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58 km south of Madras (Chennai), this remarkable site was previously known as Mahabalipuram. The current name honors Narasimhavarman Pallavamalla I, who ruled from 630 - 668 AD and was responsible for most of its construction. The site encompasses 14 cave temples, 9 stone shrines in the shape of chariots, 3 stone temples, and 4 sculptured relief stone panels.
Descent of the Ganga (Arjuna's Penance) - this rock sculpture measures 29m long by 7m wide and shows animals, gods, and saints watching the descent of the river Ganga from the Himalayas. |
The Valayankuttai ratha (stone temple). |
Krishna's Butterball, a precariously perched boulder which may be a remnant from construction of the site. |
The Dharmaraja cave temple. Inside all the cave temples are elaborate stone carvings. |
The Isvara Temple, or Old Lighthouse, dedicated to the god Siva. |
The view from atop the Isvara Temple overlooks a broad and fertile plain. |
Detail of the stone carving in the cave temples. The site contains some of the finest examples of Pallava stone carving. |
More stone carving. The elephant in the carvin is Ganesh, god of wealth and bringer of prosperity. |
The front of the Mahishasuramardini Mandapa (mid-7C), named after the mother goddess Durga. |
The Pancha Pandava consist of five monolithic temples sculpted out of one rock in the mid-7C. |
Another aspect of the Pancha Pandava (Five Rathas). |
This side of the Five Rathas shows the amazing stone carving. |
Nearby is the site of another attraction, but first you must escape the advances of trinket sellers. Fortunately, as I arrived their attention was diverted by an approaching bus. |
The Shore Temple lies about 1km away, and was built at the end of the 7C. It lies on a spit of land which extends some 50m into the sea. |
Detail f the interior of the Shore Temple. It is unusual in that it contains shrines to both Siva and Vishnu. |
This boy named Abdullah claimed to speak Arabic in addition to three European and two Indian languages. I was only able to verify his abilities in English and Spanish. |
In the vicinity of Mamallapuram are some pristine and uncrowded beaches; this one is off the highway back to Madras. |
Map courtesy of Mapquest. |
Relative position of the state of Tamil Nadu. |
