Travel guide- Places for tourists to tour in Mahabalipuram
Read this travel guide for places worth to travel in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. Read about the major tourist attractions in Mahabalipuram and know how to reach these places and where to stay in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, was the second capital and flourishing port of the Pallava kings, who ruled from Kanchipuram from the third to the close of the ninth century A.D. It was built in the seventh century. This tourist resort is situated 60 km. south of Madras.Places to see in Mahabalipuram
Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram: The Shore Temple, delicately carved in the Rajasimha style of the eighth century, is the only surviving temple of a group of seven such temples, while the remaining temples are lost having fallen in the vastness of the sea. The Shore Temple has two rock-cut shrines which are dedicated to Lord Siva and to Lord Vishnu.
The Shore Temple is a two-spire structure, designed after the monolithic Dharmaraja Ratha but with many modifications. Spanning 12 centuries of history, the Shore Temple stands as a symbol of the soaring aesthetic aspirations of the Pallavas.
Mamallapuram Panch (five) Rathas in Mahabalipuram: These five Rathas which look like pagodas are small shrines carved in different styles from big boulders in the shape of temple chariots. These five Rathas are known as Pancha Pandava Rathas. Among these five Rathas, four of them are named after four of the five Pandavas, while the fifth Ratha has been named after their wife Draupadi.
These Five Rathas are in one place. There are four more Rathas — one near Arjuna's Penance and the three others on the outskirts of Mahabalipuram. The Dharmaraja Ratha is the biggest and the best of the Five Rathas. This lofty two-storied structure is a gallery of art. All these Rathas highlight the Pallava genius for variety in art forms.
Arjuna's Penance in Mahabalipuram: Considered as one of the excellent examples of Indian art, this bas-relief is an enormous rock canvas depicting the carved drawings of the denizens of the triple world of Gods and demi-Gods, birds of men, and beasts and of Nagas and nymphs -all fitting harmoniously into the theme of the penance of a mythological hero.
There are two schools of opinion about this event of cosmic significance. One school holds that Arjuna undertook a penance to secure from Lord Siva a powerful weapon to destroy his enemies. Siva granted the boon, and to witness this miracle, visitors rushed from the heaven, the earth and the mid-regions.
Another school holds that the scene depicts the penance of Bhagiratha, an ancestor of Rama. Bhagiratha was sent on a mission of redeeming the souls of his ancestors whose ashes lay in the nether world as a result of a curse. He wanted to have their ashes submerged by the holy Ganga water and thus help them to ascend to heaven. He accomplished this in two stages. After a long penance, he got the Gods agree to send the Ganga to earth. Then, through another penance, he invoked Siva to tame the Ganga fury. Lord Siva received the Ganga on His matted hair and allowed the water to trickle down to earth. The cleft in the rock depicts the Ganga descending into the world.
Krishna Mandapam in Mahabalipuram: It recreates one of the episodes from the life of Lord Krishna, an idyll from His boyhood. The pastoral scene carved on the Mandapam's walls depicts the Lord lifting the mountain to protect the shepherd community of Gokula from the wrath of Varuna, the rain God. The poetic grace that abounds in the even tenor of pastoral life is presented here with a vividness and charm which mere words cannot convey.
Mahishasuramardini Mandapam in Mahabalipuram: In this cave, the battle scene of Goddess Durga with the demon Mahishasura who had the head of a buffalo and his destruction has been depicted by Pallava artists with wondrous aesthetic perfection. Another sculpture in the cave depicts Lord Vishnu resting on Adisesha, his serpent couch.
Varaha Mandapam in Mahabalipuram: The Varaha Cave is among the finest and excellent gems of Pallava art. Two avatars of Lord Vishnu are depicted in this cave. One story depicts the scene of Vishnu taking the form of Varaha, a mighty boar, and going deep into the ocean to rescue the Goddess Earth.
With a boar's head, the Lord emerges from the ocean triumphantly, holding the Earth Goddess, who is seated on His knee. A sequence from the story of Vishnu's incarnation as Vamana, a Brahmin dwarf, is portrayed on the southern wall of the cave.How to reach Mahabalipuram
Reach Mahabalipuram through Roadways: The Chennai-based Pallavan Transport Corporation and other private operators run regular bus services from Chennai at half-hour interval. The journey takes two-and-half hours. To visit Thirukkazhukundram, take a bus going to Chingleput.
Reach Mahabalipuram by flight: Chennai, 60 km away from Mahabalipuram, has both domestic and international airports.
Reach Mahabalipuram by Train: The nearest railway station is at Chengalpattu, 29 km away from Mahabalipuram. Excursions from Mahabalipuram
Thirukkazhukundram (Pakahitheertham): It is 16 km. from Mahabalipuram. At the temple atop a hill here, the priest feeds a pair of kites, which, according to a legend, visit the peak every noon at a particular time from Varanasi on their way to Rameswaram.
It is worth watching. From here Kanchipuram is 65 km; Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary 70 km; Uthiramerur Siva temple 60 km; Thirupporur Murugan temple 16km; Crocodile Bank 14km; and Covelong 20km.