penance. It has been beautifully carved out
from a rock that resembles a chariot.
Earlier, this temple was lord Shiva's shrine but now it is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. There used to be lingam in this temple, which has now been replaced by the idol of Ganesha. Among all the other ratha temples, it is the only completed structure.
Earlier, this temple was lord Shiva's shrine but now it is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. There used to be lingam in this temple, which has now been replaced by the idol of Ganesha. Among all the other ratha temples, it is the only completed structure.
Ganesha Ratha is a temple in Kancheepuram district, Tamil
Nadu, India. It is one of ten rathas ("chariots") carved
out of pink granite within the group of monuments of the Pallava Period at Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO-inscribed World Heritage Site since
1984.
The ratha is an example of monolith Indian rock-cut architecture dating from the late seventh century during the reign of
King Mahendravarman I and
his son Narasimhavarman I.
Initially constructed with a Shiva Linga, it is now deified with a Ganesha deity after the linga was removed.
Geography
The temple is located in Mamallapuram, now known as Mahabalipuram,
on the Coromandel Coast in
the Bay of Bengal of
the Indian Ocean, within the Kanchipuram
district. Within the UNESCO-inscribed area, there are scores of other
monuments. It is located on a hillock to the northwest and on the backside of
the rock-cut bas-relief of Arjuna's Penance. Situated 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) from the Varaha Cave Temple, the
Ganesha Ratha is west facing.
History
The Ganesha Ratha is a fully completed rock-cut structure, while
nearby rathas are incomplete. The current stone ratha is a replica of a wooden
version which preceded it. Its construction is credited to Narasimhavarman
I who reigned 630-688AD. While it is conjectured that this ratha was built
prior to the other rathas of the area, there is no historical evidence to
confirm it.
The temple was originally dedicated to Lord Shiva but in the
1880s, villagers replaced the Shiva Linga with an image of Ganesha, after
formally seeking permission from the District Collector, and may have been
attributed to George V of England. The
original Shiva Linga is installed under a tree nearby. Along with several
other monuments, this temple gained UNESCO World Heritage Site distinction in
1984 as "Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram".
Architecture
It is built to a rectangular plan which measures 20 by 11.5 feet
(6.1 m × 3.5 m), and is 28 feet (8.5 m) in height on the
exterior. The interior rectangular chamber measures 7 by 4 feet (2.1 m
× 1.2 m), and is 7 feet (2.1 m) in height. The ratha is three
tiered and studded with images and other architectural features which are found
in other South Indian temples. The facade
is a columned verandah flanked by sculptures of Dwarapalakas (guardians). The
columns are mounted on seated lions which are the typecast design of Pallava
architecture.
There are also two pilasters, which are also lion mounted, and
they face each other. It is a rock cut structure. The cornices above the
pillars have Kudu (Horse-shoe shaped dormer windows) depictions along
its entire length and these kudus are also depicted at the gable ends
of the roof. Below the gabled roofs, on both long ends windows are carved in
horseshoe shape with three doors, the central door has a sculpture of a human
head with a trident akin to Shiva. At the other end of the gable, this
sculpture is missing.
In the back wall between the pilasters, images are not carved. The
roof covering above the top floor is large, vaulted, and wagon-shaped, with
arches at the corners. The top of the vaulted roof is fitted with a series of
nine vase-shaped finials each consisting of a pot and trident.
Features
There are 18 inscriptions in Grantha and Nāgarī scripts of
the Sanskrit language inscribed
on its west portico. Out of the fourteen verses in these inscriptions, the
twelfth verse is ascribed to Narasimhavarman I's grandson, Parameshvaravarman I,
surnamed Atyantakama, who as the Pallava king was known as Atyantakama,
Atyantakama-Pallavesvaram-Griham. Other verses are in praise of Shiva.