A couple of hours drive away from Chennai lies the sweet little town of Mahabalipuram. A day's rest or a quick getaway - you can look at the place as any of the two and it won't disappoint you. Cleaner beaches, great seafood at Moonraker's, and most importantly, the heritage walk that the town offers is everything you want out of a small getaway weekend. For those who love a dose of culture and architecture in their vacations, Mahabalipuram is a treat - what with the group of heritage monuments that the place boasts of.
A UNESCO world heritage site, these group of monuments include many cave temples and rock reliefs. But there are three out of these that you absolutely must not miss if you are going to Mahabalipuram for some sun and some sea.
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The Shore Temple
As the name suggests, the Shore Temple is situated right at the edge of the sea and promises some peaceful time and interesting things to see; the Varaha statue, the Durga idol, and the Shiva Parvati idols inside the temple are some of the things that you must not miss. Considered to be a Shiva temple more than anything, what with the Nandi sculptures and all, there are also subtle tributes to Lord Vishnu.
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The Descent of the Ganges
An open-air rock relief, if you read into the Descent of the Ganges iconography and depictions, you are sure to have a fun time - there are monkeys impersonating saints, the cycle of life depicted through animals, the story of River Ganga's descent from the heavens to the earth, and also the story of Arjuna's penance to receive godly weapons from Shiva. If anything, it is a canvas depicting two beautiful stories.
The Mahishasuramardini cave
One of the best works carved onto the stones, these caves boast of three major rock reliefs - Durga battling the demon Mahishasura, Vishnu in his Anantasayi resting position, and the Shiva family in the middle. Symmetric and intricate, all the three reliefs demand attention to the details and beauty in the depiction of the stories. Also, don't forget to climb up the lighthouse to get a beautiful view of the entire town of Mahabalipuram.
Time to head to the south, eh?
