page_title: Mamallapuram
section_title: Landmarks
hierarchical_section_title: Mamallapuram / Landmarks
caption_attribution_description: English: Elephant Reliefs at the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
context_page_description: Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 13,500 BCE monument .It is one of the famous tourist sites in India.
  Mahabalipuram was one of two major port cities by the 13th Century site. The town was named in 7th century after Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who was also known as Mahabali. Along with economic prosperity, it became the site of a group of royal monuments, many carved out of the living rock. These are dated to the 7th and 8th centuries: rathas, mandapas, the giant open-air rock relief the Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple dedicated to [[Shiva] The contemporary town plan was established by the British Raj in 1827.
context_section_description: The town has a collection of 7th and 8th century Hindu religious monuments that has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
  The site has 40 ancient monuments and Hindu temples, including Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance – one of the largest open-air rock relief in the world. The site includes several categories of monuments: ratha temples with an architecture of monolith processional chariots built between 630 and 668 CE; the mandapa viharas with halls and stone roofs with narratives from the Mahabharata, Shaktism and Vaishnavism; rock reliefs particularly bas-reliefs of Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism; stone cut temples particularly those dedicated to Shiva that also reverentially display Vishnu and others, built between 695 and 722 CE; and, archaeological excavations with inscriptions some dated to 6th century and earlier. The cave temples and monolithic temples were built during the Pallava Period. The site is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.
  Some important structures include:
  Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance – a giant open-air rock relief
  Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) – five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. Each of these is carved from one single separate large piece of stone.
  Cave Temples – over ten rock-cut temples dating back to the 7th century. These include the Varaha, Adi Varaha, Krishna, Mahishasuramardini (Durga), Ramanuja, Dharmaraja, Koneri, Kotikal, Panchapandava and others
  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.
  Other structural temples including the Olakkanesvara temple and the lighthouse, along with rock-cut features such as the Draupadi's tank and Krishna's butterball
  Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
caption: Elephant Reliefs at the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
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