Mahabalipuram Rathas



The Ratha temples at Mahabalipuram bear testimony to the artistic genius of Indian architects in ancient times.

The Ratha temples also reflect the artistic tastes of the Pallava rulers. The Ratha temples gave birth to a new style of architecture, the South Indian temple architecture.

The 'Ratha' cave temples are usually called the Panch Pandava Ratha the five chariots of the Pandavas.

The Ratha temples are regarded as the transition point between the rock-cut cave temples and freestanding stone temples.

Remarkable feature of the Ratha temples is that they were excavated by scooping out the scarp of the hill from front to back.

Apart from the famous Rathas, there are other magnificent temples in Mahabalipuram too. These temples are renowned for their Mandapas.

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