This city is believed to be the kingdom of the great king of demons Mahabali, now also recognized as Mamallapuram. Touching the Bay of Bengal, located on the Coromandel coast. During the reign of the Pallavas dynasty, this city gained its existence and all the treasure of architecture and temples made by them. It is mainly a seaport, which lies 58 km away from the capital city Chennai.
The weather here remains cool and moderately humid throughout the year, which makes it possible to visit any time of the year, even though the best time to visit is between October and March. The town is well equipped with multiple accommodations according to the tourists’ choice and budget. Local restaurants, as well as multi-cuisine restaurants, are available for a culinarily rewarding trip as well.
Monolithic rock temples
Among the forty heritage sites in Mahabalipuram, the Pancha Rathas hold a rather unique position. Built under the patronage of Narasimhavarman I (630-668 CE), these rathas are a group of five monolithic free-standing temples that were cut out from solid granite and diorite rocks. The five temples are symbolically named after the Pandavas and Draupadi but do not have any connections with the Mahabharata.
A UNESCO world heritage, accorded in the year 1984, the monuments Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu is a group of about 40 preserves which are divided into 4 major categories based on their architecture. The group also features the world’s largest open-air rock or stone relief.
The origin of most of the buildings or structures that are found in Mahabalipuram’s Group of Monuments dates back to 7th and 8th when the reign of Pallava kings was in session. Directly carved into huge stones, these monuments are one of a kind.
Shore temple
This enriched jewel of the Indian Tamil Nadu shore temple was constructed by Rajashimsa which has a twine aspire one dedicated to Shiva and the other to Vishnu. The idol of Nandi bull and lion also can be found here. The temple is dedicated to worshipping both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu and has been built to have three shrines. The most significant of the three shrines has been dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. There is a Shivalingam in the Grabhagriha which looks as if it is embracing the temple amiably and spreading its incredulous magnificence.
Karikatthamman temple
Located on the East Coast Road in between Chennai and Puducherry, Karukathamman Temple is one of the most important historical temples of Mahabalipuram. Goddess Karu Katha Amman is worshipped here whose statue appears to be a sitting position where she can be seen holding a lot of weapons in her hands and also pressing the demon under the feet of her.
Karukathamman Temple is a Shakti temple located at Chetpet,Tamil Nadu. Devotees visit this temple to seek fulfilment of the following:- Marriage, Get married to a person of a girl's choice, Health and longevity of husband.
This temple is a small one compared to the other ones of Mahabalipuram. However, it boosts your spiritual energy a lot once you visit this place. It is a very famous, old and traditional temple which was renovated recently. One can always feel the cool breeze blowing here because of its location near the sea.
Ganesh Rath temple
Rich artworks of stone in Ganesh Ratha give an incredible glimpse of the ancient times skills of labourers. Ganesh rath shares the mythical belief from lord shiva tales that initially it was for lord shiva but later on transferred to Ganesh. It symbolises the prosperity of the Gupta Empire.