A combined entrance tikcet to the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas costs Rs 250 for foreigners and Rs.10 for Indian citizens. Local guides, who speak multiple languages, are available for around Rs 200 for a tour of all main attractions.
You can also hire a cab (non-ac) for about Rs.150 for 2 1/2 hours, during which you will be taken to all the major tourists spots in Mamallapuram.
Approaching the Shore Temple
Shore Temple. The oldest structure in the area, build c. 700 AD, this temple has been here for more than 1400 years. However, unlike Mamallapuram's other monuments, the Shore Temple is a building (not carved from rock) and the bulk of the current structure is a reconstruction after it was struck by a cyclone. It's not particularly large, and the carvings have been badly eroded by the wind and the sea, but this adds to the sense of antiquity. The area around the temple is now a landscaped park, with guards keeping the hordes of souvenir hawkers at bay. A Shiva lingam is enshrined in the central building and the site can get very crowded on weekends.
Three of the Five Rathas, with an elephant standing guard
Five Rathas (Pancha Pandava Rathas). This site contains five rathas, literally chariots, dating from the 7th century. The sculptures are complemented by some enormous stone animals, including a large elephant.
Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was also built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea.
Sculpture Museum, East Raja Street has hundreds of sculptures in stone, wood etc.It is well worth a visit. Rs. 2 entrance fee.
The following structures are all carved straight out of rock in the central hillside area, so you can travel between them on foot. The scenery within the hills is also quite unusual, with smooth rock rising out of the forest and carved stairways leading between the mandapas (pavilions), caves and carvings.
Walking through the forest
Krishna's Butterball
Arjuna's Penance, also known as the Descent of the Ganges. A giant bas-relief filled with detailed carvings, including a family of elephants and monkeys. Archaeologists still squabble over what, exactly, the bas relief depicts; the central figure may actually depict Bhagiratha, not Arjuna.
Krishna's Butterball is a giant natural rock perched on a hillside, seemingly in defiance of all laws of physics—it's a common sight to see visitors placing hands under the stone posing for pics, which looks as though they are holding it! The rock provides welcome shade if you dare to sit underneath it, and local kids have discovered that the slippery nearby hillside also makes a great natural slide.
Mahishamardini Cave. The central carving is of Shiva and Parvati and Murugan
Varaha Cave has four impressive carvings of Vishnu, Gakalakshmi, Trivikama and Durga.
Old and new light houses provide views across the area to the sea. There are several unfinished temples nearby, and the December 2004 tsunami exposed more previously submerged temples.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Mamallapuram
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Mamallapuram - updated May 2024
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Mamallapuram Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
