Mamallapuram was the second capital and seaport of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram. This place is famous for its shore temple and beautiful rock carvings. Most of the temples & rock carvings here were completed during the reign of Narasimha Varman I (630-68) & Narasima Varman II (700-28).

The early Pallava kings were the followers of the Jain religion, but later on the Mahendra Varman I converted his religion to Shivaism. This is the only reason why most of the temples in Mamallapuram are dedicated to either Shiva or Vishnu .The Sculptures in these temples show the scenes of everday life like – woman milking buffaloes, young girls standing in groups and chatting, several other carvings depict the Gods & Goddesses. There are lot many things to be seen at Mamallapuram. Even the ruins of the place are worth watching. The stone carving is very beautiful, it is still very much alive .The streets are lined up by the stone Sculptures.

The main crowd in Mamallapuram is that of backpackers & weekenders who mainly belong to Chennai. This place has got restaurants catering to all tastes, a good beach, handicraft shops & the remains of an ancient Indian kingdom. Mamallapuram’s dance festival is also very famous .It takes place during the month of January and in these days the hotels and other places are all very crowded.

AROUND MAMALLAPURAM

Tirukkalikundram

This place is at a distance of 14kms from Mamallapuram. This is a pilgrimage centre which has a hill top temple, dedicated to Shiva. This place has got 556 steps and it is said that you must ascend bear footed. The temple contains two tiny, beautiful shrines. The view from the top of the temple is breath taking.

Kotagiri is a quiet village, which is 28km east of Ooty. Kotagiri is the oldest of the three Nilgiri hill stations. Tea estates and tribal Kota people surround this place. From Kotagiri you can visit catherine falls, Elk falls and Kodanad view point. This viewpoint provides an excellent view over the Coimbatore plains and Mysore Plateau. In town, a woman’s Cooperative sell handicrafts like traditional Toda embroidery, which is really liked by the visitors.