By Ever heard of submerged empires and underwater temples? The ancient ruins of Mahabalipuram are all about these untold myths and mysteries.
The old sunken town of ancient mystery
Mahabalipuram rightly known as Mamallapuram is situated on the coast of Tamil Nadu. It’s the land of temples and historic architecture. Firstly, it lies between the Bay of Bengal and the Great Salt Lake towards the south of India. Built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries, this place is famous for rock sculptures, stone carvings, temples, and historical monuments.
The Untold mystery – History of Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu is a world heritage site by UNESCO. The artifacts excavated from these places indicate pre-existing trade relations with the Romans, even before the Pallava empire. The city is shrouded in great mystery and is associated with ‘Bali’ ( grandson of Prahlad). Mahabalipuram means the city of ‘The great Bali’.
People believe that God Indra due to his jealousy towards the ancient architecture of Mahabalipuram, caused floods and submerged the entire city. Likewise, evidence to which are a few temple structures like The Shore temple- which is one of the Seven Pagodas of Pallava dynasty in Mahabalipuram that stands tall as the rest six are submerged underwater.
India’s NIO (National Institute of Oceanography) has discovered ruins of ancient walls, pillars, broken steps, as well as scattered stone blocks. Further, these were submerged underwater off the coast of Mahabalipuram. Thus revealing the history of ancient architectural significance and the existence of the land of temples and monuments at Mahabalipuram. Most of the structures today are submerged underwater and are hidden in the depths of the ocean, which is still an untold mystery of Mahabalipuram.
Listicles of Things to do in Mahabalipuram.
Shore temple
As the name says, it’s located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. Likewise, it’s a must-visit spot. It’s the only one surviving amongst the Seven Pagodas of the Pallava dynasty. In the reign of Narasimhavaram II, the Shore temple at Mahabalipuram is a world heritage site by UNESCO.
Pancha Rathas
This place will leave you mesmerized, as the rock-cut temples are a must-visit tourist attraction of Mahabalipuram.
Krishna’s Butter Ball
It’s a wide 20 feet rock standing on the slope of the hill is the Krishna’s Butterball. It’s a myth that it fell from heaven. Known as Vaanirai Kal meaning ‘Stone of the sky God’.
Descents of Ganges
It’s a giant rock having many interpretations one of which is Arjuna doing penance for bringing the Ganges down to earth.
Group of monuments at Mahabalipuram
It consists of many ancient monuments such as Rathas, Mandapas, excavations, rock reliefs, etc.
Varaha Cave
Varaha cave is the magnificent architecture of Pallava art. Additionally, people recognize it as the world heritage site by UNESCO. Therefore, it is a rock-cut cave temple about 4 kilometers to the north of Mamallapuram.
Mahabalipuram Beach
To experience a serene and immaculately clean beach, pristine water, as well as golden sands, a visit to this beach should be on top of your bucket list.
India seashell museum
To view the wide range of seashells and marine fossils of the city, visit this museum. Located in Mahabalipuram, it’s a famous tourist destination.
Mahabalipuram Light House
There are two lighthouses next to each other. One of which is India’s oldest lighthouse with its construction by the Pallava King Mahendravarman I during 640 AD.
There is no doubt that Mahabalipuram is rich in its ancient history and is worth visiting as a world heritage site. The great ambience and architecture of the place make it best to visit during winters between October to March. Lastly, the climate is good and warm, making it one of the safest tourist destinations. Also recommended for solo travel as well. Moreover, it’s an excellent tourist destination and millions of travelers visit Mahabalipuram. It is to experience the untold mystery and beautiful architecture of its ancient ruins.
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