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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox temple
| name = Bhima Ratha
| image = Bhima Ratha (Five Rathas), Mahabalipuram.jpg
| caption = Bhima Ratha
| map_type =
| map_caption =
| other_names =
| proper_name =
| devanagari =
| sanskrit_translit =
| tamil =
| marathi =
| bengali =
| country = India
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]],
| district = [[Kancheepuram district]]
| location = [[Mahabalipuram]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Shiva]]
| primary_deity_Godess =
| utsava_deity_God =
| utsava_deity_Godess=
| Direction_posture =
| Pushakarani =
| Vimanam =
| Poets =
| Prathyaksham =
| festivals=
| architecture =
| temple_quantity =
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| inscriptions =
| year_completed = {{circa}} 650<ref>{{cite book|title=The Culture of India |isbn=9780852297629 |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group |year=2010 |page=315 }}</ref> [[Common era]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Student Britannica India 7 Vols |page=5 |author= Ramchandani, Indu |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=2000 |isbn=9780852297629 }}</ref>
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Bhima Ratha''' is a monument in the [[Pancha Rathas]] complex at [[Mahabalipuram]], on the [[Coromandel Coast]] of the [[Bay of Bengal]], in the [[Kancheepuram district]] of the state of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]. It is an example of [[monolithic architecture|monolith]] [[Indian rock-cut architecture]]. Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the reign of King [[Mahendravarman I]] and his son [[Narasimhavarman I]] (630–680 AD; also called Mamalla, or "great warrior") of the [[Pallava Kingdom]]. The entire complex is under the auspices of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI), and is one of the [[Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram]] designated as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] since 1984.<ref name=UNESCO/>

It is built in a form which resembles a folk-house with sloping roofs with its sides forming a curved gablelike arch over a rectangular room with a veranda.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coombes |first1=J. W. |title=The Seven Pagodas |date=1999 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-1424-6 |page=32 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Apa Publications UK Limited">{{cite book |last1=Guides |first1=Insight |title=Insight Guides South India (Travel Guide eBook) |date=1 March 2017 |publisher=Apa Publications (UK) Limited |isbn=978-1-78671-692-7 |page=130 |language=en}}</ref> It is likely, due to the advanced design of the Mamallapuram shrines, that temple building had previously undergone a substantial process of development, and that the shrines mark a rapid transition from the earlier wooden temples to later structural monuments in stone it is carved out of a single, long stone of granite.<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249/|title=Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram|publisher=World Heritage|accessdate=2007-02-08}}</ref><ref name=Plaque>{{Cite web|url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Five_Rathas,_Mahabalipuram.jpg|title= File:Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram.jpg| accessdate=9 April 2013|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle}}</ref><ref name=ASI>{{Cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/mamallapuram/mam01.html|title=Pancha Rathas, Mamallapuram |accessdate=23 October 2012|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India}}</ref> Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as a [[temple]], the structure was not consecrated because it was not completed<ref>{{cite book|title=Art history |author=Stokstad, Marilyn |year=2008 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=9780131577046 |page=333 }}</ref> following the death of Narasimhavarman I.<ref name=Plaque/><ref name=ASI/><ref name=architect>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Archit/Mahaba.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991006030700/http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Archit/Mahaba.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 October 1999|title= Mahabalipuram|accessdate=30 December 2012|publisher=UCLA Education, South Asia}}</ref> The structure is named after one of the [[Pandava|Pancha Pandavas]], of epic [[Mahabharata]] fame,<ref name=UNESCO/><ref name=ASI/><ref name=Rathas>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/t/019pho0000472s1u00027000.html|title=The Rathas, monolithic [Mamallapuram]|accessdate=19 February 2013|publisher=Online Gallery of the British Library}}</ref> {{Citation needed span|text=though the nomenclature is not supported by its iconography. It is dedicated to [[Vishnu]].|date=December 2020}}

