Places to Visit in Mahabalipuram
Introduction
Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram as it is also known, is a well-known and historically significant tourist destination located on the Coromandel Coast along the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu. For its intricately carved temples and rock-cut caves, it is renowned. Formerly the home of the illustrious demon king Mahabali, Mahabalipuram was later renamed Mamallapuram.
One would want to visit this wonderful town for many reasons, including the tranquility, the alluring atmosphere, and the impressive setting with numerous beautiful white sandy beaches scattered with casuarina trees. The Group of Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas, the Crocodile Bank, home to some exquisite crocodile and alligator species, and the beach resorts in Kovalam and Sadras are just a few well-known tourist destinations.
How to reach Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram is located not far from Chennai. So it’s best to travel by road from Chennai. Buses from Koyembedu (CMBT), Thiruvanmiyur (Chennai), and Kanchipuram arrive in the town’s center. By Indian standards, the East Coast Road drive from Chennai is a beautiful experience.
By Flight: Mahabalipuram is not serviced by direct flights. About 40 kilometers away, Chennai is the closest airport. To get to Mahabalipuram, you can take a taxi from Chennai airport.
Mahabalipuram is 40 kilometers from Chennai Airport, the closest airport.
By Road: You can take a direct car ride or the Chennai route to Mahabalipuram. Bus services are accessible from some cities, including Bangalore, Coimbatore, and Chennai.
By Train: To Mahabalipuram, there are no direct train services. The Egmore station in Chennai is the closest railroad station. After arriving in Chennai, you have two options: take a taxi waiting outside the train station or board one of the frequent buses traveling from Chennai to Mahabalipuram.
Local Transport in Mahabalipuram
There are many different ways to get around the town of Mahabalipuram, including buses and motorcycles that can be rented. Because it’s a small town, you can walk to all the main sights. This can lower your transportation costs while gradually allowing you to enjoy the area’s natural beauty.
Best Time to visit Mahabalipuram
The winter season, which lasts from October to March, is ideal for a trip to Mahabalipuram. The weather is still pleasant, with warm and chilly nights, making it perfect for outdoor activities and town exploration. The busiest travel season is November to February, when the weather is nice. Summertime trips to Mahabalipuram are typically avoided due to oppressive heat and extremely high temperatures.
Food in Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram is bursting at the seams with intriguing and aesthetically pleasing eateries, cafes, and cuisines of all kinds. Here you can find a variety of western delicacies and street food’s vibrant colors and spicy flavors. Try the grilled fish, vegetarian thali, prawns, lobsters, crabs, and other dishes while you’re here. But, of course, a typical South Indian platter with items like Idli, Dosa, Appam, Vada, Upma Sambhar, Sweet Pongal, Kesari, Payassam, and more is also an option.
Places to visit in Mahabalipuram
- Shore Temple:
One of the earliest South Indian temples built in the Dravidian style, Shore Temple was constructed in the 7th century and reflected the royal taste of the Pallava dynasty. UNESCO has included the temple’s construction as one of its World Heritage Sites. It is one of the most photographed monuments in India and is situated in Mahabalipuram along the Bay of Bengal.
According to legend, Mahabalipuram’s Seven Pagodas included the Shore Temple. An old Hindu code is about the Seven Pagodas. Prince Hiranyakasipu was not a follower of Lord Vishnu. He was forced to exile his son Prahlada from the kingdom because Prahlada had a solid devotion to Lord Vishnu. His grandson Bali also established Mahabalipuram.
Architecture: The Pallavas built their first stone building, the Shore Temple. Before constructing this one, all the historical monuments were made of rocks and stones. The magnificent temple has a five-story structure that was carved out of rock. It was one of the first and most significant temples to be built in all of Southern India. Sculptures and carvings are used to decorate the temple’s top structure. A stone has also been made to significantly improve the striking temple’s protection from sea erosion.
- Mahabalipuram Beach:
Mahabalipuram Beach, which the locals call Mamallapuram, is 58 kilometres from Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The beach is a blast for swimmers and surfers.
The beach also has exciting tourist attractions, such as a crocodile bank with about 5000 crocodiles from six different species, an art and sculpture school, and a facility for extracting snake venom. Along the beach, there are a ton of resorts with fantastic restaurants.
