Pancha Rathas

Pancha Rathas is a monument complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Chengalpattu district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. Each of the five monuments resembles a chariot (ratha), and each is carved over a single, long stone or monolith, of granite which slopes in north–south direction with a slight incline. Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as temples, the structures were never consecrated because they were never completed following the death of Narasimhavarman I. The purpose of their construction is not known as they were not completed. They were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The largest measures 42 feet by 35 feet (13 mpsidal) and the tallest is 40 feet (12 feet) by 11 m (13 feet) high.