Mahabalipuram is the most unique, extraordinary and historically richest place. On the shores of the Strait of Bengal near the city of Chennai, sixty kilometers to the south, is one of the largest temple complexes of Mahabalipuram. Here, for lovers of ancient history, a lot of sights of ancient India open up.
In the seventh century, the city of Mamallapuram was born, which was supposed to become the port of the Pallava kingdom, because it was located on trade routes. It is from this era that numerous monuments of sculpture have been preserved here, which are carved into the rocks, and where Buddhist motives prevail. In the very center of the town there is a working Talasayan temple, dedicated to Vishnu.
But until recently, this splendor was hidden by the ocean, but due to the merciless tsunami that struck the coast, and washing away the sand, these excellent architectural monuments were exposed, giving people new impressions and the opportunity to admire history.
Stunning in its extraordinary beauty, the temple "Descent of the Ganges to Earth" with rock-reliefs is well preserved. Its height is about nine meters and its width is about twenty-seven meters. It is included in the list of the one hundred greatest temples in the entire world.
From a crevice in the relief, during holidays, festivals and solemn ceremonies, a mass of water rushes down, which symbolizes the sacred waters of the Ganges River.
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It is impossible not to mention the huge lions, they guarded the coastal temple of the ancient city. A stone bas-relief of an elephant was also exposed and put on public display. It is to him that many pilgrims flock. They believe that touching them with their hands brings happiness.
When you visit this small town, it seems that there are more historical sights here than the population. By the way, the population of this town is about forty thousand people.
In this town you can also watch the work of the masters, and see with your own eyes how a statue of Gods or animals is born in the hands of a master.
Cultural and religious significance
Mahabalipuram is a city of religious and aesthetic values. No wonder tourists and pilgrims come here from all over the world. For the residents of the city, these are not just historical values, for example museums, but real religious temples, to which they treat with great respect. For example, the temples in the rocks are called Rata, as they resemble chariots. By the way, they can be seen during the holidays. All Rathas are carved from a monolith, and admire the detail of the images. This entire complex can be called a masterpiece of medieval Indian culture, which has survived to this day.
For example, amazing temples to God Shiva, they do not exceed eight meters in width and also in depth. Small rooms carved into the rock, with charming pillars and porch-shaped porticoes, well crafted and decorated with magnificent carvings and sculptures. This is truly typical Indian architecture.
The main elements in such sanctuaries are niches. They are decorated with multi-factor reliefs with drawings of Brahman mythology. It is impossible not to distinguish among the cave temples - the cave of the Pandava brothers. It has a huge, delightful relief depicting God Krishna. The earliest temple of this whole complex can be distinguished - the Krishna Mantaparam cave temple. Here the relief tells us how Krishna lifted Mount Govardhana to protect him from the rain god Varuna.
Another, and probably the main attraction is the ancient lighthouse. It is really so ancient that it remembers what it was built for, and the city was a port.