Mahabalipuram (or Mamallapuram, its ancient name) is one of history's fascinating mysteries. Situated just 60 km off Chennai on the Bay of Bengal coast in the state of Tamil Nadu, Mahabalipuram was a flourishing port town of the Pallava rulers of South India who carved in stone a fabulous open-air museum of sculptures under the vault of a burning sky. That much is identified. But no one actually has any answer whether it was a king’s fancy or a celebration of victories. The mystery of Mahabalipuram lingers, unraveled, but its sculptural varieties  are a  living  evidence  of artistic temper of the Pallavas who

were the forerunners of South Indian art.

Mahabalipuram with its picturesque location on a rocky outcrop between the beach and a lagoon is a happy combination of history, good beaches, hassle-free tourism and fabulous fish and lobster! Despite the many visitors, drawn by the former Pallava dynasty town, the place is friendly, relaxed, and the villagers are remarkably unperturbed by the crowds. Mahabalipuram is renowned for its series of charming rathas and the fantastic carved relief representing Arjuna's Penance. The magnificent Shore Temple, built by king Rajasimha in the seventh century, is a unique temple that houses the shrines of both Shiva and Vishnu while the Varaha Cave is one of the many rock-cut caves in Mahabalipuram. The Krishna Mandapam has a bas-relief of Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhan hill on his fingertips.