Your sightseeing in Mamallapuram starts with a short meeting with your local guide who is well-informed and well versed with the lanes of the city. Thus begins your day long trip to Mamallapuram which is known for its famous stone carvings and colossal temples. The edifices in Mahabalipuram, mostly carved straight out of granite, are among the oldest existing examples of Dravidian (South Indian) architecture and thus feature in the bucket list of various tourists especially the ones interested in ancient architecture. One of the attractions in the itinerary is the Arjuna’s Penance, a giant structure filled with carvings illustrating instances from the great epic, the Mahabharata. Arjuna relief is in the centre of Mahabalipuram, facing the sea at a short distance from the shores of the Coramandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.

Mahabalipuram

On your way further, you get to visit the Shore Temple, considered to be one of the oldest Dravidian style architecture in South India. It was initially identified as part of the Seven Pagodas at Mahabalipuram. All the three Temples of the Shore Temple complex are built on the same platform. Viewed from the northern end, the temples appear to be a replica of the Dharmaraja Ratha. The Shore Temples configuration of the two Shiva shrines with the small Vishnu shrine in between illustrates an attempt to balance the different, competing religious requirements. Finally, before heading back to your hotel in Chennai, visit the monolithic temples also known as Five Rathas, named after the five heroes of the epic Mahabharata. After the visit your guide will bring you back to you hotel where your tour would conclude.