Attractions

Mahabalipuram's monolithic shrines and rock-cut cave temples lie scattered over a landscape heaped with boulders and rocky hillocks. Among these, the excellent Shore Temple, built to Lord Shiva, and the Five Rathas, a cluster of temples named for the five Pandava brothers of Mahabharata fame, are definitely worth seeking out, so too the celebrated Arjuna's Penance, largest relief-carving on earth -- try to see these as early in the day as possible, before busloads of noisy vacationers descend. Also try to view Mahishamardini Mandapa (give the nearby government-run Sculpture Museum a miss). If you feel the need to visit an active temple, head for Talasayana Perumal Temple, dedicated to Vishnu. It stands on the site of an original 9th-century Pallava temple but was rebuilt during the 14th century by the Vijayanagar King Parang Kusan, who feared that the sea would eventually erode Shore Temple. Half-hour puja (prayer) sessions are conducted daily at 9am, 11:30am, and 7:30pm. About 4km (2 1/2 miles) north of Mahabalipuram, Tiger Cave (Covelong Rd.) is the site of an 8th-century shrine to the tiger-riding goddess Durga. It's thought that the shallow cave, with its sculpted yalis (mythical beasts) framing the entrance, might have been used for open-air performances.

Lost City: The Temple Uncovered by the Big Tsunami -- When the powerful wall of water began to recede from the shores of Mahabalipuram, it uncovered ancient rock sculptures of lions, elephants, and peacocks -- all fairly common motifs used to decorate walls and temples during the Pallava period in the 7th and 8th centuries. Could this be the remains of a once thriving city, submerged below the sea when the shoreline changed? Archaeologists working off the coast after the December 2004 tsunami have already uncovered the remains of a massive collapsed temple, built entirely of granite blocks, renewing speculation that Mahabalipuram was a part of the legendary Seven Pagodas, written of in the diaries of European travelers, and that six temples remain submerged in the ocean.