| Arjuna Ratha | |
|---|---|
 Arjuna Ratha | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Kancheepuram district |
| Deity | Shiva |
| Location | |
| Location | Mahabalipuram |
| State | Tamil Nadu, |
| Country | India |
 | |
| Geographic coordinates | 12°36′32.389″N80°11′22.801″E / 12.60899694°N 80.18966694°E /12.60899694; 80.18966694 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | c. 650[1]Common era[2] |
Arjuna Ratha is a monument from thePallava Period atMahabalipuram, on theCoromandel Coast of theBay of Bengal, inKancheepuram district ofTamil Nadu, India. Dated to the seventh century, it is an example of early Dravidian architecture and ofmonolithIndian rock-cut architecture dating from the late 7th century during reign of KingMahendravarman I and his sonNarasimhavarman I (630–680 AD) of thePallava Kingdom. One of thePancha Rathas,[3] it is believed to have been completed before theDharmaraja Ratha, and like that and theBhima Ratha, the stone temple is a replica of an earlier wooden version which preceded it.[3][4] It is one of theGroup of Monuments at Mahabalipuram designated as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 1984.[5]
The structure is located at Mahabalipuram (previously known as Mammallapuram) on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal in theIndian Ocean, in Kancheepuram district. It is approximately 35 miles (56 km) south ofChennai (previously known as Madras), the capital city,[6] whileChengalpattu is about 20 miles (32 km) distant.[7]
Like the other four Pancha Rathas, this stone edifice is a replica of a wooden version which preceded it.[4] The monument is incomplete.[8]
All of the Pancha Rathas are aligned in a north–south direction and share a common plinth which is north–south oriented and has a gentle slope. 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.[9] Though cut out of monolithic rocks, they are carved in the form of structural temples in regular building form and hence termed as "quasimonolithic temple form".
The ratha is a simple structure, resembling a small palace or pavilion. It is carved over an elongated stone rock formation, a protrusion above the sand near the coast (which has a gradually rising slope from the north end to the southern end) of a moulded plinth, with a square plan similar to the Dharmaraja Ratha. It faces west and measures 11.5 by 16 feet (3.5 m × 4.9 m) and is 20 feet (6.1 m) in height. It is on the sameupapitha (secondary platform) as theDraupadi Ratha next to it.[10]
This ratha is similar in form to the Dharmaraja Ratha except that it has one less tier at the top, and has an octagonal dome with a stone lion carved in the front yard. It is a monolithic rock-cut ratha with agarbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum), advitala (two-tiered)Vimana (flying aircraft) with amukhamandapa (inner porch). It has two levels and has one shrine. It is also square in plan. In many ways, it rhythmically mirrors the Dharmaraja ratha. For example, the decoration and structure of cornice,kudus and theharas are similar.[11] The shikhara of the Arjuna ratha, however, is octagonal.[12][13] The walls of the ratha are carved into panels with fourteen sculptures. Four of these are dvarapalas, one Vishnu, arishi (sage) with a student, a Kartikeya (Murugan) which could alternatively be Indra, one Shiva with Nandi, and the rest are human beings shown in different stages of their life including couples.[11] The Arjuna ratha has a lion and Nandi bull on each side between it and the Draupadi ratha that follows next, but their orientation suggests that this ratha was not meant for Shiva.[13] According to Susan Huntington, it is unclear for whom this temple was meant and she states it could beAyyappa (Dharma-shasta).[13] The tower consists of a roundshikara. The monument looks odd on its side, partly because its original pillars were lost and have been replaced with modern era restorative pillars that do not fit with the texture or style of the original creation.[11] There is a standing elephant to the northwest of the Arjuna ratha.[14][13]
Surface ornamentation is a prominent feature in the ratha.[15]
Theadhisthana (platform of the main deity) is in simplePadabandha style.[16] It has slit-niches between finely carved pillars displaying deities such asVishnu,Skanda on an elephant andShiva as Siva-Vrishabhantika (riding aNandi (bull), and figures such asParthiharas, aSiddha, aChowri bearer,apsaras and others.[16] The central sculpture is a depiction of Shiva crossing his legs and leaning on Nandi.[17] One of the sculptures in the south wall is known as the "Ardhanareeswara", representing masculinity through the twist in the brows and the holding hands and femininity in the subtle raise of Uma's hips.[18] On this wall the depiction of two ladies is also of note.[17]
It has a life-size Nandi sculpture facing west.[19] Dvarapalas or guards are not carved at the entry facade but are seen on the exterior faces of the ratha due to lack of space inside the shrine.[20]
| Rathas |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Cave temples | ||
| Rock relief | ||
| Structural temples | ||