Things To Do in Mamallapuram
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Mamallapuram 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.
- Landmark
Arjuna's Penance
Opposite Talasayana Perumal Temple, the world's largest bas-relief is commonly referred to as "The Descent of the Ganges," depicting the sacred penance performed by one of the Pandava brothers. Standing on one leg, the meditative Arjuna contemplates Shiva -- a painful reparation… - Natural Attraction
Mahishasuramardini Cave
A lighthouse tops the hill where you'll find a number of superb rock-cut shrines -- seek out Mahishasuramardini Mandapa, remarkable for the two impressive friezes at each end of its long veranda. In the panel to the right, Durga, the terrifying mother of the universe, is seated… - Religious Site
Panch Pandava Rathas
The initial sight of these five (panch) monolithic stone shrines, set in a sandy fenced-off clearing, is dramatic, even though the structures themselves -- named for the five brother-heroes of the Mahabharata and resembling temple chariots (rathas) -- are incomplete. The ancient… - Religious Site
Shore Temple
Perched at the edge of a sandy beach on the Bay of Bengal, where it has been subjected to centuries of battering by salt water and oceanic winds, this early-8th-century stone temple is considered one of the oldest temples in South India, and a forerunner of the Dravidian style. Its…