==Geography==
The monument is located at Mahabalipuram (previously known as Mammallapuram) on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal of [[Indian Ocean]] in Kancheepuram district. It is approximately {{convert|35|miles}} south of [[Chennai]] (previously known as Madras), the capital city,<ref name=Gunther>{{Cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/mamallapuram/mam01.html|title=Pancha Rathas, Mamallapuram |accessdate=23 October 2012|work=art-and-archaeology.com|first=Michael D. |last=Gunther}}</ref> while [[Chengalpattu]] is about {{convert|20|miles}} distant.<ref name="Ayyar1982">{{cite book|first=P. V. Jagadisa |last=Ayyar|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&pg=PA157|accessdate=7 February 2013|year=1982|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0151-2|pages=157–}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Plan of Bhima's Ratha.png|thumb|Plan of Bhima's Ratha]]
{{Main|Pancha Rathas}}
Like the other four Pancha Rathas, this stone edifice is a replica of a wooden version which preceded it.<ref name="MoffettFazio2003">{{cite book|last1=Moffett|first1=Marian|last2=Fazio|first2=Michael W.|last3=Wodehouse|first3=Lawrence|title=World History of Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IFMohetegAcC&pg=PT75|accessdate=9 January 2013|year=2003|publisher=Laurence King Publishing|isbn=978-1-85669-371-4|page=75}}</ref> The monument is incomplete.<ref>{{cite book|title=Art history |first=Marilyn |last=Stokstad |year=2008 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=9780131577046 |page=333 }}</ref>

==Architecture==
All the Pancha Rathas are aligned in a north–south direction and share a common plinth. They have no precedent in Indian architecture in stone and have proved to be "templates" for building larger temples in the South Indian tradition of Dravidian temple architecture.<ref name="Rathas" /> Though cut out of monolithic rocks, they are carved in the form of structural temples in regular building form and hence termed as "quasimonolithic temple form".

===Layout===
[[File:Bhima and Dharmaraja temples.jpg|left|thumb|Bhima Ratha to the left of [[Dharmaraja Ratha]]]]
Similar to the [[Arjuna Ratha|Arjuna]] and [[Dharmaraja Ratha]]s, the stone temple is a replica of an earlier wooden version which preceded it.<ref name="MoffettFazio2003" />
Bhima Ratha is an ''ektala'' or single tiered oblong temple, with a barrel-vaulted roof and ornate columns. It is the third ratha after Draupadi and Arjuna Rathas, carved over an extended long pink granite rock out crop that gradually rises from the north to south. It is cut out over a base plan of {{convert|42|x|24|ft}}, and rising to a height of {{convert|25|ft}} over two floors. The ground floor has remained incomplete. The unfinished features of the lower floor gives a picture of what was planned to be built, namely a [[Circumambulation|circumambulatory]] passage supported on pillars mounted with lion posts as the base. The oblong scheme of the layout is conjectured as a plan that was intended to house an [[Anantashayana Vishnu]] (reclining image of god [[Vishnu]]).<ref name="Singh2008">{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Upinder|title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GW5Gx0HSXKUC&pg=PA636|accessdate=9 January 2013|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1677-9|page=636}}</ref>

===Features===
[[File:Ratha detail face.JPG|right|thumb|[[Gavaksha|Kudu]] on the exterior face of Bhima Ratha]]
The ratha is reminiscent of Buddhist cave architecture, such as Sala-[[Shikhara]].<ref name="asi">{{cite web|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram_monolithic.asp|title=World Heritage Sites – Mahabalipuram – Monolithic Temples|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|accessdate=9 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312100940/http://www.asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram_monolithic.asp|archive-date=12 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Archaeologist, however, are of the opinion that the stupa suggests a shikhara (temple tower) style; there are twelve such styles depicted in all the rathas experimented by sculptors during the Pallvava period. It is also mentioned that it has palace architectural style considering its barrel vaulting and long columned porch. The roof section resembles a thatched roof with its sides forming a curved gablelike arch over a rectangular room.<ref name="Apa Publications UK Limited"/><ref name="varalaaru">{{cite web|url=http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=741|title=The Five Rathas of Mahabalipuram|publisher=Varalaaru|accessdate=9 January 2013}}</ref> The Bhima Ratha has a pillared open veranda, a column with a Pallava seated lion, and "horseshoe-arch dormer like projections" called ''[[gavaksha|kudus]]''. These decorations are carved on the external faces of the ratha, above the cornices which also forms the dividing line between the ground floor and the first floor of the structure. Oblong-shaped shrines are carved at the cornices linked with a passage. The small shrines have a wagon-type roof supported on lion mounted pillars. The ends of the gables have fine decorative motifs, with a miniature model of a square at the centre.<ref name="asi"/> The niches seen are carved with regular spacing and are supported on two pilasters. [[Nasika]]s are mentioned in inscriptions inside the temple.<ref name="varalaaru"/>

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Bhima's Ratha}}

{{Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in Mahabalipuram]]
[[Category:Pancha Rathas]]
[[Category:Historic sites in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Architecture of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Pallava architecture]]

Bhima Ratha - Revision history

Pureganics at 23:53, 28 March 2026