Ghatotkacha

GHATOTKACHA

The chivalrous demon


Ghatotkacha was one of the finest characters in the Mahabharata - affectionate and kind, even though he was a Rakshasa. Perhaps that was because he was only half Rakshasa as the son of Bheema and the Rakshasi Hidimbaa. From his mother he learnt all the arts of the Rakshasas; from his father he inherited an affectionate and chivalrous temperament. He was an invaluable ally to the Pandavas in times of trouble - he appeared before them whenever they thought of him. The theme of Vatsala's wedding, very popular in South India, is much exploited in ballads and stories. 


It was Ghatotkacha, who with his Rakshasa hordes and their magical powers made the wedding of Abhimanyu and Vatsala possible. This story is not found in the Mahabharata or in Sanskrit literature. It seems to have evolved at a much later date, as a legend in Telegu and Kannada. The exponents of the art of Harikatha count this story as the most popular one in their repertoire and it has been handed down by word of mouth for generations. This Amar Chitra Katha is derived partly from the Mahabharata and partly from legend.