Culture

Mamallapuram

May 02, 2011 by NURA
Standing Tall amidst the Sands of Time
It has been almost 4 years since I came to Chennai, but irrespective of my serious plans, I couldn’t get a chance to visit this magical place. After reading Sivagamiyin Sabadham for the eighth time, my longing to visit this place only grew stronger. So, the next weekend when we left our car for servicing in ECR, which would not be available till evening, we happily boarded the AC bus to Mamallapuram. The MTC AC bus was very comfortable. The casuarina trees with the blue sea and sky as a backdrop offered a stunning sight. If you’re lucky to get the elevated back row seats, you can sink in the unobstructed view of the East Coast.
View from the Bus
Initial regret on missing the Tiger Caves vanished as we landed in this buzzing small town. We missed the Tiger Caves due to time constraints. Mamallapuram made us glee with its ever-burgeoning colors of the sun and the sea.

The hot sun drove us to the meticulously arranged hat shop. After ten minutes of bargaining, we set of with two hats bought for Rs. 120/-. The lush lawns and the maintenance of the beach took us by surprise. Finally we are trying to be responsible! Debating who would be credited more, we decide that both the ASI and TTDC deserve the praise for the cleanliness of Mamallapuram. I couldn't help but wonder about Poompuhar imagining the same maintenance there. The artistic garbage bins worth a special mention.
Hats and the Garbage Bin
The shore temple was built in the seventh century when Mamallapuram was a busy naval port for the Pallava dynasty. It is believed that the Vishnu temple was built by Narashimavarman I and Narashimavarman II completed the Shiva temples. This temple is considered one of the finest examples of Dravidian style. We took our heart's time enjoying the sumptuous view of the Shore Tempe, lazily strolling through the eager foreigners, running kids and happy families. As we moved closer, our hearts proudly thumped with joy seeing the magnificent beauty. Little did we understand how this has become the icon of Tamil Nadu until this very moment. The scene looked just out of a postcard, the alluring moment frozen in our mind; the elegant temple against the blue sea and sky—the shade of the fertile lawn exactly to compliment.
The Shore Temple

Not keen in disturbing the hyperactive squirrel or the uninterested crow, we silently entered the temple and prayed through the chaos of the energetic kids—promptly capturing the graffiti on the walls. The Vishnu was huge and relaxing boisterously while the Shivalinga was tiny and broken?! We decided to head to the beach ignoring the blazing heat.
The Temple - Closely

The beach was super-clean, we were more than delighted. It is disappointing that such a greatly maintained area to be not safe for swimming. The heat did not let us to stay there for more than fifteen minutes.
The Beach


En route to the beach, the narrow lane had a row of shops selling hats, jewelry, colorful souvenirs and delicate sculptures. Each and every shop had a Buddha's statue which seemed to be assessing the tourists with half-closed eyes and a pleasant grin. We were lucky to bargain and get one made of marble stone for Rs. 200/- from a local shop.
Interesting Shops

The Arjuna's Penance or the Descent of the Ganges was a massive relief carved out of a single rock with quite interesting details. There are two theories surrounding the two names.

Some say that the relief depicts Arjuna engaging in severe austerities for receiving abominable powers from Shiva and hence the name Arjuna's Penance. While the others say that it is a depiction of the sage Bhagiratha praying for the Ganges River to flow on earth to wash away the sins. The relief does have a collecting pool from which the water might flow down as the 'descent of the Ganges'. It was a giant kaleidoscope of sculptures—looking different in every angle. It obviously had the Arjuna and/or Bhagiratha, holy men and sages, common men, elephants in varying sizes, a cat, a lion, a horse, snake-gods, goblins and what-not.
Arjuna's Penance or The Descent of the Ganges

While my husband was keenly involved in freezing the moments in the memory card of our camera, I was trying hard to freeze them in my mind. The juxtaposed figures were too complex—I gave up. A fine English gentleman's British accent captured my attention with its exotic ooh's and aah's. Apparently, I found that his two teenage sons were trying to find the hohly Mahn (holy man) and a snaik (snake) in the relief.

I am not sure if Krishna's butter ball had anything to do with Krishna at all, but it sure did save a lot of people from the scorching sun. The position of the rock might be intimidating for the common eyes, but it managed to stay put century after century oblivious to the existence of gravity.
Krishna's Butterball

We moved further to the caves enjoying the playful monkeys. In the Varaha Cave, an enthusiastic guide was explaining some interesting hindu rituals and beliefs to a foreign couple. We couldn't help but overhear the intricate details. After a couple of quick snaps, we hurried out not wanting to aggravate the already peeved guide for his free service. To save our honor, I refrain myself from writing any information that has anything to do with his free service.
The Caves

The light house is recently opened for public viewing but when we went we could only watch it from outside. The old lighthouse, however, offered us an exuberant view from its top. Some adventurous backpackers tried to sink in the view lying on its intimidating slopes. We decided to move on the famous Rathas after an ample time enjoying the view.
The Lighthouses and the View from Top

The five rathas aka Pacha Pandava Rathas are built during seventh century during the reigns of Mahendravarman I and Narashimaarman I. They are the finest examples of monolithic rock cut architachture. Each ratha is unique with different details. The lion and the elephant were very impressive. The weekend rush made sure that there is no empty ratha or statue for us to click. After managing some 'aerial' photography, we decided to move on.

Pancha Pandava Rathas

Mamallapuram makes a good option for a short getaway from Chennai. Just an hour away from the metro, it offers a peaceful refuge from the hustle and bustle of Chennai. Mamallapuram can also be a stopover en route to Pondicherry. There are many famous resorts for stay in Mamallapuram.

Fact Sheet

How To Reach
Nearest City : Chennai – 58 KMs
Nearest Airport : Chennai
Nearest Railhead : Chennai
Mode of Transport : Hire a cab from Chennai, Tamil Nadu or Pondicherry govt. Buses, AC town buses from ECR.

Stay
Budget : Bob Marley Cafe and Guesthouse, Sri Harul GuestHouse

Eat

Shop
Stone sculptures from local artists.

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