Mamallapuram is a Town in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, in South India. It was formerly known as Mahabalipuram. It is 58 KM (1.5 Hour drive) from Chennai, the state's capital. Due to its proximity, it is considered as a Satellite town of Chennai. Tourists can visit Mamallapuram from Chennai and explore all its major attractions in a single day.
Mamallapuram is famous for
Ancient Hindu Monuments and Temples that were built during the 7th and 8th
Century AD. The Monuments and Temples were built by Pallava dynasty, a powerful
empire that ruled South India between 3rd and 9th Century AD. The town is
named after
Out of several monuments prevalent in Mamallapuram, the most prominent two are Krishna's Butterball and Arjuna's Penance. Krishna's Butterball is a giant balancing rock, a granite boulder resting on a short incline. The boulder is nearly 6 Metres (20 Feet) high and 5 Metres (16 Feet) wide and weighs around 250 Tonnes. It seems to float and barely stand on a slope on top of a 1.2 Meter (4 Feet) high plinth, which is a naturally eroded hill. The rock is estimated to be about 1200 years old.
Arjuna's Penance is a giant Open-Air Rock Monument, carved on two Monolithic Rock Boulders. It is also known as Descent of the Ganges. The story depicted in the monument is of descent of the river Ganges (which is considered sacred in Hinduism) to Earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha, an ancient sage in Hindu mythology. The waters of the Ganges are believed to possess supernatural powers. The descent of the Ganges are portrayed in stone at this heritage site.
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