MAHABALIPURAM

Residing on the Coromandel Coast facing the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram has always managed to entice tourists with its bag full of attractions. Home to numerous sun kissed beaches, World Heritage listed temples and grand historical sites, Mahabalipuram is truly blessed with some stunning stone carved heritage sites. Every attraction here narrates the interesting stories about the town’s past which make it one of history's fascinating enigmas. Mahabalipuram remains a popular stopover for wanderers coming from Chennai and Puducherry.

Attractions

The majestic Arjuna’s Penance here is a huge open air sculpture intricately carved on two giant rocks. This beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site stands tall at 43 feet and is 100 feet in length. Explore the beautifully carved scenes of Hindu mythology showing animals, human figures and different deities.

Another popular attraction here is the ancient temple of Thirukadalmallai built by the Pallava Kings around 6-8th century BCE. This is known for being one of the 108 popular temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. With its jaw dropping Dravidian Pallava style architecture adorned with white colour gopurams, the temple complex will fill take all your stress away.
Talking about architecture, Shore Temple is another popular masterpiece of Mahabalipuram edging the coast of Bay of Bengal. Entirely built with granite, the temple looks beautiful with clear sky painting a perfect backdrop. The Shore Temple is said to be the only temple that survived the Tsunami out of the seven shrines.

The legendary Pancha Rathas located in the south end of the Mahabalipuram is also a must visit destination, flaunting five chariots (panch rathas) which got their names from the Pandavas from the Mahabharata.

Those who wish to see the largest collection of Seashells can visit the India Seashell Museum and Aquarium. The complex surprises visitors housing over 40,000 different kinds of rare and unique shells apart from diverse fossils, whale fins and shark teeth. Inside the museum complex, there is a Maya Bazaar where you can buy seashells and beautiful pearls that make for great souvenirs.

Mahabalipuram also has a Crocodile Farm where visitors can spot Indian and African alligators and crocodiles and learn some facts about them. 

Best time to visit
November to February serve as the perfect time to visit Mahabalipuram, as the city has nice and pleasant weather. One can enjoy sightseeing and adventure activities during this time. June to September experiences hot weather and rainfalls making it difficult to travel and carry out tourist activities.