Asian Travels

Mahabalipuram
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Its irresistible scenic golden beaches, azure waters and majestic historical attractions make Mahabalipuram a destination that you can never forget. A charming coastal town deemed for being popular for its many stone carved heritage sites, Mahabalipuram is a major stopover especially for people coming from Chennai and Puducherry. Also known as Mammallapuram, this one of its tourist destination houses a street dotted with cafes, that serve multiple western cuisines; and leads to a breathtaking oceanfront, where surfing and basking in the sun are your two best options. While you get to revel in the evening by savouring some extravagant seafood, the afternoons can be dedicated to sightseeing of some well maintained architectural sites. Thus, if you plan it right, a trip to Mahabalipuram can be a holistic experience. Here is our pick of 12 best things to do and see while you are at this scenic coastal town of Tamil Nadu.

Rejuvenate at the alluring Beaches

A major crowd puller any coastal town offers is its beaches. In Mahabalipuram, a stretch of 20 km coastline provides two fabulous attractions, Mahabalipuram Beach and Pallava Beach that help revitalize your body, mind and soul completely. The beaches comprise golden sandy shore where you can bask in the warm sun, relishing coconut water. You can stroll at the beach admiring the beauty of the place and in case you are visiting here for a family vacation, you can partake in several beach activities that are made available for both kids and elders. Enjoy some action packed sports like surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. You may also find other fun water sports such as boat rides and quad bike rides at these beaches of Mahabalipuram.

Awe-inspiring ArjunaвЂ�s Penance

Being a major tourist attraction in Mahabalipuram, ArjunaвЂ�s Penance is one of the greatest ancient artworks inscribed in two monolithic rock boulders. This work of art brilliantly highlights Arjuna doing his penance in order to gratify Lord Shiva to get his celestial weapon. The rock carving displays scenes of Hindu mythology with animals and human figures as well as images of Gods carved in the form of sculptures. The site is located in the heart of Mahabalipuram and it is approximately 43 feet high and stretches up to 100 feet in length. All the hard work put to create such a masterpiece can easily be seen when you visit this attractive UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Try different Cuisine and go on a Shopping Spree

Renowned for being the largest seashell museum in India, India Seashell Museum and Aquarium provides a splendid ambience offering a great way to educate yourself about the rich marine life worldwide. The complex treasures about 40,000 different kinds of rare and unique shells and a wide collection of fossils, whale fins and shark teeth. Spanning over an area of almost two acres, this attraction also has a boutique, Maya Bazaar, from where you can take home various items made of seashells and even pearls, a must buy souvenir is the conch. Also, stocked here are the beautiful pearl jewelries and other interesting artifacts. Not to miss is the scrumptious restaurant and an ice-cream parlour that serves delicious seafood and dessert.

Captivating Mamallapuram Dance Festival

One of the finest cultural fiestasin this coastal town is Mamallapuram Dance Festival. This annual celebration takes place every in December or January (dates may vary) and it displays the art of elegance and poise through various classical dances. Amongst all prominent dance festival in India, this event focuses mainly towards the southern regions. The festival displays art forms through classical dances like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. This dance extravaganza lasts for four-weeks and its main highlight is the venue of the festival, which is a place near the most popular attraction of Mahabalipuram, ArjunaвЂ�s Penance Rock Sculpture, thus, providing a perfect backdrop.

Delve into the Thirukadalmallai

A marvelous structure erected by the Pallava Kings around 6-8th century BCE, Thirukadalmallai or Sthalasayana Perumal Temple is one of the 108 popular temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This shrine is designed in Dravidian Pallava style architecture and it still holds festive offerings and religious activities.

Witness the largest collection of Seashells

Renowned for being the largest seashell museum in India, India Seashell Museum and Aquarium provides a splendid ambience offering a great way to educate yourself about the rich marine life worldwide. The complex treasures about 40,000 different kinds of rare and unique shells and a wide collection of fossils, whale fins and shark teeth. Spanning over an area of almost two acres, this attraction also has a boutique, Maya Bazaar, from where you can take home various items made of seashells and even pearls, a must buy souvenir is the conch. Also, stocked here are the beautiful pearl jewelries and other interesting artifacts. Not to miss is the scrumptious restaurant and an ice-cream parlour that serves delicious seafood and dessert.

Learn and Explore in the Crocodile Farm

This place sets a different ambience from all the beach activities and historical sightseeing places. An interesting thing about this Crocodile bank is that, the farm has variety of species of Indian and African alligators and crocodiles as well as Indian Gharial. This place is widely popular among families as you get to see and learn about the species inhabited here. The place offers a spectacular feel because the species are all kept in their natural habitat. Crocodile Farm also houses other species like snake and turtles.

A Post Card Perfect Shore Temple

This magnificent masterpiece, Shore Temple, located along the coast of Bay of Bengal captivates every traveller. This granite built pagoda provides a picturesque contrast with usually a clear blue sky and its azure sea making it a must visit attraction. The real name of the temple is still unknown but it got its name due to its close proximity to the shore. However, the fascinating fact is, itвЂ�s said to be the only temple of the once existed complex of seven shrines that survived the Tsunami. The temple houses three sanctums, while the two are dedicated to Lord Shiva, the other one is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. These sanctums though a little defaced, still remain one of the best examples of the single rock structures. This complex also houses several small shrines complementing the bigger pagoda.

The legendary Pancha Rathas

Pancha Rathas is another intriguing complex that is full of architectural beauty. It lies near the southern end of the Mahabalipuram town and houses five chariots or pancha rathas that are skillfully carved out of a granite in Dravidian architectural style. These five chariots are named after the Pandavas from the Mahabharata era. Inside the complex, one such temple shaped as a hut, is dedicated to Draupadi and you can see a sculpture of Goddess Durga as you enter. Following this, there is ArjunaвЂ�s Ratha, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is brilliantly sculpted with various images of human, gods and goddesses. Another ratha is dedicated to Lord Shiva is Yudhisthira and it has sculptures various forms of Shiva. A little away from ArjunaвЂ�s Ratha lies Nakul-Sahadeva Ratha dedicated to Lord Indra. It has an elephant and Nandi (the bull) sculpted along with many animal figures. The complex also has a mammoth ratha dedicated to Lord Bhima. Here, you can unearth the legend and dwell into the rustic beauty of this attraction.

Fascinating KrishnaвЂ�s Butterball

You may have come across many hair-raising attractions in the past but this attraction in Mahabalipuram deserves a visit. KrishnaвЂ�s Butterball is a gigantic granite boulder and is one of the best places to see in the town. For the fact that, efforts were put to bring down the rock by using seven elephants, this 16 feet tall rock stood on a short slope without a hitch. The question remains, how this historical monument could stand on a slope for more than 1200 years? I guess one needs to delve into the history to figure out.

Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram Call Us : +91 9944147343, 8344455511