Caption: The Cover Photo of Zone -4.PoI - 44.
Dear friends,
This post is a member of the Mega - Series of 51 posts, about Mahabalipuram, created as a Total “Photo-Walk and Traveller Guide” covering all the “Tourist Destinations” of Mahabalipuram. The 51 POIs are grouped into 4 Zones & a few stand-alone monuments according to the location of monuments. In other words, if one visits 4 zones, all the important POIs can be covered.
List of POIs & Headings - Here.
| POI | POI (Monument) Name | GMaps | TG Posts’ | Heritage | Photos | Visit | Monument | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Links | Links | IMP | IMP | Priority | Type | (Minutes) | |
| ZONE -1 | ||||||||
| 1 | Murugan Temple | Here | Here | 4 | 4 | Low | Structural | 15 |
Introduction to Mahabalipuram:
Mahabalipuram is a picturesque historical coastal city in Tamil Nadu around 60 km from Chennai. One of India’s oldest cities. Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) stands at the top of the popular tourist destinations in Asia.
The previous post (POI No -43) of this series about ‘Tiger Statue**’** is Here
The next (POI No - 44A ) is ‘44A Pancha Ratha - Single POI’, which will be published shortly.
This POI: Nandi (Bull) Statue
Location: It is located behind the Arjuna and Draupadi Chariot.
Zone Map:
Photo - 1. Caption: India Map & the zone map of Zone - 4, Mahabalipuram.
Bull Statue
The Bull Statue is a part of the five chariots (Pancha Ratha) compound. These were built in the 7th century by the Pallava dynasty king Mahendravarman I & his son Narasimhavarman I continued the construction. Despite their efforts, many monuments remained unfinished.
The Bull statue is another monolith among the three animal statues in the Pancha Ratha compound. Nandi is a mythological animal and it is believed as the “Vahana” of Lord Shiva. It is located behind the Arjuna Ratha (Arjuna Chariot). The posture of the statue is in a lying position. This statue is usually missed by tourists as this is hidden behind the chariot.
Photo.2 - Caption: The Nandi Statue ( Bull statue).
Photo.3 - Caption: The Arjuna chariot, the Draupadi chariot and the Bull statue.
Photo.4 - Caption: A side view of the Nandi statue.
Photo.5 - Caption: A closeup of the statue.
Photo.6 - Caption: Another side view.
Accessibility: It is difficult to push the wheelchair through the sand dunes.
- The Google Maps link of the POI = Here
- Reference Link (Wiki) = Here
- Heritage Importance = 4/5
- Photographic Importance = 4/5
- Visit Priority = Very Important
- Monument Type = Statue
- The Duration to see the POI = 3 minutes.
- Entry: Adult = INR40, Foreigner = ₹350 & Camera – INR 20.(Kindly reconfirm the entry fee & visiting hour before your trip).
- Official Visiting hours: 9 am to 5:30 pm.
- Photography: Again, another open-air structure and hence comfortable to shoot almost any time of the day; Excellent for selfies. However, HDR in the ON position may help you to some extent for over-exposure. From 11 am to 3 pm it will very hot and also better to avoid photography.
- How to reach: By Railways: Nearest Railway stations are Chengalpattu (29 km) and Chennai (48 km) well-connected with many Indian cities. By Airways: Chennai International Airport (55 km) away from Mahabalipuram. By Road: Private/Public bus services can be availed from many cities of Tamil Nadu and South India including Chennai and Chengalpattu to reach Mahabalipuram.
Flash photography is prohibited in all the monuments of Mahabalipuram.
@SanjayBDLG @CAAG1959 @AnubhaBangia @Kian1510 @AjitThite @ShutterJib @Saddam_1 @Mukul_Anand @SalmaanN @GasparKaren
