Follow on

Trip to Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu on December 5, 2007

Ganesha Ratham

This is one among the most completed structure. It is believed that originally there was a lingam in the garbagriham and this mandapam was then the Arjuna mandapam. The lingam was lost & the public replaced it with a Ganesha idol with permission from the Collector in the nineteenth century and henceforth it came to be known as the Ganesha Ratham. There are two pillars and two half pillars (pilasters) with a seated lion as base, a cylindrical carved portion above the lions head, a sixteen sided portion above that and a bracket. There are two dwarapalakas at the two extreme ends of the ratha.

There are several ganas carved on the roof, just below the kapotam. On the kapotam, there are kudus (circular arches) with the carving of a face in each kudu. Just above the kudus are a row of yalis. There is a highly carved top for the mandapam in two layers with a single cellular shrine at the top.

There is a single cellular mini shrine on the roof - sala (wagon head) at the top. If the body of the mandapam is rectangular, the roof is normally a sala.

Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
Ganesha Ratham, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu



Dr.Swaminathan, retired professor from IIT Delhi had organized a trip to Mahabalipuram to understand and appreciate better the great art treasures gifted to us by the Pallavas.

We visited only a few mandapams and caves, but at every spot Mr.Swaminathan shared with us details such as - the Pallava kings who had contributed, the structural variations / refinement that can be observed in the structures belonging to different periods. And sadly, also the vandalism - mostly broken noses, attempt to project a Siva temple as a Vishnu temple or vice versa and also an attempt by the kings to take credit without contributing. Since several Pallava rulers seem to have shared the same titles, that further adds to the confusion. Mr.Swaminathan first gave a general introduction to the temple architecture and sculpture - the different styles of rock architecture seen at Mahabalipuram - the monoliths, cave mandapams, structural temple, bas relief.