Mahābalipuram — today Mamallapuram, “the city of Mahā Bali” — is a small town in Tamil Nadu, 60 km south of Chennai (Madras), on the Coromandel coast. This charming village owes its world fame to its Shore Temple, by the ocean near a great sandy beach, and to its fascinating remains from the Pallava era (5th–8th centuries).
A UNESCO World Heritage site
It is here that Jean-Claude has transmitted Ashtanga Yoga twice a year since 1987. Each year, from late December to late January, Mahābalipuram hosts an important Classical Indian Dance Festival. The whole archaeological site has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985. A single entry fee gives access to all the monuments: 40 ₹ for Indians, 600 ₹ (≈ €6) for foreigners, free for under-15s.
The Descent of the Ganges
Also called “Arjuna’s Penance”, it is a magnificent bas-relief 27 m long and 9 m high, carved on a huge granite rock. It illustrates the legend of the Ganges descending to Earth through the channel of Śiva’s hair. In it you see Arjuna, in a yoga posture, undergoing a very hard penance for a thousand years, surrounded by gods, goddesses, animals and water creatures (nāga and nāginī).
The mandapa
On a hill, eight small rock-cut sanctuaries (“mandapam”) shelter fine statues — two were left unfinished.
The Krishna mandapa
One of the finest: it shows Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana with one hand to shelter the villagers and cows from the storm sent by an angry Indra.
The mandapa of Śiva Īśvara, “the supreme Lord”
The five Ratha (Pancha Ratha)
Originally huge wooden processional chariots; in Mahābalipuram the name is given to five monolithic temples cut in the shape of buildings straight from the rock:
- The Ratha of Draupadī, dedicated to Durgâ
- The Ratha of Arjuna
- The Ratha of Nakula
- The Ratha of Bhīma
- The Ratha of Yudhiṣṭhira
Krishna’s butter ball
A large, rounded granite boulder in seemingly unstable balance, linked to the legend of the child Krishna stealing a ball of butter.
The Tiger Cave
4 km north of Mahābalipuram, on the Madras road, by the sea, at the place called Saluvankuppam: a cave cut into a fine rock, once dedicated to the goddess Durgâ, a monument of the Pallava era. The site is shaded by coconut palms — choose sunrise or sunset for a magical light.
The Īśvara temple and the museum
The Īśvara temple is entirely cut from the rock. Nearby, a small museum with a welcoming staff shows statues, paintings and the results of the archaeological digs; open every day.
Practical information: Mahābalipuram is 60 km south of Chennai, on the Coromandel coast.