Mahabalipuram: Learn the facts of this beautiful temple town

Mahabalipuram at a glance…learn more…

Wednesday, 14th April 2021

The temple town of Mahabalipuram in the state of Tamil Nadu is making headlines at present as it will host the 2nd informal summit on Friday and also on Saturday back-to-back. The summit will be attended by Indian PM, Narendra Modi Ji and Chinese President, Xi Jinping. The town of Mahabalipuram is significant from the historical and spiritual angles too. It is dotted with several temples with intricate carvings and stone sculptures made during the era of the Pallavas. The town is currently going through a makeover as the VIPs are about to visit the town in order to attend the summit. And in this context, you may be curious to learn all about this famed temple town set along the coastal belt lining the Bay of Bengal …read on:

The town of Mahabalipuram is an important tourist attraction and historical site in the state of Tamil Nadu. The distance between the town and state capital Chennai is 55kms. Mamallapuram is the local name of this temple town.

Narasimhavarman, a Pallava king was a seasoned wrestler and nobody in his kingdom could equal his wrestling skills. To pay a tribute to the wrestler king the town was named after him with ‘ma’ in Tamil meaning ‘the best’ and ‘mallan’ meaning ‘wrestler’. The nomenclature of the town roughly translates into meanings like ‘king of wresters’ or ‘wrestler of wrestlers’.

The temple town of Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram is well-connected via road transport to the other cities of Tamil Nadu. Private and public buses operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) can transport you to Mahabalipuram along the East Coast Road (ECR) from Chennai. Nearly 50 buses run per day and can be boarded to reach Mahabalipuram. Even cars can be hired to reach Mahabalipuram from Chennai.

Tropical climate of Mahabalipuram may lead to high temperatures during the daytime. You may sweat profusely. So, you must carry sunscreen and adequate drinking water with you when you visit the town.  Wearing pure cotton loose garments would help. You may wear a broad-beamed hat for extra protection from the scorching sun.

As the town is a tourist hotspot all types of cuisines are available at Mahabalipuram. Several hotels across the town and also the shore shacks serve tasty and fresh South Indian food, North Indian food, Seafood, Fast food etc.

Freshly juiced lime drinks and butter milk are also sold by numerous vendors across the city. You may sip from these drinks and stay hydrated during your trip to Mahabalipuram.

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The town is home to many fascinating tourist attractions like beaches, caves and stone temples built during the rule of Pallava king Narasimhavarman and Rajasimhavarman, his successor.

The chief tourist attraction of Mahabalipuram include Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram Beach, Pancha Rathas, Arjuna’s penance site, Krishna Mandapam, Butterball of Krishna, Varaha Cave Temple, Ganesha Ratha, Mahishasuramardini Mandapam and Mahabalipuram Light House.

Most of these tourist spots have been recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. It takes about 2hrs to 4hrs to complete the sightseeing of the town of Mahabalipuram.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

Indianexpress