The two-day informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping has put A UNESCO declared World Heritage Site – Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram) the coastal town in Tamil Nadu has become talk-of-the-town because of the two-day Informal Summit going on between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
PM Modi took Chinese President to three iconic monuments in the historical coastal city—Arjuna’s Penance, Panch Rathas and the Shore Temple. The two leaders witnessed a cultural programme at the temple complex before sitting down for a round of talks in the lawns of the Shore Temple complex. One of the reasons for choosing Mamallapuram was to highlight the contacts between the Pallava kings and China’s Fujian province where Xi served as governor once.
Apart from the national interest of the two leading World Economies, this meet at Mamallapuram is unprecedented from tourism’s perspective as well. It is important to learn that just a couple of months ago, in his address to the nation on the 73rd Independence Day from the rampant of Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi urged to the Indian families to travel at least 15 destinations within the country by 2022.
Now after this summit at Mamallapuram, it seems that Prime Minister Modi has made it easy for the people of this country to start with the journey of 15 domestic destinations across the country.
Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram 58 Kms South of Chennai is a town on a strip of land between the Bay of Bengal and the Great Salt Lake. King Mahabali was killed by Lord Vishnu hence it was named Mahabalipuram; The Pallava King Narasimha Varman I , a great wrestler, was called as Mamallan, hence it was named Mamallapuram, are the two legends available related to the naming of this town.
This has an exotic 20 Km Sea Shore that attracts both local and international tourists. This was created by the Pallava Dynasty and was the seaport of Pallava Dynasty between 7th and 10th Century. 650 – 750 AD was considered as the Golden Age of Pallava dynasty.The seafront Shore Temple comprises three ornate granite shrines. Krishna’s Butter Ball is a massive boulder balanced on a small hill near the Ganesha Ratha stone temple.
Tourist Attractions at Mamallapuram
Arjuna’s Penance is a 27m x 9m World largest bas-relief. It has over 100 sculptures of Gods, Birds and Beasts and Saints. It is popularly called as Arjunan Penance. It is believed to illustrate an instance from Mahabharata when Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, performed rigorous penance with a prayer to Lord Shiva’s to obtain the powerful and divine bow to destroy the Kauravas. The other name is the ‘Descent of the Ganges’ It is also said in legends that King ‘Bhagiratha’ standing on one leg posture praying to the Lord to bring the River Ganges Down to earth to please the souls of his ancestors.
A Huge Boulder called as the Butter Ball of Sri Krishna located near the Ganesha Ratha resting on a very narrow rock base. It is believed, as said by the legends that neither the Kings nor the Elephants who tried to move this Boulder could move it even an inch from there.
Pancha Rathas: Panch Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. The complex was carved during the reign of King Narasimhavarman I (630–668 AD). The idea of realising monolithic buildings, an innovation in Indian architecture, is attributed to this ruler. The complex is under the auspices of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed by UNESCO as Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram.
Each of the five monuments in the Pancha Rathas complex resembles a chariot, and each is carved over a single, long stone or monolith, of granite which slopes in north-south direction with a slight incline. The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha.
Varaha Cave also called as Adhivaraha Cava Temple is a rock-cut cave temple of the late 7th Century, which forms a part of the Village on Hilltop 2 kms from the main town. It is the finest testimony of the Viswakarma Sthapathis. The prominent sculpture in the cave is that of Lord Vishnu in the incarnated form of a Varaha Swamy rescuing Bhudevi from Seas. Many mythical characters have been sculptured on the temple walls and pillars.
Shore Temple was built between 700–728 AD with granite Blocks. As it is on the shore overlooking Bay of Bengal it is called as the Shore Temples. It was built in Dravidian Style of Architecture. This was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II. This Shore Temple Complex has One Large and Two Small temples. It is one of the oldest structural excellences of the South India and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tiger Cave is 4 Kms from the main monument complex. It was built as an open-air theatre, where cultural programs believed to have been held during the Pallva Period. It has a serene and calm atmosphere in spite of its nearness to the Sea.
Ganesha Ratha, The Old Light House, Gopi’s – Churn, Valyankuttai Ratham, Kodikal Mandapam are some of the other monuments that attracts the tourists.
Reaching Here
Nearest Airport: Mahabalipuram does not have an airport. Chennai Airport (52 kms) is the nearest airport to Mahabalipuram, which is well connected to all major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Kolkata. Taxi/cabs and buses are available from the airport to reach Mahabalipuram.
Nearest Railway: Chengalpattu (22 kms) is the nearest railway station. However, Chennai railhead (60 kms) is the nearest major station having trains to Mahabalipuram from major cities of India like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Taxi/cabs and buses are available from these stations to reach Mahabalipuram.
Mahabalipuram by Bus: There are various buses to Mahabalipuramfrom the cities in and around the region through both Tamil Nadu Public Transport Services and private tourist buses (operating from Chennai Central). The city is well connected with Chennai through East Coast Road (ECR) and old Mahabalipuram Road.
Mahabalipuram by Road: Roads to Mahabalipuram are well-maintained, surrounded by trees on both sides. Self-drive trips are great to explore the city with flexibility and freedom so as to enjoy sightseeing and attractions. The route has beautiful landscapes, tempting enough for you to stop and click photos/pictures or selfies.
