Indian Columbus

Introduction If I miss the  Five Ratha  Complex and still claim to have visited  Mamallapuram , people might literally laugh at me. Yes! It is one of the most picturesque and famous monuments of the heritage-rich town.  My previous five posts give a detailed introduction to Five Rathas and exclusive coverage of Draupadi, Arjuna, Bhima, and Dharmaraja Rathas. As it is a series of articles, please access these links and go through the content if you have not read them.  Five Rathas in Mamallapuram   Draupadi Ratha Arjuna Ratha Bhima Ratha Dharmaraja Ratha This article focuses on  Sahadeva Ratha .  (Note: I wrote about most of the monuments in Mamallapuram about ten years ago in my blog. This series of articles is my attempt to provide much detailed coverage on all aspects of Pandava Rathas.) Layout Sahadeva Ratha is the last monolithic structure in the Pancha Ratha Complex. While the other four Rathas stand in a single row facing west direction, thi...

Introduction If I miss the  Five Ratha  Complex and still claim to have visited  Mamallapuram , people might literally laugh at me. And, by any chance, if I miss out  on Dharmaraja Ratha  and claim to have seen the Five Ratha Complex, people may consider me insane. Yes, it is the pinnacle of early temple architecture of Dravidian style.  It is the largest and grandest among all the monolithic structures of the Five Ratha complex and the entire Mahabalipuram town. This unfinished poetry in stone is the first monolithic temple to have three tiers and three sanctums, one over the other. It is an incredible achievement of Pallava sculptors. It stands tall as a testimony for their incomparable workmanship.  My previous four posts give a detailed introduction to Five Rathas and exclusive coverage of Draupadi, Arjuna, and Bhima Rathas. As it is a series of articles, please access these links and go through the content if you have not read them.  Five Rat...