Pallavas are credited for founding this gorgeous port city of Mahabalipuram. Pallava king Narasimhavarman I was the one who founded this city during the 7th century AD. The town was in fact named after him as he was called Mahabali. The city is famous for the rock cut temple and the rock cut architecture which the king and his successor, Rajasimhavarman starts building. They were the ones who showed the movement of rock-cut architecture to structural building. During the 3rd to the 7th century AD, the Pallavas were ruling in the city and this city was at its boom period at that time. Mahabalipuram became the center of art, literature, and architecture at that time. The Pallava kingdom had two major ports during their time and this city was one of those. Now, Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is a major tourists attraction from people all across the world.

Narasimhavarman I, was the major legend of the Mahabalipuram city because he was the founder of the city. The city is named after him. His successor, Rajasimhavarman, is another important legend of the city. These two have been involved in the development of Mahabalipuram and constructing all those beautiful sights in the city that are major architectural marvels now.

Mahabalipuram is a beautiful town in Tamil Nadu and it is one of the hotspots in the state for travelling. A lot of travelers from across the country visit the place to explore this beach town. The place has a lot of temples and historical places to explore. All these places make the town one of a kind and a must visit one. Here are the top places to visit in Mahabalipuram.

Pancha Rathas: There are five ‘Rathas’ here at this place that are built out of the rocks. The entire construction is done in the Davidian style. All these Rathas are associated with the epic Mahabharata. These Rathas are of Draupadi and the Pandavas. It is a very important place in Indian history and also serves as great picture backdrop for now.

Shore Temple: The existence of this temple dates back to the 8^th century AD. It is one of the oldest temples in the city that is famous for its ancient architecture and the designs. It is also one of the seven pagodas as claimed by the legends. The fine at done here makes it so exquisite for the people to explore.

Krishna’s Butterball: This place is nothing but there is a huge boulder at one spot in the city. It is inclined to the slope and is believed to be the stone of the God. The placement of this boulder is quite unique as it looks gravity doesn’t have any control on it. The mystery and stories related to this attract a lot of people here.

Varaha Cave Temple: It is a beautiful rock cut Hindu temple that is built in South Indian architectural style. The sculptures over here are really beautiful and intricate to check out. The construction of this temple is done on huge piece of granite making it more wonderful.

Thirukadalmallai: This is a very important place in Mahabalipuram which is actually a temple dedicated to Lord Sthalasayana Perumal or Lord Vishnu and Goddess Nilamangai Thayar or Goddess Lakshmi. Sri Sthala Sayana Perumal Temple is the other name of this temple. This temple too is built in the Dravidian style.

Mahabalipuram Beach: One of the best places to visit in the town and relax their nerves is the Mahabalipuram beach. It is a silent beach which is never very crowded yet a lot of people can definitely be seen here. Chilling by the beach while listening to the sea shores is the best activity to indulge in here.

Ganesha Ratha: Another very peaceful and beautiful temple in Mahabalipuram is the Ganesh Ratha. It dates back to the Pallava period. There were ten Rathas erected out of the pink granite and this is one of them. The aura of the temple is just gorgeous.

The other popular places of attraction in Mahabalipuram are Descent of the Ganges, a group of monuments in the city, Krishna Mandapam, Mahabalipuram Light House, India Sea Shell Museum, Arjuna’s Penance, sculpture museum, Dharamraja Ratha, Tiger Cave, Olakkannesvara Temple, Shore Beach Temple and lots more. In addition to these monuments, Mamallapuram is known for a cultural event called as Mahabalipuram Dance Festival.

Mahabalipuram Dance Festival: One of the best festivals of Mahabalipuram has to be its dance festival. The festival is promoted by the Tamil Nadu Department of Tourism. This festival happens for four weeks where artists, dance troupes, professional dancers, from all over the country come to take part. A lot of different Indian classical art forms and dance forms are showcased here. It is a fun festival that has also started gaining popularity worldwide. The performances of the regional dance shows in the gorgeous ambiance is just next level.

Importance of Mahabalipuram in Tourism: Mahabalipuram can be called as the temple town and a historic town for obvious reasons. The centuries old temples and architecture of the place make it unique and famous in the country. This is the reason why people from all over the world visit this town. Everyone likes to dive into the history and know about the evolution. The best way to do is through travelling and seeing the real life size examples of different era in form of buildings and constructions. This has made Mahabalipuram an extremely loveable tourist spot. People visit the town for their weekend getaways as well. Hence, it has become and important tourist place in Tamil Nadu.

Mahabalipuram can easily be reached by road, train and flight. Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is merely 60 km away from Mahabalipuram; and Chennai can be reached easily by all kinds of transport modes. It takes hardly an hour to reach Mahabalipuram by car / bus from Chennai. All kinds of hotels are available here.

Mahabalipuram Tour Packages

13 Days – Leisure Tour of South India
17 Days – Best of South India Tour
20 Days – Exotic India Tour
22 Days – Grand Tour of South India
23 Days – Splendours of South India