Mahabalipuram Shore Beach Temple and Monuments

[TusharSuradkar]

The Mahabalipuram Shore Beach Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is a conglomerate of several monuments like the Krishna Butter Ball, Arjun Penance Sculpture, Draupadi Chariot, Thirumoorthi Cave, Ganesh Chariot, Seashell Museum, and the amazing seashores of the Bay of Bengal called the Coromandel Coast.

Mahabalipuram Shore Beach Temple is famous for the detailed level of stonework by Indian artists from the 7th century AD. I found the entire temple complex to be clean and very well maintained. It was warm in the daytime so made sure to carry a lot of drinking water since there is plenty of walking involved from the parking to the various sites. By the time I finished all sites, it was evening and the cool breeze won’t allow me t leave the place. The shore is only a few meters away from the temple though there is no direct access from within the temple to the seaside.

The Krishna butterball is a huge weather-cut rock that is balancing on the slope of its rocky surroundings. It is fun to pose under the rock as if you are balancing it with your arms as seen in the photo collage above. The other cave temples or viharas are insignificant and pale compared to the magnificent Ellora
nad Ajanta caves but are worth a visit due to the ancient historical importance attached to them.

How to Reach

Mahabalipuram is only 60 km from Chennai but I traveled there from Bengaluru that is 350 km and a 7-hour smooth journey touching Krishnagiri, Vellore and
Kanchipuram. An alternative route is via Kolar and Chittoor but the road is comparatively not good.

Have you been to a hilltop temple or picnic place with beautiful views recently? I’d be interested in knowing your experiences.
Until then… Happy Guiding

Accessibility Features

Being an ancient temple by the seaside, it would not be correct to expect any accessibility features, though the temple has comfortable accessible parking and the access path to the temple is well-paved and leveled to ease the entry for a wheelchair but in spite of that there could be some discontinuities.

Ramp Access.

A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.

A wheelchair-accessible Parking.

A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.

Interesting Places Around Mahabalipuram

While talking about travel from Bengaluru to Mahabalipuram here are other superb temples that can be visited on the way back.

1. Kailasanathar Temple, Kanchipuram
2. Auroville Mothers Earth Temple, Pudducherry
3. Shri Airavatesvara Temple, Kumbhakonam
4. Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur
5. Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam
6. Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

[NyaiNurjanah]

@TusharSuradkar

Travelling 350 km wow lot of energy but when i see the pic of results thats very worth it , great job . The view is amaxing .

Stay safe traveling friend , keep it up

[TusharSuradkar]

Thank you @Nyainurjanah

That was a short trip as last year I did my longest trip of 2100km from Bengaluru in the deep south to Delhi in the north of India.

Had also made a post of it then on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211066180848816

[C_T]

@TusharSuradkar

आकर्षक वर्णन. तुम्ही लोण्याचा चेंडू हलविण्याचाही जोरदार प्रयत्न केला हे ही चित्रातून जाणवते!

महाबलीपुरमचे मंदिर मागच्या वर्षी प्रसिद्धी झोतात आले होते. तुम्ही त्यापूर्वीच भेट दिली होती का?

साडेतीनशे किमी प्रवास करून तुम्ही तिथे पोहोचलात, हे विस्मयकारक आहे. कार तुम्ही एकट्याने चालवली? तसेच, तुम्ही परतीचा प्रवासही त्याच दिवशी केला?

[TusharSuradkar]

@C_T

ह्या प्रकारचे मोठाले दगड बेंगलुर परिसरात विशेषतः दक्षिणेकडे मदुराईकडे जाताना आणि पूर्वेला चेन्नईकडे जाताना मोठ्या प्रमाणात दिसतात.

स्वतःच्या गाडीने जाताना थोडावेळ थांबून अशा दगडांवर चढण्याचा मोह कुणालाही आवारात नाही.

शोले ह्या प्रसिद्ध हिंदी सिनेमाचे चित्रीकरण याच परिसरात झाले असल्याचे तुम्हाला ऐकून माहित असेलच.

मोदी-शीजीनपिंग भेटीमुळे या मंदिराचे नाव सर्वदूर प्रसिद्ध झाले मात्र याच्या ६ महिने आधी मी तिथे गेलो होतो.

साधारणपणे ३५० किमी हा प्रवासात एक टप्पा ठेवतो.

वरील पोस्ट मध्ये उल्लेख केल्याप्रमाणे मागील वर्षी बेंगलुर ते दिल्ली हा २१०० किमी प्रवास कारमध्ये एकट्याने केल्याचा विशेष अभिमान आहे

बेंगळूर-चेन्नई रास्ता फार सुरेख स्थितीत असल्याने प्रवास अतिशय सुकर होतो.

आदल्या दिवशी दुपारी चार वाजता बेंगलुरहुन निघून रात्री उशिरा महाबलीपूरमला पोहोचता येते.

