The “Five Rathas” monument at Mamallapuram is a great example of the syncretic nature of ancient Indian Art. Built over 1400 years ago, these stone edifices embody a composite architecture, distinctly unique and yet, integrating ideas from across the country and the world.
It is easy to gloss over the details if we take a casual stroll. The tourist guide unfolds the magic. Traditionally, temple architecture has 4 distinct forms: cave-excavations, bas-relief on rock, structures built from bottom-to-top and finally, a top-down approach to carving the entire structure. The "Rathas" at Mamallapuram belong to the fourth category. Each Ratha is chiseled out of a single rock. (Except one case, where 2 rathas are carved from a single rock and united at the base).
The structures are dedicated to Parvati, Shiva, Vishnu, Indra and Surya. In the case of Parvati, the figurine is distinctly visible. Vishnu’s reclining form is faint, a hint of the arm, but largely left incomplete. None of the other structures have complete images. Each structure is called a “Ratha” because it has an associated animal-“vaahana”, also sculpted separately. The lordly lion goes with Parvati, the majestic elephant is paired with Indra and the bull with Shiva.
It is evident that these structures were not completed. The “kalashas” are carved and kept separately. They are yet to be hoisted to the top of each Ratha. We do not know the reason. It is like a painter who has left some breezy strokes on his canvas but had no time to add the details. But those broad strokes are enough to gauge his lofty imagination. We allow our mind to fill in the missing details.
The insides of the Ratha, now hollow, create a unique sound-effect. Even a whisper in a low baritone reverberates many-fold like the Tibetan sound-bowl. The first Ratha, with its sloping roof, is in Bengal- “Naagari” style. The second and the fourth Rathas have a Dravidian stamp, with a tiered pyramid topped with a coconut-shell shaped dome. The Ratha dedicated to Vishnu is rectangular and resembles a Buddhist “Vihara”. Some pillars have a Graeco-Roman influence. The gargoyles perched atop the Ratha mirror the ones found in European edifices. The lion has a distinct Chinese influence. One figurine sports a pharaoh-like crown! The sculptor has literally left no stone unturned to create his masterpiece.
These monuments leave no doubt that ancient India was well connected with the rest of the country. In addition, it maintained close, maritime contact with a world that was far and beyond! A stone’s throw from the “Five Rathas” is the ocean. It is restless, with its waves singing in chorus. The lyrics are from a distant past- a past when the mighty Pallavas ruled this land and composed many a song in stone!
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