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Date of journey: 13/06/2009

Starting from: Bangalore

Destination: Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram

Crew: Maneesh, Bharani, Payel, Sasmita and Varun.

It was an official trip and we started at 6 am in an Innova. The route of Mahabalipuram was like:

Bangalore–45–>Hosur–45–>Krishnagiri–120–>Vellore–67–>Kanchipuram–30–>Chengalpattu–35–>Mahabalipuram

So the total distance of Mahabalipuram from Bangalore is about 342 km. We had nice breakfast of Pongal near Hosur. Then, we continued our journey and after about 6 hours we reached Mahabalipuram. Mahabalipuram also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Then, we hired a couple of AC double rooms for Rs. 2500 per head at Hotel Sea Breeze. It was a nice resort and was quite close to the seashore and the shore temple. We had lunch and went to see the shore temple. The Shore Temple is so named because it overlooks the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mamallapuram. The village was a busy port during the 7th and 8th century reign of the Pallava dynasty during the reign of Narasimhavarman II. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the oldest structural stone temples of South India. The Shore Temple is a five-storeyed structural Hindu temple rather than rock-cut as are the other monuments at the site.  Its pyramidal structure is 60 ft high and sits on a 50 ft square platform. There is a small temple in front which was the original porch. It is made out of finely cut local granite. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here under the sand. The temple has a garbhagriha in which the deity, Sivalinga, is enshrined, and a small mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circumambulation. At the rear are two shrines facing opposite directions. The inner shrine dedicated to Ksatriyasimnesvara is reached through a passage while the other, dedicated to Vishnu, faces the outside. The Durga is seated on her lion vahana. A small shrine may have been in the cavity in the lion’s chest. One can find the beautifully carved twin Dwarka Palaks (gate keepers) at the entrance of the east facing Shiva Temples. On both sides of the temple inside are the marvelous sculptures of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu with their better halves. The top part of the Shivalinga figure inside the temple is found damaged. There are sculptures of Somaskanda – lord Shiva with his better half, Parvati, and his sons, Skanda and Ganesha are found on the near wall. Apart from Lord Shiva’s sculpture, one can find the sculptures of Narasimha and Goddess Durga also.

Opening time of Shore Temple is from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M. Entry fee: Citizens of India and visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) – Rs. 10 per head. Others: US $5 or Indian Rs. 250/- per head. (children up to 15 years free). No charges for still camera.

Photos of the Shore Temple:

• Shore Temple:



• Shore Temple:



• Shore Temple:



• Shore Temple:



• Shore Temple:



• Outside walls of the Shore Temple:



• Sculpture:



• Shore Temple:



• Shore Temple:



• Sculpture:



• Shore Temple:



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