Mammalapuram or Mahabalipuram is a favorite getaway for Chennaites.
Mahabalipuram offers places of worship,
architecturally brilliant monuments, caves
and beaches. Mahabalipuram is well connected
with Chennai. It is about 58 km from Chennai.
There are excellent cab and bus services
from Chennai. Chengalpettu and Chennai are
the nearest railway stations.
Mahabalipuram was the seat of art and
culture during the Pallava dynasty. The
magnificent temples and the rock sculptures
and carvings are proof of its glorious
past. The pillared halls carved into the
rock face are adorned with intricate sculptures
of gods, goddesses and mythological figures.
Krishna’s butter ball, Ganesh Mandapa,
Varaha Mandapa are few of the mandapas
which spell aesthetic beauty and artistic
perfection. The place is also famous for
its monolithic temples called Rathas which
are also excellent pieces of architecture
and sculpture. It is said that the Rathas
represent the Pandava brothers and their
wife Draupadi.
The Shore temple with shrines of Siva
and Vishnu is a great attraction. There
are some exemplary architectural feats
and breathtaking sculptures found in these
temples.
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