page_title: Tourism in Tamil Nadu
section_title: Group of Monuments in Mahabalipuram
hierarchical_section_title: Tourism in Tamil Nadu / UNESCO World Heritage Sites / Group of Monuments in Mahabalipuram
caption_attribution_description: English: maamallapuram shore temple
context_page_description: Tamil Nadu is a state in the south-eastern part of the Indian Peninsula. Tamil Nadu is previously a part of the United Madras Province, which was later partitioned based on languages. Tamil Nadu has more than 4,000 years of continuous cultural history. Tamil Nadu has some of the most remarkable temple architecture in the country, and a living tradition of music, dance, folk arts and fine arts. Tamil Nadu is well renowned for its temple towns and heritage sites, hill stations, waterfalls, national parks, local cuisine and the natural environment and wildlife. The state has the largest tourism industry in India with an annual growth rate of 16%. In 2015, the number of domestic arrivals was at 333.5 million making the state the most popular tourist destination in the country, and foreign arrivals numbered 4.68 million, the highest in the country, making it the most popular state for tourism in the country.
context_section_description: The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram declared as a World Heritage Site in 198, in Tamil Nadu, about 58 km from Chennai, were built by the Pallava kings in the 7th and 8th centuries. The town is said to have gained prominence under the rule of Mamalla. These monuments have been carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast. The following are the sites related. These monuments surprisingly survived the 2004 Tsunami that devastated the other coastal towns nearby.
  Ratha Temples: Temples in the form of chariots.
  The 11 Mandapas: Cave sanctuaries dedicated to various deities.
  Rock Reliefs that include Descent of the Ganges and the Arjuna's Penance.
  The Shore Temple and the other temples cut out of rock.
  The Seven Pagodas
caption: The Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram, a 7th-century Pallava monument
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