Mahabalipuram Tour | Mahabalipuram Sightseeing | Mahabalipuram Hotel

By Air
The nearest airport of Chennai (58 Kms) connects Mahabalipuram with other major cities of India and the world by frequent flights.

By Rail
The nearest railway stations from Mahabalipuram are Chennai (58 Kms) and Chengalpattu (29 Kms). From there one has to take the road journey.

By Road
The good motorable roads connects Mahabalipuram with nearby towns. Regular bus services are available from Pondicherry, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai to Mahabalipuram.

Arjuna's Penance
This quaint little town of Mamallapuram in enriched with ancient with ancient and splendid sculptures. Each of the beautiful works of art has a story to tell. Like the large 27 m by 9 m bas-relief that narrates the tale of Arjuna's Penance. Arjuna here is shown standing on one leg to please Lord Shiva into helping him winback the Pandava Empire. A fascinating combination of humans, animals and celestial beings seem to be rushing to the revered scene. Most prominent among them is a 4.8 m majestic elephant leading a procession. Also known as the Descent of the Ganga, this impressive canvas portrays the life giving River Ganges flowing out from its high source in the Himalayas. Enchanting stories from the Panchatantra are also a part of this magnificent bas-relief.

Shore Temple
The most renowned landmark of Mamallapuram is the Shore Temple. Standing alone on the shore, this temple is protected by a wall constructed to minimise erosion. It is believed that at one point in time there were seven such temples, six of them were victims to the natural elements of erosion.

King Rajasimha built this exquisite temple over 1,200 years ago in the 7th centuary A.D. It has three shrines; one dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the other two to Lord Shiva. The forthy waves form a striking backdrop to the temple, protected by rows of rock-carved bulls. The most unique feature ot he temple is that it houses shrines to both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The 2.4 m long bas-relief of Lord Vishnu reclining on his serpent conch can be seen in his shrine. The 16-sided granite lingam in one of the chambers is said to have touched the ceiling once. The entrance is guarded by deities and the temple was given the World Heritage listing a few years ago. A classic example of the best Dravidian architecture, the unique temple will leave you in awe of the sculptor's talent.

Mandapams
Mamallapuram is the eight magnificent Mandapams-caves carved out of the hillside with splendid sculptures and pillars. Each of the shallow temples has five bas-reliefs with scenes from Hindu mythology and two of them remain unfinished.

Krishna Mandapam
In the Krishna Mandapam, the bas-relief shows Lord Krishna sheltering the shepherds and their cattle from the fury of the Rain God Indira with his enormous umbrella.On the hill rests a dangerously balanced boulder named Krishna's Butterball after his legendary affinity for fresh butter.

Mahishasura Mardini Mandapam
Are splendid sculptures of Goddess Durga fighting the evil buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura. Lord Vishnu sleeping on the coils of Adishesh the serpent can be seen too.

Varaha Mandapam
Varaha the boar, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu is seen emerging from the sea clinging onto the rescued Earth Goddess in the Varaha Mandapam.

Rathas
The five monolithic Rathas of Mamallapuram are named after the victorious Pandava brothers of the epic Mahabharatha and their wife Draupadi. Through the temples are incomplete, they exude architectural brilliance of the Dravidian style, seen in the magnificent gopurams, vimanas and carved walls. The majestic Lion, an Elephant and the sacred nandi guard the rathas.

Trimurti Cave & Adivaraha Temple
People pratice worship in the Trimurti Cave and the Adivaraha Temple. Beautiful sculptures of mythical creatures, monkeys and yalis cover the walls.

Tiger Cave
On the outskirts of Mamallapuram, 4 kms tot he north is the unfinished Tiger Cave originally meant to be the stage of an open-air ampitheatre.

Kancheepuram
The glorious city of Kancheepuram is one of the seven sacred pilgrim centres of the Hindus. Being as it was the capital city of the pallava, Chola and Vijayanagar dynasties it has seen the rise and fall of many a kingdom, and once boasted of a 1000 celebrated temples that enhanced the landscape. Today, unfortunately only 125 temples ramain. The worship of both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva is the unique feature of this temple town.

Kamakshi Temple
Legend has it that goddess Parvathi; the wife of Lord Shiva tied a blindfold around his eyes in good sprit and was punished for it. After days of penance Lord Shiva pardoned her at the place where the Kamakshi Temple stands. A glorious golden gopuram crowns this splendid temple. The colorful Car Festival is held here in February or March.

Hall of a Thousand Pillars
The magnificent sculptured Hall of a Thousand Pillars is part of the Varadarajaswamy Temple, also known as the Devarajaswamy Temple. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it has spacious courtyards and a splendid seven-storied gopuram. The detailed and exquisite sculptures, the pillared hall and the monolithic ornamental chain make it one of the most beautiful temples in Kancheepuram.

Covelong
20 km a fishing village and a beach. A 1.6 km road branches off at Kelambakkam for Covelong. Good for a day's picnic.

Open Air Museum
This newly set up modern open-air museum of sculpture reflects the cultural heritage of the Tamil people from the pre-Sangam days. The objects on display, shaped mostly from granite by 200 sculptors, include a chain in stone, ornamental wheels and a host of other items. The themes here are many, including those relating to historical and cultural events of the period, placing the contribution of the Tamil land in proper perspective Situated very close to the Shore temple, one can have a glimpse of the past, as well as the progress being made in the present in the field of art in Tamil Nadu.

Vedanthangal (55 kms)
The 30-hectare national sanctuary for migratory birds here is visited every year by thousands of birds, which come during the winter to breed. During certain years, more than a hundred thousand birds have been seen in this sanctuary. A large marshy area around the Vedanthangal Lake harbours nearly 100 species of migratory birds, some coming from as far as Siberia.

Cholamandal Artists Village (35 kms)
This artists' cooperative has sprung up 20 km south of Chennai on the way to Mamallapuram in a sylvan location by the beach that facilitates the blossoming of creativity. It is far removed from the bustle of the everyday world. Several of South India’s eminent artists and sculptors live and work here, and exhibit and sell their creations at the gallery that is a part of the village.

Crocodile Bank (14 kms)
About 5000 crocodiles representing many species and several kinds of other reptiles are reared here.

Pongal
Pongal is the harvest Festival of Tamil Nadu and it is celebrated on a grand scale in the middle of January. These are added attractions at Mamallapuram, if you visit at that time of the year.

Dance Festival
December-January is the time at Mamallapuram to celebrate the Mamallapuram Dance Festival each year. To the accompanying music of the wind and with Arjuna's Penance serving as a fitting backdrop, exponents of the Classical Indian Dance forms and Folk Dances from all over the country come together to perform at this venue. This Dance festival attracts tourists in large numbers.

There are several small shops that sell decorative articles made of sea-shells, granite and small statuettes carved out of soft stone. The Government run Poompuhar has a branch in Mamallapuram and they sell a variety of handicrafts.