| Apart from the cold waves
and soft sand, a few fascinating monuments further beautifies
Mahabalipuram beach. People throng Mahabalipuram to see
the magnificently built temples and the serene beach.
One of the longest and cleanest beaches of India, this
beautiful beach is 20 kms long.
Mahabalipuram is some 58 kms away from Chennai. .
Accommodation and Connectivity
From economy to high-end, various types of accommodation
is available in Mahabalipuram. However, the beach resorts
of Mahabalipuram are a big hit among the tourists. As
the resorts remain full during peak season, it is advisable
to go in for advance booking.
The airport nearest to Mahabalipuram is Chennai at
a distance of 60 kms. It is an international airport.
The nearest railhead is Chengalpattu at a distance of
29 kms. Mahabalipuram has very good road connectivity
with Chennai, Kanchipuram and Pondicherry.
The Shore Temple
The 7th century Shore Temple is widely visited throughout
the year. It is a structural temple built out of hard
blackish leptinite. Both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu
are worshipped here. What is more fascinating is the
fact that this temple has withstood numerous onslaughts
from the sea and still stands tall on the beach.
Swimming and Sun Bathing
The beach at Mahabalipuram is one of the cleanest in
Tamil Nadu . The serene ambience of the beach becomes
most appropriate for sun bathing. A number of foreign
tourists may be seen sunbathing at the place. Swimming
is also very popular on the beach.
Arjuna's Penance
The world's largest bas-relief that measures 27m x
9m also stands on the Mahabalipuram beach. It is actually
a huge rock that contains figures of Gods, Demigods
and beasts. Infact, it is said that an attempt has been
made to depict representatives of the entire universe
on the rock.
Five Rathas
Each one of them created in a different style, the
five rathas are infact five monolithic temples. They
are also called "Pancha Pandava Rathas". The
presence of the rock formations and temples lend a spiritual
colour to Mahabalipuram beach.
Dakshinachitra
Dakshinachitra is a heritage crafts centre on the beach.
While strolling on the beach, one can also pick up information
on traditional crafts of Mahabalipuram.
There are a few other attractions near the beach that
are also worth a visit while on a tour to the beach.
They include the crocodile farm, snake venom extracting
centre and a school of art and sculpture.
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