Dear Members, I would like to know your opinion on one concern. Keeping in mind the primitive tools of that time and hardness of the granite rock, how much time do you think it will take to carve out a monument like Dharmaraja ratha? 10 years? 15 years? 20 years? I know many of us are not expert on this matter (that includes me also) however I just wanna know the common opinion, might be a guess as well. Also we have very good experts in our group, so from them we will get proper estimation as well.
I will give you the trigger of this question after I get some answers as if I give now then it might influence the answer.
Good question, inference must be since the ratha is cut top down, n since the primitive somaskanda is on top tier, to see if it was started by one n finished by other. But the top tier figs r more spectacular except for the somaskanda !
Further, check one of dr gift's articles where he does a study on the proportions of the dharamaraja ratha sculptures. Startling results !!
Hi, Thanks a lot to vj for the hints. My trigger to ask the question was as blow: We have got many titles of a Pallava king in Dharmaraja Ratha. Many of the scholars have started the history of Mamallapuram with Mahamalla. We also believe that all these titles or any of these cannot be assigned to Mahendravarman. Next option is Mahamalla, Narasimhavarman I. We all believe that this Pallava king borne the title of Vatapikonda after defeating Chalukyas in AD 642. Chalukyas were the long time enemies of Pallavas hence this accomplishment is one of the greatest of those times. Interestingly this particular title is not present in Dharmaraja Ratha. Was this monument already completed by 642 AD? Seems very impossible as the monument in the while is still incomplete. If this monument was still taking shape in his time then why would he not inscribe his famous title of Vatapikonda? Mind that we find two times 'SriNarasimha' and one time ' Mahamalla' among the various titles in this ratha.