Sights in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
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Arjuna's Penance
This relief carving on the face of a huge rock depicts animals, deities and other semidivine creatures as well as fables from the Hindu Panchatantra books. The panel (30m x 12m) is divided by a huge perpendicular fissure that's skilfully encompassed into the sculpture; originally, water, representing the Ganges, flowed down it.
It's one of the most convincing and unpretentious rock carvings in India, with the main relief showing Shiva standing with a wizened Arjuna, balanced on one leg in a state of penance. A guide can be useful to help explain the reliefs.
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Mahishamardini Mandapam
Scenes from the Puranas (Sanskrit stories dating from the 5th century AD) are depicted on the mandapam with the sculpture of the goddess Durga considered one of the finest.
Above the mandapam are the remains of the 8th-century Olakkannesvara Temple, and spectacular views of Mamallapuram. Photography is forbidden here for 'security reasons' - there's a nuclear power station a few kilometres south.
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Five Rathas
Carved from single pieces of rock, the Five Rathas are low-laying monoliths that huddle in more ancient subtlety than grandeur. Each temple is dedicated to a Hindu god and named for one of the Pandavas, the five hero-brothers of the epic Mahabharata, plus their common wife, Draupadi.
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Krishna's Butter Ball
Just north of the Ganesh Ratha is a huge boulder known as Krishna's Butter Ball. Immovable, but apparently balancing precariously, it's a favourite photo opportunity.
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Shore Temple
Standing like a magnificent fist of rock-cut elegance overlooking the sea, the Shore Temple symbolises the heights of Pallava architecture and the maritime ambitions of the Pallava kings. Its small size belies its excellent proportion and the supreme quality of the carvings, many of which have been eroded into vaguely Impressionist embellishments. Originally constructed in the 7th century, it was later rebuilt by Narasimhavarman II and houses two central shrines to Shiva. The layout is meant to resemble the perfect cosmic body, with the head and heart located over the spire that dominates the structure. Facing east and west, the original linga (phallic images of Shiva)…
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Relief carving
As if we couldn’t wax more poetic on Mamallapuram’s stonework, along comes this relief carving, one of the greatest of its age and certainly one of the most convincing and unpretentious works of ancient art in India. Inscribed into a huge boulder, the penance bursts with scenes of Hindu myth (notice the nagas, or snake-beings, that descend a cleft once filled with water, meant to represent the Ganges) and everyday vignettes of South Indian life. A herd of elephants marches under armies of angels, while Arjuna performs self-mortification so he can be granted Shiva’s most powerful weapon, the god-slaying Pasupata. In Hinduism, ‘penance’ does not mean suffering that…
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Wide Beach
The village is only about 200m from the wide beach, north of the Shore Temple, where local fishers pull in their boats. The beach is cleaner further north, or to the south of the Shore Temple, and you can take long unimpeded walks, although at high tide you need to walk over the rocks in front of the Shore Temple.
It's not a great place for swimming - there are dangerous rips - but it's possible to go fishing in one of local outriggers; negotiate a price with the owner. Despite the beach scene, Western swimwear is not the norm here and you (and local people) may feel more comfortable if you cover up.
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Krishna Mandapam
Many mandapams, featuring fine internal sculptures, are scattered over the main hill. Among them is Krishna Mandapam, one of the earliest rock-cut temples and predating the penance relief. Its carvings of a pastoral scene show Krishna lifting up the mythical Govardhana mountain to protect his kinsfolk from the wrath of Indra.
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Museum
This museum contains more than 3000 sculptures and paintings that run the gamut from interesting stonework to still-life depictions of fruit bowls that could have been found in grandma’s basement. We can safely say: you get your Rs2 worth.
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Sculpture Museum
The Sculpture Museum contains over 3000 local sculptures in stone, wood, metal and even cement. Some fine paintings are also on display and the front courtyard is littered with sculptures.
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Ganesh Ratha
This ratha is northwest of Arjuna's Penance. Once a Shiva temple, it became a shrine to Ganesh (the elephant-headed god) after the original lingam was removed.
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Trimurti Cave Temple
The Trimurti Cave Temple honours the Hindu trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - with a separate section dedicated to each deity.
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Kotikal Mandapam
The Kotikal Mandapam is dedicated to Durga.
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