Housing one of the oldest carvingsin granite, this city close to Chennaiis popular among tourists andhistory buffs alike. Walk betweencarved stones and temples andexperience the open, fresh airalong sprawling gardens and parks.Take home souvenirs from amultitude of shops, hawkers androadside vendors.
Named after the cruel mythical KingMahabali who was slayed by Lord Vishnu,the city came to prominence with thePallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th Centuries.An archaeologist's delight, this city boasts alarge collection of ornate stone-carvings,made on uncut rocks, which lay scattered inthe complex and make it seem like an openmuseum. Destroyed to a large degree bysoil and wind erosion, the magnificientShore Temple has been recognised byUNESCO for revival and restoration. Theprominent carvings, carved straight out ofstone are Arjuna's Penance, Varaha Cavesdedicated to Lord Vishnu andMahishamardini Cave dedicated to LordShiva, Parvati and Garuda from Hindumythology. The Tsunami in 2004 exposedseveral submerged temples and a wholenew layer to the history of Mahabalipuram.Take soothing walks amidst green, lushparks and enjoy the fresh sea-breezecoming in from the Bay of Bengal, that runsparallel to the city.
It is hard to imagine that this small tourist-friendly town was once a bustling port-capital of the Pallava dynasty, some 1,400years back. Mammallapuram, orMahabalipuram as it was earlier called, wasnamed after ‘Mammala’, a title of KingNarasimha Varman I, the Pallava ruler whoset up his capital here and established acentre of sculpture and art in the 7thcentury CE. The striking feature of thesculpture here is that it is all monolithic —giant temples carved from single rocks. Thetown still harbours those fabulous ancientcarved structures, worthy of its UNESCOWorld Heritage Site status, and made doublyatmospheric by its seaside location.Mammallapuram is also a great destinationfor a lazy beach holiday, and has all theessential ingredients — sea, sand, sun,souvenirs and seafood. There are plenty ofcheap lodges and hotels, but if you want tospoil yourself, then there are manyluxurious beach resorts here that you cancheck into.
Built as a testament to Mamallapuram’smight as a busy port during the times ofPallava king Narasimhavarman, ShoreTemple in Mahabalipuram, is one of India’soldest structural stone temples. Built in the8th century out of massive slabs of granite,the temple is really a religious complexhousing three temples, situated on thecoastline of the Bay of Bengal.Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram houses themain shrine, which is a five-storied templededicated to Lord Shiva. In between themain temple and the other smaller templededicated to Lord Shiva as well, is the shrinededicated to Lord Vishnu, represented in hisreclining form. The entire complex and thetemples themselves are glorious exemplarsof Dravidian architectural style and arereplete with incredible ornamentation,carvings, sculptures and mythical figures.Circling the complex is a wall carved withimages of Yali (mythical tiger like creature),Varahas (boar) and Nandi, the bull (LordShiva’s mount).
2 Pancha Rathas
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Panch Rathas in Mahabalipuram arestupendous monolith shrines dedicated to each of the Pandavas from the epicsaga of Mahabharata. Created by thePallavan kings, King Mahendravarman andKing Narasimhavarman, his son, andlabelled World Heritage site, each shrinehere has been carved out of a single block ofpink granite and intricately sculpted intoexistence. Standing here since the 7thcentury A.D., and having weathered thewrath of nature and time over the years, theRathas, though appearing slightlyunfinished, are grand exemplars of Pallavanrock-cut architectural style.
As you enter the complex of Panch Rathas, Draupadi’s ratha is on youright. Shaped like a hut, Draupadi’s ratha isalso dedicated to Goddess Durga. Next up isArjuna’s rath, dedicated to Lord Shiva.Nakula and Sahadev’s rath, in front ofArjuna’s, has a number of beautiful, statelysculptures of elephants. Fittingly, thebiggest rath is that of Bhima’s. It ishumongous and has lion sculpturessurrounding it and carved on its pillars.Finally, towards one end of the complex isYudhistra’s rath, eldest of the Pandavas.
3 Arjuna's Penance
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Quintessentially an Indian aspect, there is a96 feet long and 43 feet wide humongousopen air relief in Mahabalipuram, classifieda World Heritage site, with every millimetreof the monolithic rock carved intricately withscenes and characters that no one has beenable to make up their mind about. Believedby some to narrate the tale of river Gangesdescent from heavens, the otherinterpretation leans more towards the storyof Arjuna’s Penance in Mahabalipuram inorder to seek a boon from Lord Shiva.
significance that immediately points to itsPallavan origins, the relief is divided into twohalves by a natural cleft. To the left is thedisputed figure of a man standing on oneleg, arms upraised and standing behind himis Lord Shiva. Considered to be either KingBhagiratha doing tapasya to bring RiverGanges to Earth or Arjuna doing penance inorder to seek Pasupata, Lord Shiva’s mostpowerful weapon, to fight the epic war ofMahabharata.Surrounding the figure are scenes anddepictions of mythological characters,creatures, celestial world with practically life-sized bas-reliefs of elephants and theircalves lyrically carved into the monolithicrock in immortalized narration.
