Valayankuttai Ratha — Attraction in Tamil Nadu

Pidari Ratham

Pallava Marvel beautiful Dravidian architecture built during 7th Century . This Valayankuttai is model which contains unfinished Twin monolithic temple one With Octagonal Sikhara other With Nagara (4 Sided) Sikhara

Valayankuttai Ratham

⚜️This ratha is known as the Valayankuttai Ratha because it is situated on the edge of the Valayankuttai (fisherman's pond) Pond, which is close to the Buckingham Canal. The most finished side of this incomplete ratha is on the north, which faces east. It is a double-story shrine with a square shikhara on top. It falls under the Nagara category because of the square shikhara. Each face of this shikhara has a nasika (arch), and each nasika has a little shrine. A mukha-mandapa comes first, then a garbha-grha, to make up the ratha.

⚜️The temple is carved out of an isolated freestanding boulder. It is unfinished, though almost at the verge of completion. The reason why it was abandoned at this stage of completion will remain as a mystery, like many unanswered questions on Mahabalipuram. So is the patron of this temple, though some like to attribute it to Rajasimha Pallava (695 CE-728 CE) who also built the more famous...

I am giving 4 star because this is unfinished.

This Ratha along with Pidari Ratha is a little away - on the edge of the Buckingham Canal; a 15 minutes walk or 5 minutes drive from Krishna’s Butter Ball. (Refer to the image.)

There is a small board written as 'Valiankuttai'; however, I feel it as Valayan Kuttai (Valayan = Fisherman & Kuttai = Pond) is more correct, because it is near to the fishermen’s pond.

The Valayan Kuttai Ratha (along with Pidari Ratha) is found as stand-alone monuments on the western side of the hill, near the backwaters (Lake). They are monolithic (single stone), freestanding rock boulders but small. This unfinished Ratha is close to the final stages of completion. This is east facing and is double storied with a square top. This Ratha has a resemblance to the Arjunas Ratha in the Pancha Ratha complex.

The reason for abandoning this beautiful monument is not known, but the patron is said to be Rajasimha (695 CE-728 CE) who has built the Shore Temple.

On the way to this Ratha, there is a Lord Ganesha carving which is worshipped by the locals on the...

Located near the Buckingham Canal at Mahabalipuram is the Valayankuttai ratha and is a shrine resembles that of Arjuna ratha. The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram stands as an outstanding example of Pallava art. Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram, UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal to the south of Chennai, the capital city of the Tamil Nadu...