Take Memories and Leave Footprints at the Mahabalipuram Beach
Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, allows the golden sands to meet the blue waters at its mesmerizing beaches. The town also exhibits temples, forts, palaces, and other architectural settings. Chennai is also termed as the “Detroit Of India,” as it is home to several automobile factory units. The Nayakar’s Rulers named this place as “Chennapattanam,” and as time flew the city came to be recognized as Chennai. This fishing village was transformed into one of the metropolitans by the initial proposal of British. Beaches are a gift of Nature to individuals; here, the entire three spheres mingle together. They allow people to relax and also boosts their adrenaline rush at the same time, by offering water Sports.
Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram Beach is one of the most enchanting beaches, situated at a distance of 58 kilometers from Chennai. The rock-cut motifs, the roaring Bay of Bengal, and the vast sky make Mahabalipuram Beach a significant tourist attraction. The Pallava Kings once ruled this place; thus, one can feel the royalty and heritage of the land.
Visit the beach to capture the sunrise and sunset moments, and also witness the fisherman’s journey. Mahabalipuram Beach has maintained its serene look, away from commercialization. There are dance festivals organized by the Department Of Tamil Nadu Tourism at the beaches. The visitors are offered a plethora of dancing styles – Bamber, Bharatnatyam, Chakkai Attam, Devaraattam, Kamandi, etc.
Mahabalipuram offers a delicious range of South Indian foods starting from Biriyani to Rasam. The essence of banana leaves, curry leaves, mustard, and coconut, brings in the flavors of the sea.
Exploring The Other Blue Gateways
- Sadras Beach and Fort
The Casuarina groves and the stunning landscape enhance the magnificence of the place. Sadras Town offers you with a Dutch fort and cemetery. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the Sadras Fort. The Bell towers, canons, archways of the fort provide the path to the cemetery with beautifully carved tombstones. You can hear chants of Vishnu Temple, and call of Muezzin from the fort walls.
Distance: Sadras Beach is at a distance of 13 kilometers from Mahabalipuram
Timing Of Sadras Fort: Everyday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Covelong Beach
This beach once served as a port to the Carnatic Nawabs, and its silvery beach is now a significant joint for tourists. This has transformed into an excursion and picnic spot, due to the availability of various water adventures. Surfing, jet-skiing, boating –everything is allowed in this vicinity.
Distance: Covelong Beach is at a distance of 19.3 kilometers from Mahabalipuram
Timing: It is open all through the day
- Marina Beach
This is the longest natural and commercial beach in Chennai. But the beach has severe undercurrents, which prohibits the visitors to swim or dive in the waters. It is between the St. George Fort and the Foreshore Estate. This beach has been a part of the shooting of various South Indian films.
Distance: Marina Beach is at a distance of 52.3 kilometers from the Mahabalipuram
Timing: It is open all through the day
Exploring the Royalty of the Carnatic
- Dakshinachitra Museum
This is a live museum that preserves and exhibits the culture, art, architecture, lifestyle, and handicrafts of the land. There are 18 contextual houses with historical displays in each one. There also has an extensive compilation of journals, books, and folklores of Southern India.
- Pancha Rathas or Pandava Rathas
Five rathas are the chariots of Five Pandavas and their wife; thus, these are also termed as “Pandava Rathas.” This is the perfect example of the Indian monolithic architecture of Rock-cut. Narasimhavarman I was the innovator of this form of architecture in Indian soil. The structure is now UNESCO World Heritage Site and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and the Draupadi Ratha- are the names of these five beauties.
- Tiger Cave Temple Of Goddess Durga
The name is designated because of the 11-tiger head carvings at the entrance of the cave. There is also a belief that the carvings are of “yeli”- the cross of tiger and lion. This architectural piece is also the gift of the Pallava Dynasty. This is one amongst the various rock-cut temples of Southern India. People trek a distance of 5 kilometers to this spot encircled with casuarina trees for a picnic. The idol of Durga Goddess is accompanied with Mahadev and Nandi.
- Shore Temple
This architecture overlooks the shore of Bay of Bengal, and this is termed as the Shore Temple. During its initial years, the site was a busy port of the Pallava reign. The Chola Dynasty further modified the interiors and the exteriors of the temple. There are three temples in this Jalashyana complex, lying on the same platform. The names of these three seats are- Kshatriyasimha Pallaveshvara-griham, Rajasimha Pallaveshvara-griham, and Pllikondaruliya- devar.
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
This is a center of Herpetology, located at a distance of 14 kilometers where reptiles are preserved. This region is home to 5000 crocodiles from 6 different species. Both Indian and African origins of reptiles, alligators, and crocodiles are present in this conservatory. There is also a Snake farm in this site, where anti-venom is prepared in the laboratories.
- India Seashell Museum
This is a new addition to the tour to Mahabalipuram and is the largest in Asian Subcontinents. This is exhibited to provide knowledge to the visitors regarding the sea-shells. You get to witness around 40,000 diverse varieties of rare and unique collections. The visitors are allowed from morning 8 to evening 8.
- The Krishna’s Giant Butter Ball
This is a gigantic granite boulder, which is resembled with the butter ball loved by Lord Krishna. This weighs approximately 250 tons and is in its position since the last 1200 years. In the ancient days, seven elephants were employed to remove this piece, but all went in vain. His has now turned to be a significant attraction to the tourists of Mahabalipuram.