दुसऱ्या दिवशी सकाळी प्रेक्षणीय स्थळं पाहून पुन्हा दुपारी चार वाजता परतीचा प्रवास करता येऊ शकतो किंवा विकेंड असेल तर आणखी एक दिवस थांबता येऊ शकते.

मात्र परतीच्या प्रवासात मी मूळ लेखात उल्लेख केल्याप्रमाणे इतर मंदिर पहिले, जसे पुद्दुचेरी येथील मातृ मंदिर, तंजावूर येथील ब्रिहदीश्वर मंदिर, कुंभकोणम येथील ऐरावतेश्वर, आणि कोईम्बतूर - ही सर्व स्थळे बेंगलुरच्या परतीच्या वाटेवर एकानंतर एक अशी क्रमाने येत असल्याने भेट दिली.

यात UNESCO Heritage असलेले सुप्रसिद्ध गगइकोंडाचोलापूरम मंदिर माहिती अभावी पाहायचे राहून गेले.

[TravellerG]

A beautiful ZONE to visit; I might have visited half a dozen times for exclusive PhotShoots… but, still, I want to go… because,

Whenever I visited this place, I have learned/seen new things…

To me, there are more than 4 dozens of Tourist POIs, which I think need, at least 4 days to cover.

Thanks for sharing…, dear @TusharSuradkar

[TusharSuradkar]

Fully agree @TravellerG

There are more monuments and attractions to see in this area than are generally known.

Unfortunately until last year when I visited this place, I almost never used Google Maps to find new places of interest but the use was confined to finding the road to a place.

Also, totally in resonance with you - one does not feel like leaving the shore temple region even after walking around the whole day - such is the influence of the monuments on our mind. So I would like to keep coming here often.

[TravellerG]

Dear Team Member @TusharSuradkar Ji,

Many people including you & me, have done the same mistake; I used to travel Globally for our business till 2016 - after my retirement, I started with Google, in 2016 - as you rightly told, till then I used Google Map for Routing only. Anyway, let us compensate by doing more now…

For your info:
Sri Subrahmanya Swamy temple is the most ancient one & usually missed by most of the tourists; The following is a shot of the compound, along with the ruins - it is very interesting…
Kindly read my ‘review’ which may help you… Here

@C_T , @Rohan10 , @Nyainurjanah & @MayuriKubal - thanks for your time…

[TusharSuradkar]

Thank you for pointing to the temple @TravellerG I was completely unaware of this place and also about its importance.

Your review of the temple is way better than any Travel/Photography post on Connect

[Rohan10]

Its wonderful place in Tamilnadu. You can find my first post on it. That time i was not fully aware about how to write the post. So I just post the photos. I visited the place when I was on official trip to Tamilnadu. Its awesome place. very clean beach. You have clicked photos very nicely. That time i did not aware about the stone you were pushing. So visited the temple only. Its great place to spend the time with family or friends in the evening. I wanted to see the Sunrise on the beach but did not make it as I have seen sunset in Mumbai beaches, but in Tamilnadu we can see Sunrise on the beach. It will be difference experience for me. Thanks buddy for sharing.

[TravellerG]

Welcome & Thanks for your sincere words…, dear @TusharSuradkar

[MayuriKubal]

Hey @TusharSuradkar

That’s a lovely post with beautiful pictures, well-described places and temples to visit along. The beach water looks clean. In South India, I have visited Shree Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore, and it was remarkable Thanks for sharing such beautiful post. Thanks to @TravellerG for inviting me to the temple review. It’s perfect

[Rupes01]

@TusharSuradkar

Looks amazing! Wish I could visit someday

[NyaiNurjanah]

Oh my Gosh 2100 km by car @TusharSuradkar l that should be called "crazy travel "

I admire your passionate travelling and you’re very sweet sharing your long travelling for free with us here on connect .

My message

Keep your health ,for more travelling and i love to read your next journey .

Kudos

[NyaiNurjanah]

Thank you so much @TravellerG sir

The ancient temple look so interesting , I’m sure based on your review many people in the future no missed in yhis amazing place

Thank you for sharing

[TusharSuradkar]

Ah, I loosely remember your post @Rohan10 and a very interesting point about the sunrise on the eastern seafront.

Why don’t you go back and edit the post to include your experience?

The photos are wonderful

[TusharSuradkar]

I have been to Mysuru @MayuriKubal but wasn’t aware of this temple - but we always have a bucket list to add places to - done…!

[TusharSuradkar]

I wish I could share larger size pictures @Rupes01 - I insist you go there at the next opportunity

[TusharSuradkar]

Free? Why not @Nyainurjanah after all we are local guides

I should in fact thank LG Connect for providing an opportunity to share the travel tales - the best platform for such articles.

[TravellerG]

Welcome, Friend @Nyainurjanah