Mahabalipuram Temple

Mahabalipuram Temples

Mahabalipuram is suituated in Tamilnadu,India. Its just 50km near from chennai.Its one of the famous temples in India as well as a best example for Sculptures and Old Architechture.Mamallapuram, popularly known as Mahabalipuram is named after the 7th century Pallava king Narasimha Varman I.But now officially called Mamallapuram

Temples in Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram consistes so many wonders itself like Sculptures,Thirukkadalmallai,Pancha Rathas, Shore Temple, Varaha Temple.The name Mamallapuram is believed to have been given after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who took on the epithet Maha-malla (great wrestler), as the favourite sport of the Pallavas was wrestling. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was also built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea. 

Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance – a giant open-air bas relief 

Varaha Cave Temple – a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7^th century.This is a fine completed architecture which lies besides the Arjuna penance. The entrance has two pillars engraved with two horned lion – bases, and a cell protected by two gate keepers. There are four striking bas-reliefs, the northern one with Lord Vishnu (Varaha) standing at one feet on top of Naga, the snake king. He is rescuing Prithvi, the goddess earth from the primordial ocean.

The Shore Temple – a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here.

Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) – five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled – each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone.

History of Mahabalipuram 

Mahabalipuram Temple General Information

Mahabalipuram is one of Historical place. The ancient Mamallapuram was flourishing port town of the Pallava rulers of south India who chiseled in stone a fabulous "open-air museum" of sculpture under the vault of a burning sky. Apart from this, nothing is known of the place. What was the purpose behind this whole exercise, and, more important, why all the royal patronage this place enjoyed suddenly disappeared, no one actually has any answer.

Most of the temples and rock carvings of this place were built during the reigns of Narsinha Varman I (AD 630-668) and Narsinha Varman II (AD 700-728). Though the initial kings of Pallava dynasty were followers of Jainism, the conversion of Mahendra Varman (AD 600-630) to Shaivism led most of the monuments to be related with Shiva or Vishnu.

Megalithic burial urns, cairn circles and jars with burials dating to the very dawn of the Christian era have been discovered near Mamallapuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai relates the rule of King Thondaiman Ilam Thiraiyar at Kanchipuram of the Tondai Nadu port Nirppeyyaru which scholars identify with the present-day Mamallapuram. Chinese coins and Roman coins of Theodosius I in the 4th century CE have been found at Mamallapuram revealing the port as an active hub of global trade in the late classical period. Two Pallava coins bearing legends read as Srihari and Srinidhi have been found at Mamallapuram. The Pallava kings ruled Mamallapuram from Kanchipuram; the capital of the Pallava dynasty from the 3rd century to 9th century CE, and used the port to launch diplomatic missions to Ceylon and Southeast Asia.

An 8th century Tamil text written by Thirumangai Alvar described this place as Kadal Mallai, (Sea Mountain) ‘where the ships rode at anchor bent to the point of breaking laden as they were with wealth, big trunked elephants and gems of nine varieties in heaps’. It is also known by several other names such as Mamallapattana and Mamallapuram. Another name by which Mahabalipuram has been known to mariners, at least since Marco Polo’s time is "Seven Pagodas" alluding to the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram that stood

The modern city of Mahabalipuram was established by the British in 1827.

Mahabalipuram Information
Mahabalipuram Area			8 sq. km.
Mahabalipuram Altitude			Sea level
Mahabalipuram Population			12,000
Mahabalipuram Climate
Summer	Max. 36.6°C	Min 21.1°C	Winter	Max. 30.5°C	Min 19.8°C
Mahabalipuram Rainfall			32.5 cm average
Mahabalipuram Clothing			Tropical
Mahabalipuram Languages Spoken			Tamil and English
Mahabalipuram Tourist Season			Throught the year

Routes to Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram is ariund 55 km near from  Chennai. CMBT is Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminal  at Koyambedu. This is the main bus station for buses going out of the city. There are so many buses available. Mahabalipuram suituated mid of Chennai and Pondicherry.From Pondicherry also We can get the buses to Mahabalipuram.
For more information www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabalipuram and www.mahabalipuram.co.in