Sightseeing and Temples at Mahabalipuram

                    Mahabalipuram is a town located approximately 60 km from Chennai and is known for its various stone carved monuments and ancient temples. Mahabalipuram was a port town during the 1st Century to 140 AD and was ruled by the ancient Pallava dynasty. The Pallava Kings Mahendravarman I and Narsimhavarman I have been attributed with the commissioning of most of the monuments back in the 7th and 8th century AD. The groups of monuments located here have also been deemed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Here’s the list of the must-visit places in Mahabalipuram.

SHORE TEMPLE:

                    Built during the 7th century, Shore Temple is one of the oldest South Indian temples constructed in the Dravidian style and depicts the royal taste of the Pallava dynasty. It is a testimonial to the heritage of India. It is located in Mahabalipuram and is one of the most photographed monuments in India located on the shores of Bay of Bengal. The work of the temple has been listed amongst the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

                    The Shore Temple’s name originated as a result of its overlooking the shore of Bay of Bengal. It is built with blocks of granite which can be dated back to the 8th century AD. It comprises of three shrines, where the prominent ones are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. In the Sanctum Sanctorum an image of Shivalinga is present. Towards the end, two shrines facing each other can be spotted. One shrine out of this is dedicated to Ksatriyasimnesvara and the other one to Lord Vishnu. The image shows Lord Vishnu reclining on the ‘Seshanag’ which depicts “consciousness” in Hinduism. 

                    The Shore Temple is no more a living temple. It was constructed as a work of art. The Pallavas, who were known to be great patrons of art wanted to create a temple in their own style of architecture. At present, Shore Temple is made the background of the Mahabalipuram Dance Festival which is held in January/February every year. The festival marked as well as promoted the traditional dance as well as tourism in Mahabalipuram. The temple looks beautiful due to the lights during weekend evenings.

ARJUNA’S PENANCE:

                    The Arjuna’s Penance is an enormous rock-cut relief, one of the largest in the whole world, situated in Mahabalipuram of Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu. It is also known by the name ‘Descent of the Ganges’ because the structure depicts either or both of these two significant and symbolic events of Hindu mythology, thus making this attraction spot a favorite among historians, scholars, academics as well as tourists who are enthusiastic about the cultural past of India.

                    The structure is a fine specimen of this unique form of art of carving and sculpting on rock forms, that has roots way back in the 7th century South India. Most of these rock forms, including Arjuna’s Penance, owe its existence to the Pallava dynasty that ruled over the region south of Vindhyas from 4th to 9th century. Till date these sites bear the legacy of the Pallava art, now being protected by ASI and UNESCO. 

FIVE RATHAS:

                    The Five Rathas, also known as Panch Rathas, is a exemplary set of rock temples. They are excellent examples of the evolution of Dravidian style architecture.

                    These temples are built in the same shape as pagodas, and greatly resemble Buddhist shrines and monasteries. The rathas are associated with the great epic Mahabharata. The first ratha that is located right by the entrance gate is Draupadi’s Ratha. It is shaped like a hut and is dedicated to the goddess Durga. Next comes the Arjuna’s Rath. This one has a small portico and carved pillar stones and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are no carvings inside this temple, but many are on the outside. Directly in front of Arjuna’s Rath is the Nakula Sahadev Rath. This ratha has some huge elephant sculptures included that are a huge draw for the Five Rathas. It is dedicated to the God of Rain, Lord Indra. The Bhima Rath is huge. It measures 42 ft in length, 24ft in width, and 25ft in height. The pillars there do contain lion carvings even though the ratha as a whole is incomplete. The largest of the Five Rathas is the Dharamraja Yudhistar’s Rath.

TIGER CAVE:

                    Situated by the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Tigers Cave has been a recreation spot since ages where locals relax after their five-kilometre trek from Mahabalipuram to this idyllic location out of the town. The name of the caves has nothing to do with the presence of any real tigers. The caves got this name from the crown of 11 tigeresque heads which were all carved around the entrance. It is believed that these images resemble an animal called ‘yaali’ which is a cross between a lion and a tiger. One of the most attractive features of the caves is a carving of Goddess Durga on top of these tigers.

KRISHNA’S BUTTER BALL:

                    While exploring the temple town of Mahabalipuram, we can come across a gigantic boulder seemingly sliding off the slope. Alight not on a flat surface but the slope of a slightly elevated rocky outcrop, the massive boulder, known endearingly as Krishna’s Butter Ball, is something of a marvel given its precarious position and the fact that it hasn’t moved in centuries despite determined efforts in the past.

                    Usually surrounded by a gaggle of tourists attempting to push it, Pallava kings had actually attempted to drag the granite boulder with ropes tied to the back of elephants. Needless to say, the boulder refused to budge even a millimeter.

MAHABALIPURAM BEACH:

                    The Mahabalipuram Beach is situated at a distance of 58 km from the Chennai city in Tamil Nadu. The beach lies on the shore of Bay of Bengal and comprises of some rock-cut sculptures which are pleasing to the eyes. While motor boating has been the staple offering out here, recently more exciting ventures in the form of scuba diving and windsurfing are being provided. The Mahabalipuram beach is a perfect place to relax and give yourself a break from the deadlines and work pressure on a daily basis and the best time to lounge around in the sun-kissed sands of Mahabalipuram beach is from November to February.

THIRUKADALMALLAI TEMPLE: 

                    The Sthalasayana Perumal Temple is dedicated to Sri Vishnu as Sthalasayana Perumal and Divine Mother Shakti as Nilamangai Thayar. The temple has a special shrine for Bhootathalvar who was born in Mamallapuram. The Sthalasayana Perumal Temple is at Mahabalipuram. The Temple resides as the first and foremost of Mahabalipuram sculptures. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams and the temple architecture depicts the Pallava style

Temple timings: (Opening and Closing)

All days of the week

Morning:  6:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Evening:   4 PM to 10 PM

 Temple Pooja Timings:

 Each of the above ritual/pooja has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), Neivethanam (food offering) and Deepa Aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Sthalasayana Perumal and Nilamangai Thayar.

Temple Festivals:

                    Maasi Makham is an important festival. Apart from this Bhoothatalwar’s Avathara Utsavam is also an important festival and it is celebrated every year during the Tamil month of Aipasi (October – November).

Temple Contact:

Ph: no : +91- 44-2744 3245

HOW TO REACH MAHABALIPURAM:

By Air:

Chennai Airport serves as the closest airport to Mamallapuram. The airport is located around 58 km away from the temple town. 

By Train:

Nearest train station to Mamallapuram is Chengalpattu Junction. It connects Chennai and various parts of Tamil Nadu by express and mail trains. On arrival at the station, one can hire a cab to travel a distance of around 29 km to reach Mamallapuram.

By Road:

Mamallapuram is well connected by road with rest of Tamil Nadu. State and private buses ply at regular and frequent intervals from places like Chennai, Pondicherry, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, to name a few.