A time travel back to the 8th Century all within an hour from Chennai!!

Chennai is a city that has just a few weekend getaways and Mahabalipuram is the most famous one of them. Back in Jan 2021 when Covid was all but over and I was still pregnant, we decided for a quick half day getaway to the Mahabalipuram just for a good change of scene.

So on my husband’s Birthday which was on the 12th Jan on a Tuesday we decided to go on a day trip to Mahabalipuram, its just 56 km from Chennai and takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the traffic so its quite easy to make a trip within half a day or a little more than that. This is a coastal town in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu famous for its beaches, temples and the group of monuments which have been declared as the UNESCO world heritage site.

The group of monuments have been designed and constructed by Pallava rulers way back in the 8th century AD when this was one of their leading port towns. These group of monuments never cease to surprise us for their grandeur and one is still left wondering how on earth was all this constructed out of rocks back when none of the present architectural infrastructure was present.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

Mahabalipuram is a pretty rocky and dry destination and you definitely do not want to visit this place in the peak of monsoon and peak of summer. Though its pretty much summer all through the year in Chennai, it would be safe to say that December – February would be the most Ideal season to visit Mahabalipuram. Considering how close it is to Chennai weekends get quite crowded so if you can somehow manage to visit the place on a weekday, it would be much easier to have a more relaxed visit with a lot more photo opportunities.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Its a very well connected destination from Chennai by Road and Road is the most popular way to get there also. There are Govt buses pretty much running all through the day between Chennai and Mahabalipuram which can be boarded from various areas in Chennai. Apart from that driving down in your car or bike along the ECR would be the best way to get there. For cars a nominal parking charge is applicable if you want to park your vehicle in the parking space.

THE GROUP OF MONUMENTS:

I would roughly divide the group of monuments as per below:

The 5 Rathas: The 5 Rathas are 5 chariots which represent the 5 Pandavas of Mahabharat and Draupadi and each of these 5 chariots are monolithic structures representing Yudishtra, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva and Draupadi. You will be amazed to see the intricate detailing that has gone into the construction of these structures way back in the 8th century. They stand so strong and magnificent today that honestly I can not imagine what a sight it would all have made back when this place was actually built.

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At the Five Rathas

The shore temple: This temple dedicated to lord Shiva was built along the shores of the Bay of Bengal and so it gets the name. This temple though is currently in a state of semi ruins though its very well maintained as its a UNESCO world heritage site. This temple too was constructed back in the 8th century and there were said to be 7 pagodas to the temple then. People believe that 6 of them have gone under the sea and just 1 stands the test of time now. Even in this current state the temple is a mesmerizing sight. Again just try to imagining the temple standing tall with all the 7 pagodas intact on the sea shore during the sun rise. It would be a sight to behold no?

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The descent of the Ganges: The descent of the Ganges is a cosmic event which happened at the command of lord shiva where in the river Ganges descends down to earth from the heavens in the form of River Bhagirathi. There are approximately 146 carvings on the face of this huge rock facing east. Again constructed by 8th Century AD, the carvings are still as good as new and have amazing clarity. If you are a history buff or some one interested in arts and rock sculptures, this place would be an absolute delight for you. Another scene famously depicted in the edifice of this rock is the Arjuna’s Penance. Arjuna during this exile in the forest took up a life of severe austerity and penance in order to please lord Shiva and obtain from him powerful boons and weapons which would later help him in the victory in the war.

An older pic from an earlier visit as we did not make it here this time!!

Krishna’s Butter Ball: Another major attraction that you need to check out on your visit here is the Krishna’s Butter Ball. This is a natural phenomenon which is defying the nature itself if I can say so. This is a smooth round boulder sitting on an equally smooth and slippery rock surface which is also on a small incline. Legend has it that the rock has been lying the same way since the construction of Mahabalipuram itself and its a total mystery how this rock does not move, slip or slide down. Since then a lot of attempts have been made by the Pallava emperors, the British and all the rulers in-between to move this boulder in every possible way including the best possible tools, countless number of people, herd of elephants, etc but nothing has really worked and so this phenomenon is something that people do not want to miss when they visit this place.

BACK WHEN I VISITED WITH MUM AND DAD!!!

Ps: we did not enter these two premises on our latest visit as it was way too crowded for our comfort and having already seen it a number of times we did not feel it worth risking our safety to enter.

Overall I would say this will be an ideal getaway for the Post Covid travel, where we want to get out of those 4 walls but still feel insecure about the crowd. This is also commonly done as a visit enroute to Pondicherry or on a road trip in the ECR in Tamil Nadu!!

To Plan your visit to Mahabalipuram do get in touch with us here!!