Five Rathas
The five Rathas form a group of monolithic mock temples in the small town of Mamallapuram in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu . Along with other monuments in the once important port city of Mahabalipuram include the unusually original buildings since 1984 to UNESCO - World Heritage Site . Its exact function and its exact date are still in dispute today. The name ratha is derived from the Hindu wooden temple chariots of southern India, with which they have nothing to do with.
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location
The Rathas are close to each other about 1.5 km south of the center of Mamallapuram and only about 500 m west of the coastline of the Bay of Bengal at a height of about 3 m above sea level. d. M.
history
The Rathas were originally a collection of several larger granite blocks protruding from the sand , which were transformed into five dummy temples and three animal figures (elephant, lion, bull) with great manual effort in the Pallava period (7th century) . It is debatable when exactly this happened - some researchers advocate early dating along with other rock temples in the area (around 630/40); others, however, are for a later phase immediately before the construction of the coastal temple begins (around 680/90). Similarities in the inscriptions on Dharmaraja-Ratha with those on Kailasanatha Temple in Kanchipuram support the latter thesis. Soon after their completion, the Rathas, which were not intended for ritual purposes, were forgotten and only "rediscovered" by the British in the 19th century . Their names are borrowed from the legendary Pandava brothers and their common wife Draupadi .
architecture
According to the prevailing opinion, the Rathas, which are provided with blind entrance zones and therefore not or only partially accessible, are experimental buildings completed at the same time or in quick succession, on which, on a more or less reduced scale, design options for the construction of free-standing temples including their figurative decorations were tried out. While the ground floor zones of all five “buildings” are largely the same, the roof structures differ considerably from one another. All Rathas do not have a level entrance, but are raised in relation to the surrounding area by platforms ( jagatis ) or pedestal zones, which offers protection from moisture during the often heavy rains of the monsoon season and at the same time prevents free-range animals from entering and getting dirty; in addition, the elevation of the “buildings” is also meant symbolically.
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Draupadi-Ratha
The northernmost and smallest temple was named after Draupadi ; he stands - together with the adjoining Arjuna- Ratha to the south - on a shared platform around 50 cm high, carried by small lion figures. The entrance to the cella ( garbhagriha ) is raised again by approx. 50 cm compared to the platform; the corresponding steps are precisely worked. The ground floor, structured by pilasters, shows female guardian figures ( dvarapalas ) in relief to the left and right of the entrance as well as niches with figures of gods on the other outer walls. According to the prevailing opinion, the roof imitates the thatched or reed roofs customary in residential buildings; it is ornamented at the edges and at the four corners with vegetable forms. In the cella there is an unfinished relief of the goddess Lakshmi on a lotus pedestal with adoring figures.
Arjuna-Ratha
The ground floor of the Arjuna-Rathas adjoining to the south is designed in a much more differentiated manner through wall projections ( rathas ) and niches studded with figures. It has an entrance divided into three parts by two pillars, behind which there is a small vestibule ( mandapa ). Above an eaves cornice decorated by small blind windows ( kudus ) there are numerous pseudo-architecture in the form of small shrines that are repeated in the upper part of the stepped roof. The roof closes with a slightly ribbed "umbrella dome", as will be common on later outdoor temples in large parts of southern India.
Bhima-Ratha
The ground floor of the elongated Bhima- Ratha, formed by two rows of pillars behind which there are narrow vestibules ( mandapas ), seems to have remained largely unfinished. The eaves cornice is slightly rounded and shows small blind windows; Above this there are numerous pseudo-architectures that enclose an elongated house or palace-like building loosened up by dormer windows , the gable fronts of which are characterized by false entrances with representative structures.
Dharmaraja-Ratha
The Darmaraja-Ratha is essentially similar to the Arjuna-Ratha, but is almost twice as large in its base.
Nakula-Sahadeva-Ratha
The last of the 5 Rathas is not in the row of the others, but in front of it. Its entrance is oriented to the southwest; this and its apsidial rounded shape on one side makes it architecturally different from the other buildings. The roof structure is something in between that of Bhima-Ratha and that of Dharmaraja-Ratha.
Draupadi-Ratha
Arjuna-Ratha
Bhima-Ratha
Dharmaraja-Ratha
Nakula-Sahadeva-Ratha
Animal figures
There are several stone animal figures in front of the Rathas. In the case of lions and elephants, a remnant of the rock from which they were carved can still be seen below the body. The surface of the lying Nandi bull, Shiva's mount ( vahana ) , is not smooth. While free-standing elephants and lions rarely appear in the later buildings of the Pallava architecture , lying Nandi bulls are numerous (e.g. at the coastal temple just 2 km away ).
Art historical classification
The stone architecture of the Pallavas, which began around 620 AD, consisted in its initial phase only of cave temples (e.g. Mandagapattu , Mamandur , Mahendravadi, etc.). The design of the outer walls and the roof was irrelevant and had to be completely or largely reinvented - apart from the older, not preserved and therefore unknown wooden temples. In this environment, the five rathas were created, which present various design options: While the structure of the outer walls of the ground floor in later outdoor temples could be borrowed equally from all five shrines ( pillar portico , pilasters and figure niches ), the roof shapes were clearly graded, altogether pyramidal and - through the use of pseudo-architecture - extremely representative design ( vimana ) of the Arjuna and Dharmaraja ratha preferred - the coastal temple of Mamallapuram and the Kailasanatha temple of Kanchipuram speak a clear artistic language in this regard, which centuries later with the smaller ( e.g. Kannanur , Narthamalai , Thirubhuvanai and many others) and larger temples of the Chola dynasty .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Entry on the website of the UNESCO World Heritage Center ( English and French ).
- ↑ Mamallapuram - Map with altitude information
Coordinates: 12 ° 36 ′ 32 ″ N , 80 ° 11 ′ 22 ″ E