A Heritage
Tour Of
mahabalipuram
;Image Credit: Getty A short drive away from Chennai lies the small coastal town of Mahabalipuram, also called Mamallapuram.
Image credit: Getty If you thought there were only sunny beaches to see, you should know that Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
UNESCO Site
Video credit: Getty Those who love a dose of culture and architecture, Mahabalipuram is a treat for its group of heritage monuments from the Pallava dynasty.
Group Of Monuments
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Of the 40 ancient monuments from the 7th and 8th century, the Shore Temple is a popular pick, which is a structural stone temple.
The Shore Temple
Image credit: Getty Considered to be a Shiva temple, the statues of Hindu Gods such as Varaha, Durga, Shiva and Parvati stand tall.
Dedicated To Lord Shiva
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It is a giant open-air rock relief that is also called Arjuna's Penance. The intricate carvings on monolithic rock boulders narrate many tales.
The Descent of the Ganges
Image credit: Getty One among the 10 rock-cut temples, it is dedicated to Goddess Durga. Walk through the passages and marvel as the stone depictions.
Mahishasuramardini Cave
Image credit: Getty Another of the popular rock-cut temples is Varaha Cave Temple, also called mandapa. It is dedicated to the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Varaha Cave Temple
Image credit: Getty As the name suggests, each of the 5 monuments resemble a chariot. Carved out of monolithic stones, they are named after the Pandavas.
Pancha Rathas
Image credit: Getty It may look like a random rock, but this gigantic granite boulder is known as Lord Krishna's Butterball and is a popular tourist spot.
Krishna's Butterball
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