20/11/2022
So Near Yet So Far: Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
About 60km south of Chennai along the coast is the historical town of Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram. It was a major Port City of the Pallava Kingdom dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries. The town itself was named after the Pallava King Narasimhavarman 1, also known as Mamalla (630 – 670 CE). The town is believed to be much older as archologies have unearthed artifacts dating back to the 1st century BCE in the area. Ptolemy, the Greek geographer refers to this place as Malange. European travelers during Marco Pola’s time refer to this place as the Seven Pagodas. Legend has it that seven temples lined the shores of Mahabalipuram resembling seven pagodas even though there is only a single temple on the shores of Mahabalipuram. For centuries the story of the seven temples was merely a legend until in the year 2002 scientists decided to explore the area offshore. The project was a joint effort between the National Institute of Oceanography (India) and the Scientific Exploration Society (UK). The team found the remains of long straight walls in about 5 to 8 meters of water, 500 to 700 meters offshore. The layout suggested they belong to several temples. Archeologists dated them to the Pallava era. In 2004, just before the Tsunami struck the shores of Mahabalipuram, the water receded more than 500 meters. Tourists and residents who witnessed the event from the beach recalled seeing straight rows of large rocks emerge from the water. After the tsunami in 2004, many artifacts were found washed up on the shore including a large stone lion.
Mahabalipuram is unique due to the fact that most of the temples and monuments were carved out of living rocks while others were carved out of large stone blocks. Many of these monuments are located within a few kilometers of each other. But to really get a see and appreciate this historical town, you need to spend the whole day there. Be prepared as it gets pretty hot here. To see all the sites, you will need to do quite a bit of walking and most of the sites provide little or no shade from the sun. Also, note that the sites are closed at 6 pm thus keep all your souvenir purchases after you have seen all the sites.
Olakkannesvara Temple, also known as the old lighthouse is one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is situated on a hillock which provides a scenic view of the town. The roof of the temple served as the lighthouse with perhaps a wooden structure. Being a busy port in the 7th century, bonfires were lit to aid mariners. In 1904 a new lighthouse built adjacent to the old light was commissioned.
Directly below the old lighthouse is the Mahishasuramardini Mandapa also known as the cave temple. The cave temple is a rock-cut temple dedicated to the goddess Durga. Legend has it that goddess Durga defeated the demon buffalo-headed Mahishasura thus giving her the title Mahishasuramardani.
The Ratha Temples is a group of five monolithic structures in the shape of chariots. Known as the Five Rathas or the Pandava Ratas. They are Dharmaraj Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna and Draupadi Rathas, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha and Ganesha Ratha.
Among all the monuments at Mahabalipuram, the Shore Temple is the most famous. The temple complex is located near the shore at Mahabalipuram and consists of a large temple, two smaller temples, and many minor shrines. This temple dates back to the 8 century and was built with blocks of granite.
They are many other archeological sites at Mahabalipuram just a few kilometers from each other. Among them are Draupadi’s bath, Descent of the Ganges, and Padari Amman Ratha. Not to miss is the open-air museum that features an extensive collection of ancient sculptures.
