Temples of Mahabalipuram

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An extension of my holiday was this much awaited trip to the temples/ruins/stone carvings/buddhist caves and beaches of Mahabalipuram. Exploring them by myself was an exciting journey !

Mahabalipuram in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is a pleasant seaside resort with some ancient relics embellishing its sea shore. The major attraction for the tourist lies in the bewildering Monolithic monuments and stone sculptures.

located 60km south of Chennai on the Bay of Bengal, means “the town of Mamalla, the great wrestler.” Mamalla is the title given to the Pallava ruler Narasimha Varman I, who built many of the temples here. The previous name Mahabalipuram means “the town of the great king Bali,” from whom Lord Vamana (Vishnu) begged three paces of land. This town was an ancient port of the Pallavas kings, who ruled from Kanchipuram from the 4th to the 8th centuries. It is believed that most of the carvings were done under the patronage of the Pallavas kings, Narasimha Varma I (630-668 AD) and Narasimha Varman II (700-728).

The rock carvings here are divided into three zones: the main group of carvings on the slopes of the hill, the Shore temple to the east, and the Pancha Ratha (Five Chariots) temples to the south. The temples here are among the earliest examples of monumental architecture in South India. They were made mostly between the 5th and 8th centuries. Most of the cave temples are carved out of a granite hill that is close to the sea. The Five Rathas are located south of this area.

The Shore temple is located right next to the sea.
Besides the famous Shore temple, there are 14 cave temples, 8 monolithic rathas, and a number of other smaller rock sculptures. Many of the monuments are floodlit at night. There is a dance festival here during January and February.

Mamallapuram (as it is known today) is one of the more visited places by foreign tourists in South India. It is a peaceful town with a good atmosphere and is a pleasant place to stay for a few days or more, just to relax. It has a good selection of cheap accommodations and good restaurants. It has a good beach, but I did not see anyone swimming there, as the water was very rough and appeared extremely dangerous.

Orientation .....
East and West Raja Streets, which run north-south, are the main streets in town. The bus station is between the two streets. The carved cave temples are to the west of the village, away from the sea. The Five Ratha temples are to the south of the village and the Shore temple is to the east of the village, right next to the sea. East Raja Street turns into Kovalam Rd at the north end of town. If you head north out of town along Kovalam Rd you come to a series of good middle-class hotels.

You can get a good view of the area from the lighthouse, which is open from 2 to 4 pm, or you can just climb to the top of the hill.


Must see places :
Arjuna's Penance,
The Shore Temples,
The Varaha Cave,
The 5 Chariots,
Talasayana (Sthala Sayana) Perumal Temple,
Ramanuja Mandapa,
Krishna’s Butter Ball,
Mukundanayanar Temple,
Atiranachanda Mandapa,
Bhaktavatsleeswar Temple,
and dont miss the sculpture museum !!

A good idea is to relish typical south indian food at local joints, I did too !!
😊

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Comments

[indiaTraveller]

Nice perspective
pics 15, 17 and 24 are real good. I like the perspective in the shots - I guess you used a very wide angle lens. cheers, Ravi

[Anu]

Yes Ravi, mine is the Sigma 10-20 wide, a favourite one !....

[Chris and Nikki]

Great picture.