Pancha Rathas
பஞ்ச ரதங்கள்
Five chariot-style shrines carved from single boulders, flanked by stone elephants, lions and the sacred bull Nandi.
The Pancha Rathas were built at the end of the 7th century and are named after the five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata and their wife Draupadi. Each shrine was carved from a single solid granite block, from top to bottom. Together they display different styles of South Indian temple architecture and are regarded as a “model” of Dravidian architecture. Nearby, the monolithic stone elephants, lions and Nandi bull statues are lifelike. Admission is shared with the Shore Temple.
Opening hours
06:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- India Seashell Museum
- Mamallapuram Beach
- Stone Carving Workshops, Mamallapuram
- Mahishasuramardini Mandapa & Lighthouse
- Krishna Mandapa
- Raya Gopuram
- Sthalasayana Perumal Temple
- Varaha Cave Temple