Ghatotkacha
| Ghatotkacha | |
|---|---|
Karna and Ghatotkacha engaged in combat | |
| Devanagari | घटोत्कच |
| Affiliation | Half-Rakshasa |
| Abode | Kamyaka Forest |
| Weapon | Gada (mace) |
| Battles | Kurukshetra War |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Parents | |
| Spouse | Ahilawati (in folk traditions) |
| Children |
|
Ghatotkacha (Sanskrit: घटोत्कच, IAST: Ghaṭotkaca; lit. 'Bald Pot') is a character in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. His name comes from the fact that he was bald (utkacha) and shaped like a ghatam, or a pot. He is the son of the Pandava Bhima and the demoness Hidimbi.
As the head of one akshauhini army, he was an important fighter from the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra war and caused a great deal of destruction to the Kaurava army. Ghatotkacha killed many demons like Alambusha, Alayudha, and many gigantic Asuras. He was specifically called out as the warrior who forced Karna to use his Vasavi Shakti weapon, and courted a hero’s death in the great war.