Things to do: Numerous tourists frequent Mahabalipuram Beach yearly because of the thrilling water sports offered, including diving, motor boating, tanning, and windsurfing. You can take a break from the city’s hectic lifestyle. The most well-known temple in the town is Shore Temple, which is right by the water. The oldest stone temple in Tamil Nadu is supposedly this one. Additionally, you can go shopping and purchase the city’s well-known stone sculptures. Most of these carvings were created in the seventh century under the Pallava kings’ rule. The cost of admission to the UNESCO World Heritage group of monuments, which includes Shore Temple and the Five Rathas, is approximately INR 500 for foreign visitors and INR 30 for Indian citizens.
- Five Rathas:
The Panch Rathas, also called the Five Rathas, are a remarkable collection of rock temples. They are outstanding illustrations of how Dravidian architecture has developed.
These pagoda-shaped temples have a solid resemblance to Buddhist shrines and monasteries. The great epic Mahabharata is linked to the rathas. Draupadi’s Ratha is the first ratha right by the entrance gate. It is devoted to the goddess Durga and has a hut-like shape. Arjuna’s Rath follows. This one is dedicated to Lord Shiva and features a small entrance and carved pillar stones. This temple has many carvings on the outside but none inside. The Nakula Sahadev Rath is situated directly in front of Arjuna’s Rath. Large elephant sculptures that are part of this ratha constitute a significant draw for the Five Rathas. It is dedicated to Lord Indra, the rain god. Gigantic is the Bhima Rath. It is 42 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 25 feet tall. Even though the ratha as a whole is incomplete, the pillars there do have carvings of lions. The Dharamraja Yudhistar’s Rath is the biggest of the Five Rathas.
- Arjuna’s Penance:
The Arjuna’s Penance, one of the most significant rock carvings in the world, is located in Mahabalipuram in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. Because the building depicts either or both of these two important and symbolic events from Hindu mythology, it is also known as the “Descent of the Ganges,” making it a favourite among historians, academics, and tourists interested in India’s rich cultural history.
The building is a fine example of this rare form of art, which originated in South India in the 7th century and involves carving and sculpting on rock forms, in addition to being historically significant. The Pallava dynasty ruled the area south of Vindhyas from the 4th to the 9th century. They are responsible for creating most of these rock formations, including Arjuna’s Penance. These locations continue to house the legacy of Pallava art today and are now under ASI and UNESCO protection.
History: One of the earliest rock sculptures produced to commemorate the change from Buddhism to Hinduism as the dominant religion when the Pallavas conquered Deccan from the Satavahanas is Arjuna’s Penance or Descent of the Ganges. Most of Mahabalipuram’s rock formations, including this one, were built during the reign of Narasimhavarman I of the Pallava Dynasty in the seventh century AD. The town’s colloquial name, Mamallapuram, comes from his nickname Mamallan.
Architecture: The Arjuna’s Penance bas-relief is carved on a sizable rock formation that measures about 30 meters (98 feet) long and 15 meters (50 feet) high. On a pinkish-grey rock face, with a large aperture in the middle that has been used to suggest the flow of the holy river, the Ganges, and the two divisions of the boulder as its two banks, intricately detailed and frequently life-sized sculptures have been carved.
- Alamparai Fort:
Because this long-forgotten trading post is rarely mentioned, many people are unaware of the significance of the fascinating fort. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation listed the defence as one of the twenty lesser-known tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin (TTDC). The view will leave you speechless regardless of how the Alamparai fort is currently being maintained. You’ll notice startling signs of life as you stroll through the beautiful defence, including trees, bushes, shrubs, and even creepers on the walls. They almost give the impression of supporting those portions of the building and assisting in their continued stability.
History: During the Mughal era, in the late 17th century, the Alamparai Fort was built. The enchanted fort was ruled over in 1735 AD by Nawab Doste Ali Khan, the Nawab of Arcot. As time passed, it was given to the French in 1750 AD in exchange for the services of a French commander named Dupleix. At that time, Subedar Muzarfarzang was in charge of the fort. Later, in 1760, during the Carnatic Wars, the British attacked it to seize control of the trading post. They could take the strong defense and completely demolish it by defeating the French.
