730 AM- Hotel Pick up

Mahabalipuram was known to be a trading post during Roman Times. It rose to prominence as a bustling sea port during the rule of the Pallava Dynasty headquartered in Kanchipuram during the 7th century AD. Ships sailing from South India to South East Asia used to depart from the Mahabalipuram port.

Pancha Rathas

We reach the World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. Panch Rathas, or the 5 chariots is our first destination. These are rock cut monolith structures, where of the chariots are dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharata epic- Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. There is also a sculpture of an elephant next to the ratha of Nakul-Sahadeva.

Arjuna’s Penance

Next in our Mahabalipuram tour from Chennai, we visit Arjuna’s Penance, a 100 feet x 45 feet bas relief where an entire masterpiece from the Mahabharata epic has been carved. The river Ganga is at the centre of the panel, surrounded by divine beings, hunters, animals, birds and trees belonging to the Himalayan ranges. Do not miss the sculpture of a cat standing on one leg in imitation of a holy man while plump mice gather around!

Krishna’s Butterball

The next halt is at Krishna’s Butterball, a curious sight of a 5 metres diameter ball shaped boulder which is perched precariously on a slope and seems to defy Newton’s laws of gravity!

Shore Temple

The magnificent Shore temple beckons us next in the Mahabalipuram tour from Chennai. This 8th century structural temple is made of granite and served as a beacon for sea farers of the time. Legend says that this was a part of a complex of 7 temples dotted along the Sea. In fact the legendary traveller Marco Polo also mentioned Mahabalipuram in his memoirs and called it the city of 7 pagodas.

The existence of more temples around the Shore Temple has been recorded. It is also believed that a natural calamity must have submerged other temples in the complex. Surprisingly, the Tsunami in December 2004 exposed some of these submerged parts of temples in Shore Temple complex. This provided food for further research about other temples on this coast line.

3 PM –Drop back to Hotel