Excursion to Mahabalipuram from Chennai

Located just outside Chennai, Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) is home to a group of famous temples which have been cut out of rocks and sitting on a glorious beach, along the Bay of Bengal.

It is believed that the art of stone architecture in south India began here and eventually reached to Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, and Madurai.

The history of Mahabalipuram is rich. It was once the main port and naval base of the great Pallava kingdom in the 7th and 8th centuries. During which the village witnessed a large-scale temple construction. The most renowned landmark of Mahabalipuram is the Shore Temple built in 7th century CE. Standing alone on the shore, this temple is protected by a wall constructed to minimize erosion.One of the structures kept in a better-preserved state is Arjuna's Penance, a complicated piece of work sculpted on two huge boulders. A cleft in the rock enables rainwater to cascade down between the two boulders, stimulating the descent of the mighty river Ganga.

The tour takes you further to visit the 'Pancha Rathas' (five chariots) complex which is a masterpiece in architecture and sculptures. The structure is named after the Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata and their wife Draupadi. Though the temple is incomplete, it exudes architectural brilliance of the Dravidian style.Also worth seeing in Mahabalipuram are the eight magnificent Mandapams.