Architecture: The 15 acres of the Alamparai Fort, which faced the Bay of Bengal, were home to a magnificent trading port constructed of limestone and bricks. The British destroyed the fort when they attacked and took it from the French during the Carnatic War, but the formations that are still standing today still bear signs of the fort’s 17th-century architecture. Unfortunately, most of the defense was damaged during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Currently, a portion of the fort is submerged beneath the water. Alamparai Fort is best visited between November and March when the weather is comfortable for touring the area.
- Sadras:
Sadras is an opulent beach resort that maximizes the beauty of its surroundings. The beaches that surround Mahabalipuram are lined with gorgeous, lush casuarina groves.
Anyone who desires to enjoy it will be mesmerized by the stunning contrast between the lush greenery and the sparkling white beaches. There is a beach resort 13 kilometers away from Mahabalipuram. Dutch gravestones with intricate embossing can be found in a cemetery and an old abandoned Dutch fort. Exploring some of the Dutch histories in the area and that of India is fascinating.
- Tiger Caves:
After making the five-kilometer trek from Mahabalipuram to this picturesque location outside of the town, locals unwind at Tigers Caves, located by the Bay of Bengal. There are no actual tigers present, despite the name of the caves. Instead, the 11 carved tiger-like heads surrounding the entrance gave the caves their name. These pictures are representations of the ‘yelir,’ a hybrid of a lion and a tiger. Goddess Durga is depicted on top of these tigers, one of the caves’ most attractive features.
History: The Tiger Caves’ foundation was established in the 7th or 8th century AD. The caves are linked to the Pallava Dynasty. The Pallava Kings delivered their speeches in these caves, following the Golden Chariot’s rules. The audience and other courtiers were seated around the central chamber where the kings were sitting. Various festivals were also observed in these cases, and several artists entertained the king.
Best Time to visit: When the weather is nice and one can enjoy sightseeing and other adventure activities, November to February is the best time to visit the Tiger Caves. Avoid visiting the area between June and September because it is hot and difficult to travel and engage in other tourist activities.
- Crocodile Bank
Mahabalipuram is 14 kilometers away from the Crocodile Bank. Romulus Whitaker, a herpetologist, founded it in 1976. It is home to many different species of crocodiles and alligators from Africa and India.
They are housed in open swimming pools that mimic their natural habitat. The most visited place at Crocodile Bank is the Crocodile Conservation Center. This location also houses a snake farm. Laboratories here produce anti-venom. The Irulas, the tribe of the snake catcher, make a living off of the snake venom extraction process, which is a well-liked tourist attraction.
- Covelong Beach:
Kovalam Beach, which is close to the village of Covelong on the Bay of Bengal coast, was given the name “Covelong” by the British because they had trouble pronouncing “Kovalam.” Covelong Beach, a lovely getaway surrounded by palm trees and silver sand, was once established as a port for Carnatic Nawabs by Saadat Ali. The French seized the area in 1746, and it was destroyed by the British in 1752. The Beach has evolved into one of the top destinations for excursions and picnics over the centuries and into the modern era. The first surfing school in India is in a nearby village. Visitors can engage in a wide variety of water sports at the beach.
Water Activity: Kovalam Beach, which is close to the village of Covelong on the Bay of Bengal coast, was given the name “Covelong” by the British because they had trouble pronouncing “Kovalam.” Covelong Beach, a lovely getaway surrounded by palm trees and silver sand, was once established as a port for Carnatic Nawabs by Saadat Ali. The French seized the area in 1746, and it was destroyed by the British in 1752. The Beach has evolved into one of the top destinations for excursions and picnics over the centuries and into the modern era. The first surfing school in India is in a nearby village. Visitors can engage in a wide variety of water sports at the beach—activities like Surfing, sailing, Boating, and Fishing.
- Indian Shell Museum:
The largest museum of its kind in Asia is located in Mahabalipuram and was recently constructed. It is a collection of different seashells kept to educate visitors. In addition, over 40,000 other rare and distinctive shell specimens can be found there.
Conclusion
Mahabalipuram is a location well-known for its temples and landmarks, notably the highly well-known Shore Temple. It was built in the eighth century and consisted of three temples grouped into a single complex. The Pancha Rathas is another famous temple.
