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Sign in with FacebookLatest Mamallapuram hotel reviews
Pro
Magnificent rock cut Templs&beach!!
Con
Hawkers
In a nutshell
Worth seeing as a day trip.
Tiger's Cave Temple, Mamallapuram
mehulraj Says: Tiger's Cave Temple, MamallapuramTiger cave is around 5 Kms from Mahabalipuram at a place called “Saluvankuppam”. And as you can see in pictures the carvings of Tiger heads on the mouth of a cave thus it gets its name. And this cave temple again built by Pallavas around 800...
mehulraj Says: Varaha Mandapam, Mamallapuram I have uploaded photos in order.Varaha Mandapam is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and its one of his avatar or role known as “Varaha”. It’s the best Mandapam of all in Mamallapuram and its almost complete. And in front of Mandapam we can see a small...
Shore Temple - sitting on the Bay of Bengal
Donna_in_India Says: The Shore Temple, a World Heritage Site, was built by Pallava King Rajasimha in the 7th century. Made from sandstone with a granite base, it is the earliest important structural temple in Southern India. It is a good example of temples constructed in the Dravidian style. The...
Donna_in_India Says: The Nakula Sahadeva Ratha is named after the Pandava twins. This smallish shrine has a barrel roof and is apsidal in shape, or U-shaped. In India, the architectural term is gajaprishta, which literally means an elephant's behind. As if to prove the point, a large sculpted...
Donna_in_India Says: The Dharmaraja Ratha is a larger version of the Arjuna Ratha. It has three storeys and an octagonal dome roof, the shikhara. Similar to most temple roofs in India the roof covered with repeating elements. Sculpted panels are carved in the upper storeys of this ratha. On the...
Bhima Ratha - the largest Ratha
Donna_in_India Says: Bhima Ratha is the largest of the five rathas. This rectangular ratha has a barrel-vaulted roof, long columned porch, and an unfinished lower level. It's named after the Pandava bother who was known for his strength.Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.Entry fee (valid for Panch Rathas...
Donna_in_India Says: Part of the complex but not a ratha, the life-size sculpture of Nandi (Shiva's bull mount) was carved from a single rock. Temples that honor Shiva will have a stone image of a seated Nandi that face the main shrine. That is why you'll find Nandi here facing the Arjuna...
Donna_in_India Says: Next to the Draupadi Ratha is the Arjuna Ratha. The Arjuna Ratha is an elegantly carved two-storeyed temple. A highlight of this ratha is a carving of Shiva (Hindu deity - "the Destroyer" or "the Transformer") leaning on his mount, the bull Nandi. Royal couples and other...
Draupadi Ratha - the smallest Ratha
Donna_in_India Says: Draupadi Ratha is the smallest of the Panch Rathas. This ratha is a replica of a thatched tribal shrine. It is dedicated to the Goddess Durga (Mother of the Universe). The highlight of the Draupadi Ratha is the Durga panel on the rear wall of the sanctum. It depicts devotees...
Donna_in_India Says: Panch Rathas, also known as Five Rathas, is a complex of monolithic rock-cut temples dating back to the mid-7th century. The Panch (five) Rathas (processional temple chariots) are named after the five Pandava brothers, heroes of the India epic Mahabharata. The shrine panels...
Donna_in_India Says: Continuing from Arjuna's Penance, near the Ganesha Ratha is a huge boulder known as Krishna's Butter Ball. The boulder - seems to defy the laws of physics - sits precariously on a very narrow base. The legend surrounding the boulder is that several Pallava kings and their...
Donna_in_India Says: The pride of Mamallapuram is Bhagiratha's Penance, more commonly known as Arjuna's Penance or the Descent of the Ganges. Sculpted on the face of two adjacent rocks, at 27m X 9m it is the world's largest bas-relief. The panel depicts gods, saints, animals, and birds, watching...
bwk_michael Says: see the local sites. The Shore Temple (built in 700-728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of...
1 Review and 444 Opinions Temple Bay is just about the best place I’ve stayed, ever, anywhere. Granted, I don’t usually...
1 Review and 163 Opinions Stayed there for 2 days in August. I have to say it's a nice place worth spending time and...
Blue Elephant: Delicious Fish Curry & Rice
Donna_in_India Says: The Blue Elephant is a multi-cuisine restaurant on an interesting side street packed with shops, guesthouses, and restaurants. With an extensive menu you'll find plenty of veg and non-veg options including a lot of seafood. Usually when there are too many options/cuisines on...
mehulraj Says: Mamallapuram is well connected with Chennai and Pondicherry, from Chennai its just 50 Kms and from Pondicherry its just 95Kms. Best and economical option is catching Bus its really cheap and easily available. But if you really want to catch bus then try to get it from...
Donna_in_India Says: You'll find stone cutters in the Mamallapuram complex and on the roads leading in/out of Mamallapuram. It's very interesting to watch the craftsmen at work. You may get a little pressure to buy but decline politely if not interested. The statues make a wonderful...
Buying sculptures and shopping in Mamallapuram
mehulraj Says: Buying sculptures and shopping in MamallapuramThere are lot of shops around the main sightseeing places. And the best part of visiting I was able to see real people working on those amazing sculptures. They got huge sculptures which can only be lifted by cranes and at the...
Mamallapuram warnings and dangers in general
mehulraj Says: Mamallapuram warnings and dangers in generalTravelling in India and that to in south india except from November-January is really difficult because of hot weather. Even though I finished visiting my complete Mamallpuram trip in a day I felt really exhausted reaching home....
Kaarina Says: We were sitting on The beach of Mamallapuram, Wien a big wave almost took us Wihurin It. Peter was with me and I looked at him in horror he was still sitting th there. After that I have felt The see dangerous. Many tourists swim in The see althought It is not recommended....
Mamallapuram new surfing spot in India
Surfing—Its new trend picking up on Indian sea shore now. I have read many article about it over the years and it is believed that western sea shore is idle for surfing. I doubt it actually as the waves height is very small compared what I saw on Hawaii beaches or ideal for surfing but still people are eager about surfing and picking up as new hobby now in India.
And in Mahabalipurm its something new and it was the first time I saw people surfing. I got to know about few resort hotels are renting surfing board to tourist. And place called Kovalam ( which near to Mahabalipuram) is more famous destination compared to Mahabalipuram for surfing.
Updated Jan 4, 2013
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So many mixed feelings after the Tsunami
Mahabalipuram, or Mamallapuram, was the chief seaport of the Pallavas who ruled over much of South India from as early as the first century B.C to the eighth century A.D., and it is now recognized as...
Mahabalipuram - World Heritage Site
Mahabalipuram- Enjoy reading my trip to The World Heritage Site. What brought me to Mahabalipuram??? I had not planned for this trip actually. I was doing my short 2 months studies near to this place...
In this page, I will start with introduction of the place/cave/temple and will follow with few tips based on my own impressions for that specific location. All my India pages will be having the same...
Mahabalipuram or now called Mamallapuram is one of old port of the ancient Pallava dynasty(5th and 8th centuries).Its small coastel town,59km from Madras. Most of the monumnets are either rock cut or...
Also known as 'The Descent of the Ganges' and as 'Bhagiratha's Penance,' this 12x30 meter rock carving is said to be the largest bas relief in the world. It is worth several visits and hours of visual...
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