Chennai, the capital city of Indian state Tamil Nadu, is home to India’s ancient culture, along with being the largest economy as well as an educational center in the south of India. There is a supposed Portuguese influence to the city, as its original name Madras is believed to be derived from a Portuguese phrase Madre de Dios, which means “Mother of God”.
Mahabalipuram lies around 56km via road from Chennai and around 48km through the air. With the seaport being near to the Chennai Central railway station which has a bus hub as well, people can commute to Mahabalipuram via public transport. It takes around 1 hour by direct bus. There is no direct train available. However, one can board Pothigai Express which will go till Chengalpettu, from where Mahabalipuram is a taxi ride away; the total time taken will be around 2 hrs.
Mahabalipuram
With a lot of cave temples in the place and a group of monuments built around the 7th to 8th century, this coastal town is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. This place is ideal for those who love ancient art and sculptures. One of the examples includes Adi Varaha Perumal cave temple, which is the least visited and most olden Pallava structure. There is a cave dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva which is aptly named as The Trimurti cave. The Mahishasuramardini cave is on the top of a hill. The tiger cave in Mahabalipuram is believed to be one of the youngest of Pallava structures.
The Descent of Ganges is an open-air basement in pink granite. It is also known as Arjuna’s penance. Experts are divided over the stories depicted in here. However, this monument has a huge cultural significance concerning Hindus. Other significant temples and monuments in Mahabalipuram include Pancha Ratha, Shore temple and Olakkaneshvara temple.
Sri Krishna’s Butter Ball is a structure that got evolved in Mahabalipuram, via nature’s handiwork. This is a curious structure, which increases the popularity of this place as one with cultural significance.
The Tsunami of 2004 has unearthed some rare artifacts that are treasured and the experts are still in the process of unearthing the entire collection.
Naming and finding of Mahabalipuram
Although there are many explanations on the origin of this name, the most believed one would be, this place is named after the Asura King Mahabali. This place was found by a renowned Pallava King in 7th Century AD.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
As mentioned before, Mahabalipuram is a world heritage site owing to its cultural significance to Hindus and Pallava kings. Many prominent personalities of ancient India are believed to be visitors to this place. With a significant amount of ancient culture and history being present at this place, Mahabalipuram is a living testament to the rich cultural heritage that India is known for.
Come, one and all!!!
It would be a wonderful experience for all art & sculpture along with cultural enthusiasts to travel this place and know more about it. Travel to Mahabalipuram & know more about ancient Indian culture.
