Mahabalipurarm
Mahabalipuram, popularly known as Mamallapuram is situated fifty kilometers from the City of Madras. This is an important venue of tourist attraction and a holiday resort for the young and old. It is also a favourite picnic spot for the people of Madras.
During the Pallava regime it has a famous port from which fleets of vessels plied the Bay of Bengal for trade and war.
Before the advent of King Mahendravarma Pallava, it was a bleak and dreary place covered by huge rocks. The creative brain of the king espied in those dreary rocks sculptural works of enormous and everlasting beauty. Immediately the deserted land became the active centre of creative works. Famous sculptors and engravers summoned from all over the country. Experts in the field of lock works immersed themselves in converting the rocks into beautiful monuments.
From a single stone was carved the Penance of Bhagiratna invoking the torrential flow of the Ganges from the high heavens.
Temple Cars, enormous elephants and other creatures of the wild were hewn out of huge rocks. Mahabalipuram was vibrating the cultural heritage of India. Even after several centuries they have been objects of wonder and awe attracting a large number of tourists from home and abroad.
There are five huge chariots in the shape of big temples known as the ‘Pandava Rathas’ in memory of the five sons of Pandu of epic lore.
Huge elephants, lions and bulls have been carved out of single stones move the visitors to an unknown ecstasy and joy. After Mahendravarma, his son Narasimha varma carried ahead the task undertaken by his father with the same dedication and zeal and completed them to his satisfaction as planned by his father.
Narasimha varma was not only a great warrior king but also a famous wrestler of his time, competing with and defeating all powerful and famous wrestlers in the country. Hence he was known as “Mamalla” the great wrestler. And the place where the famous rock temples and caves existed, came to known in his honour as Mamallapuram. A few yards from where tidal waves wash the shore is a temple dedicated to Maha Viahnu. It is also reported by historians that there were several other rock temples carved out near the sea shore, but unfortunately the soil erosion and incoming tides those temples have been washed out into the sea.
As a reminder of the great part of Mamallapuram that flourished during the pallavas a light house constructed out of huge rocks perpetuates the memory of the past. Mamallapuram in recent times has been highly developed as a tourist centre. Beach resorts and Tourist homes have cropped up to great warmly affluent visitors, from inland and abroad.