Arjuna’s Penance in Mahabalipuram isconsidered the largest open-air bas-relief inthe world. Carved on the side of a cliff is anelaborate depiction of one of the scenesfrom the Mahabharata — Arjuna doingpenance to obtain a special weapon for theKurukshetra war. The 30m x 12m carvedarea is split into two by a fissure that depictsa river. It is also believed to be Bhagirath’sPenance, depicting how the sage’sausterities made the divine river Gangesdescend to earth. It is believed that in thePallava times, water flowed down this crackinto the tank below. Animals andsupernatural creatures are carved aroundArjuna, and sculptures of gods Shiva andVishnu.
4 Thirukadalmallai
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Known to its devotees as SthalasayanaPerumal Temple, Thirukadalmallai is one ofthe 108 Divya Desams (108 Vishnu templesthat find reference in the literary works ofTamil saints, Azhvars) dedicated to LordVishnu in his Sthalasayana Perumal avataras well as in his epic avatar, that of LordNarasimha, and Mother Shakti in herNilamangai Thayaar avatar. Yet anotherPallavan architectural marvel,Thiruadalmallai has two separate shrines,one dedicated to Lord SthalasayanaPerumal and Nilamangai Thayaar and theother to Lord Narasimha. Standing onMahabalipuram shore against the sparklingblue backdrop of the Bay of Bengal,Thiurkadalmallai is also the birthplace ofBhoothathazhwar, 2nd of the Azhwars,Tamil saints. Soul of Sri Thirumangai Alvar’s,(last of the 12 Azhwars) pasurams (hymncompositions), Thirukadalmallai findsreference in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, acollection of tamil verses, 4000 in total,composed by the 12 Azhwars well before
the 8th century.With its foundationthreaded in mythological lores and tales ofdevotional zeal, Thirukadalmallai ismesmerizingly beautiful. Surrounded by acanopy of evergreen shrubs and trees,casuarinas, there are a number of tinyvillages settled near the temple where youcan pick up unique handicrafts andantiques.
1st Floor, Grande Bay Resort ,Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
+91-27443060
A fine example of how metropolitanismseems to be catching up withMamallapuram where Pallava dynasty stillreigns in spirit, L'Attitude 49 isone of the few rare places in Mamallapuramwhere alcohol is on the menu apart from itsexcellent, wide range of seafood.
If you think you have had enough of seafoodfor one trip, then take a break only after youhave indulged in at Latitude 49. While itsmostly seafood on menu, Latitude 49’sdistinguishing factor is the range of waysand styles seafood is prepared. You will findfishes, prawns, calamari, lobsters andprawns done in thai, chinese, malaysian andsingaporean style, each as delicious as thenext with a great view of the sea to whetyour appetite even more.
Othavadai Street, Fisherman Colony,Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu,603104, India
Yet another culinary classic of the town, SriAnanda Bhavan in Mahabalipuramrestaurant is a popular dining choice of bothlocals and tourists alike. While Idlis atthis cozy restaurant make for perfectbreakfasts, for lunch indulge in their thalioption, which though heavy on yourstomach is surprisingly light on your pocket.Other must try dining options at therestaurant are Masala dosa, vada, Uttapamand other classic south Indian culinaryoptions on the menu.
4 Nautilus
Othavadai Cross, Mahabalipuram,Tamil Nadu, India
In a beach town expect establishments to golittle overboard with the witty seareferences. One such establishment isNautilus restaurant. A fairly well knownchain restaurant with branches in Goa,Hampi, etc Nautilus seems to have a knackfor attracting a wide range of diners with itsdelightful ambience and delicious food.
A range of cuisines are served out here witha focus on seafood dishes. Run by a Frenchcouple, Nautilus offers most of the classicfavourites of all the cuisines it caters in.European, Italian, to Chettinad andtraditional south Indian, there is somethingfor everyone’s palate out here. Some of themust try dishes are grilled red snapper,pasta, chicken chettinad, garlic prawns,coconut fish curry and calamaris amongstmany others. Do remember to get yourcaffeine and sugar fix out here with theircoffee and chocolate cake.
5 Moonrakers
34, Othavadai Street, Mamallapuram,Tamil Nadu, 603104, India
+91-44-27442115
Abuzz with the tourist crowd, particularlyexpats, Moonrakers is a more contemporarydining option in the heritage city ofMamallapuram. Spread over three stories,Moonrakers lures you with its snazzyambience and culinary magic.
One of the few places in Mamallapuramwhere you can get alcohol, Moonrakers laysout a multi-cuisine spread with a smatteringof dishes from a range of cuisines. Whilenorth and south Indian dishes are gooddining options, do try out their seafooddishes with the core ingredient fresh fromthe sea. Other options that you will find toyour liking are pasta, refreshing tropicalsalads and pancakes for breakfast.
AccommodationF: Indeco Hotels MahabalipuramG: Golden Sun Beach ResortH: Sai Baba Guest HouseI: Indeco Hotels MahabalipuramJ: Golden Sun Beach ResortK: Sai Baba Guest HouseL: Indeco Hotels MahabalipuramM: Golden Sun Beach ResortN: Sai Baba Guest House
FoodO: L'Attitude 49P: Le YogiQ: Sri Ananda BhavanR: NautilusS: Moonrakers
