Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram is a
historic cityand UNESCO
World Heritage site in Tamil Nadu, India. During the
reign of the Pallava dynasty, between the 3rd century CE and 7th century CE, it
became an important center of art, architecture and literature.Mahabalipuram was already a thriving sea port on the Bay of Bengal before this
time. A significant amount of coins and other artefacts excavated from this
region also indicate a pre-existing trade relation with the
Romans even before it became a part of the Pallava Empire.Ancient mariners considered this place the land of the
Seven Pagodas. The most popular explanation is that the place is named
after benevolent King Bali, also known as Mahabali. “Puram”
is a Sanskrit term for a
city or urban dwelling.
The Tiger Cave islocated a couple of miles in the south on the seashore facing the sea. There is
a beautiful monolithic stage where cultural programmes were held in olden days.
Arjuna's Penance is the splendor of Mahallipuram. It is a huge rock in the canvas
unfolding a scene of gods and demigods, birds, beasts and natural scenery. A natural cleft in rock has been cleverly
carved into the turbulent river Ganges with serpent gods worshipping like
devotees along the banks frozen in their prayer a superb poetry in sculpture
which no visitor should miss. This a complicated magnificent piece of
skillfully carved work, the largest bas-relief sculptures in the world. Arjuna, the epic hero of Mahabharata, is
depicted here as sage doing penance in order to obtain the divine weapons from
Lord Shiva.
Besides one would be
wonderstruck to see Krishna's butterball a huge boulder with just a tip of it touching the rock giving the
on-looker an impression that it may roll on him any moment.
PanchaRatha (five chariots) is an architectural
ode to Mahabharata’sfive Pandava brothers Yudhistir, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and theirwife Draupadi. Thematically and structurally, each ratha is significantly
different from the other ones, but all of them were carved out of a long stone
or monolith. Spread over one to three story’s, their forms vary from square to
apsidal. The walls of these ancient edifices are decorated with bas-reliefs andmurals. A beautifully carved monolithic airavata (elephant)and nandi (bull)decorate the premises. Though originally meant to be places of worships, these
were never consecrated and used actively for any sacred rites.
A lighthouse isa tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a
system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational
aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthousesmark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, rocks and safeentries to harbors; they also assist in aerial navigation. Once widelyused, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of
maintenance and use of electronic navigational systems.
Themuseum is built on 10 acres of land taken on a 33-year lease fromthe Government of Tamil Nadu. Developed as a heritage village, DakshinaChitra has an array of displays
depicting the life pattern of Indians in the states of South India. Theexhibits portray the living beliefs of art, folk performing-arts, craft andarchitecture of India, in particular of SouthIndian traditions.
Come to Mahabalipuram (also known asMammallapuram), an enchanting beach that is located on the east coast of India.Turned up at the distance of 58 km from Chennai, the golden sandy beach is a
charming place encircled by the rolling hills and glittering sea.
Muttukadu boat house is a water sport
facility on the east coast road at Muttukadu, Chennai, india, offering rowing,
wind surfing, water skiing, andspeedboat riding. It is a backwater area of the
Bay of Bengal located 36km from the city center and 23 km from adyar on the way
to mahaballipuram.
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