Ghatotkacha (Sanskrit: घटोत्कच, IAST: Ghaṭotkaca, literally: "Bald Pot") is an important character in

the Mahabharata.[1] His name comes from the fact that his head was hairless (utkaca) and shaped
like a ghatam.[2] Ghatotkacha was the son of the PandavaBhima and the rakshasi Hidimbi.
Ghatotkacha was very powerful like his Father Bhima and it is said that his strength was equal to
that of 1000 elephants. He had a powers of a rakshasa as well as magical abilities. He is also known
for having been very large.
Ghatotkacha killed many rakshasas like Alambusha and many gigantic Asuras.
He is the father of Barbarika, Anjanaparvan, and Meghavarna. His second son Anjanaparvan
participated in the war. His maternal parentage made him half-rakshasa, which granted him several
magical abilities such as the ability to fly, to increase or decrease in size and to become invisible. He
was an important fighter from the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra war, and caused a great deal of
destruction to the Kaurava army on the fourteenth night. He is killed by Karna with Indra's missile.

Contents

 1Mahabharata
o 1.1Hidimbi's dinner request
o 1.2Fight with Bhima
o 1.3Kurukshetra War
 2Temples
 3In popular culture
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

Mahabharata[edit]

Bhimsen and Ghatotkacha

Ghatotkacha was born to Hidimbi and the Pandava Bhima. When traveling the countryside with his
brothers and mother as a brahmin, having escaped the lakshagraha, Bhima saved Hidimbi from her
wicked brother Hidimba, the king of demons of Kamyaka Forest. Soon after Ghatotkacha was born,
Bhima had to leave his family, as he still had duties to complete at Hastinapura.
Ghatotkacha grew up under the care of Hidimbi. Like his father, Ghatotkacha's weapon of choice
was the mace. Lord Krishna gave him a boon that no one in the world would be able to match his
sorcery skills, except for Krishna himself.[3] His wife was Ahilawati and his sons
were Barbarika, Anjanaparvan, and Meghvarna.[citation needed]

Hidimbi's dinner request[edit]

One day Hidimbi asked Ghatotkacha to fetch a human for her dinner. On his way to do so, he
spotted a Brahmin and his wife traveling with their three children. Ghatotkacha approached them
and asked which one of them should come with him to be his mother's dinner.
The Brahmin offered himself but his wife insisted that she would go. Finally, their second son agreed
to go with Ghatotkacha and asked his permission to first bathe in the river Ganga. After a few hours,
Ghatotkacha began searching for the boy and started screaming, calling him "Madhyama". Bhima
heared the scream and enquired as to what was the matter. Ghatotkacha then relayed the scenario
to Bhima, who agreed to go with him on the condition that Ghatotkacha should defeat him in a
fight.[citation needed]

Fight with Bhima[edit]

The fight began with both father and son fighting barehanded. After days of fighting, both of them
exhausted, they were stopped by Hidimbi. Hidimbi informed Ghatotkacha that Bhima is his father.
Ghatotkacha fell at the feet of his father Bhima who embraced and praised his son, telling him that
seldom has he fought anyone who could match him in terms of strength.

Kurukshetra War[edit]
In the Mahābhārata, Ghatotkacha was summoned by Bhima to fight on the Pandava side in the
Kurukshetra battle. Invoking his magical powers, he wrought great havoc in the Kaurava army. On
his first summon he caused terrible damage to the Kauravas by using his power of illusion. Even
warriors like Duryodhana and Karna fled from the massacre leaving only the proud son
of Drona standing ground fearlessly. After dispelling Ghatotkacha's illusion he managed to knock the
rakshasa unconscious. After coming to his senses, Ghatotkacha became furious and fought with
Ashwatthama in a long duel. During the fight, both combatants used their celestial weapons, but the
mighty asura wasn't able to withstand the attack of the other and was forced to flee.
After the death of Jayadratha on the fourteenth day, when the battle continued past sunset,
Ghatotkacha was summoned as per Krishna's advice and asked to slay Karna since the latter was
wreaking havoc among the Pandavas. Ghatotkacha's powers were at their most effective at night
as rakshasas become endued with unlimited prowess, great might, and courage. Along with his
asura troops, Ghatotkacha attacked the Kauravas at full power.
Eventually, a fight took place between Karna and Ghatotkacha. Upon seeing his efforts against the
gigantic asura turn futile, Karna invoked his celestial weapons. Beholding a celestial weapon aimed
at him, the foremost of all rakshasas used his illusion to surrounded the Kaurava army. Beholding
that, all kings with their sons and combatants, fled in fear. Only one among them -- Karna -- proud of
the power of his weapons and nobility, managed to destroy all of Ghatotkacha's illusions.
When it became clear that Ghatotkacha couldn't prevail over Karna, he forged a fierce and terrible
illusion into existence. He turned invisible and deceptively began to tear away at the Kaurava army
with showers of weapons that Karna was unable to destroy. The troops cried out: