Pancha Pandava Rathas || UNESCO World Heritage Site || Mahabalipuram || Ep - 9

Pancha Pandava Rathas || UNESCO World Heritage Site || Mahabalipuram || Ep - 9

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About Pancha Pandava Rathas

The Pancha Pandava Rathas, also popularly known as Pandava Pandava are UNESCO group of monuments, situated in Mahabalipuram.

Pancha Rathas are a group of five monolithic free-standing temples that were cut out from solid granite and was constructed during the reign of king Narasimha Varman I around 630 AD

These five temples are symbolically named after the Pandavas and Draupadi but do not have any connections with the Mahabharata.

Draupadi Ratha is the smallest and resembles a mud hut with a thatched Bengal roof and houses an idol of lordless Durga.

Arjuna Ratha stands on next to Draupadi Ratha and is a square structure with stairs leading to a shallow pillared porch in front. the sanctum inside is empty, but various mythological sculptures are carved out on its four walls.

Bhima Ratha is the largest of the five structures and has a vaulted barrel-like roof. it stands on a rectangular platform and is elongated with no sculptures on its walls.

Dharmaraja Ratha stands at the southern end and is the tallest temple of five. it has a square base with a pyramidal shaped gopura.


Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha has a south sided entrance with a shallow pillared porch. there are no carvings on this temple, but there is a huge monolithic elephant right beside it