Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern

Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the 7th- and 8th-century
Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in India. [1]

The ancient name of the place is Thirukadalmallai. It is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It is a
satellite town of Chennai.
Mamallapuram was one of two major port cities in the Pallava kingdom. The town was named after
Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who was also known as Mamalla. Along with economic prosperity, it
became the site of a group of royal monuments, many carved out of the living rock. These are dated to
the 7th and 8th centuries: rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), the giant
open-air rock relief the Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple dedicated to Shiva. The
[1][3]

contemporary town plan was established by the British Raj in 1827.

ETYMOLOGY
The earliest mention of the city is found in the 1st century work called Periplus of the Erythraean Sea by
an unknown Greek navigator. Ptolemy, the Greek geographer, refers to this place as Malange.
Mahabalipuram is also known by other names such as Mamallapattana and Mamallapuram. The term
Mamallapuram means the city of Mamalla, the other name of the famous Pallava Emperor
Narasimhavarman I (630–670 CE) who built the famous temples in the city. Thirumangai Alvar, the
famous Vaishnavite saint mentions this place as Thirukadalmallai, referring to the Sthalasayana Perumal
Temple. Another name by which Mahabalipuram has been known to mariners, at least since Marco
[5]

Polo's time is "Seven Pagodas" alluding to the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram that stood on the shore,
of which one, the Shore Temple, survives.

HISTORY

Neolithic burial urns, cairns, and jars with burials dating to the 1st century BCE have been
discovered near Mahabalipuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpuppadai relates the rule of King
Thondaiman Ilam Thiraiyar at Kanchipuram of the Tondai Nadu port Nirppeyyaru, which scholars
identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram. Chinese coins and Roman coins of Theodosius I in the
4th century CE have been found at Mahabalipuram, revealing the port as an active hub of global
trade in the late classical period. Two Pallava coins bearing legends read as Srihari and Srinidhi
have been found at Mahabalipuram. The Pallava kings ruled Mahabalipuram from Kanchipuram; the
capital of the Pallava dynasty, from the 3rd century CE to the 9th century CE, and used the port to
launch trade and diplomatic missions to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. An 8th-century Tamil text
written by Thirumangai Alvar described this place as Sea Mountain, 'where the ships rode at anchor
bent to the point of breaking, laden as they were with wealth, big trunked elephants, and gems of
nine varieties in heaps'.
The temples of Mahabalipuram, portraying events described in the Mahabharata, were built largely
during the reigns of King Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman and show the
movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The city of Mahabalipuram was founded
by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I in the 7th century CE.[6] The mandapa or pavilions and the
rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed
Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed stone. What makes Mahabalipuram
so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. The Shore Temple includes
many reliefs, including one 100 feet (30 m) long and 45 feet (14 m) high, carved out of granite. [8] In
1957 the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture was established to promote and revive
the art of making sculptures and temples.
Transport
Mahabalipuram has been famous as a seaport from even before the beginning of the Common Era. The
'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea', an account by an unnamed Greek navigator of the first century CE refers
to it along with Poduke - current day Pondicherry - as a port north of the Kaveri. Claudius Ptolemy, the
second century Greek geographer, referred to it as Malange. Its importance as a trading centre in the
ancient world is reaffirmed by occasional finds of Roman coins and pottery in the area. Another prominent
occurrence is in the writings of Hiuen Tsang, the 7th Century Chinese traveller, who mentions it as the
sea port of the Pallava rulers (though calling it Kanchi was an error, as that city - the empire's capital -
was situated inland.) Since then, it has been various named "Mamallapuram'' (i.e. the city of Mamalla, the
title of Narasimhavarman I, the Pallava ruler responsible for most of the rock-cut temples and carvings
there) and also 'Kadal Mallai', by the Vaishnava saint Tirumangaialvar, who gave a graphic description of
the harbour with its anchored ships laden with treasure and elephants.
Mahabalipuram is a monument complex on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in
Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located near Chennai. With approximately 40
sanctuaries, including the largest open-air rock relief in the world, Mahabalipuram gained UNESCO World
Heritage site distinction in 1984.
This complex was built during the Pallava period and include: the Pancha Rathas of Dharmaraja Ratha,
Arjuna Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Draupadi Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Ganesha Ratha; several
Cave Temples of Mahabalipuram including Varaha Cave Temple, Krishna Cave Temple,
Mahishasuramardini Mandapa, Panchapandava Cave Temple; structural temples including the Shore
Temple and the Olakkannesvara Temple; and the Descent of the Ganges, one of the largest open-air
bas-reliefs in the world. Mahabalipuram is known for its architectural grandeur.
Mahabalipuram is also known by several other names, Mallapuram, Mahabalipuram, Mavalipuram, and
Mahabalipuram; the last name is the most recent and official as per census reports. It was also
nicknamed as the "land of seven pagodas' ' by European sailors who landed on this coast after they saw
seven pinnacles or stupas of Hindu temples.
Mahabalipuram town is approximately 58 kilometres (36 mi) from Chennai (Madras). It is situated on the
Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. A museum of archaeology is located here with exhibits of
sculptures and architectural pieces found in the area. There is also an architectural school here that
teaches stone carving and the history of sculpture.
The Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture was financing some improvements in 2003. The bus terminus,
now in the heart of the town, was to be shifted to Poonjeri, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) away. A parking lot
was planned near the Tigers' Cave on the East Coast Road leading to Mamallapuram. All these
improvements have since materialised.

HISTORY
Records suggest that the site was a seaport during the time of Periplus (1st century AD) and Ptolemy (AD
140). The Pallava kings established it as a town in the 7th century. It turned into a famous harbour town
that was used for trading with many kingdoms of Southeast Asian countries like Kambuja (present-day
Cambodia) and Srivijaya (present-day islands of Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java), and also with the
Champa Empire (known as Annam). In the successive periods, it gained popularity for its rock-cut
temples and caves and also structural temples built between 630 and 728 AD. Mahabalipuram is named
after King Mamalla (meaning the great warrior) also known as Narasimhavarman I (c. 630 - 670), who
ruled during the 7th century. However, Mahendravarman I (AD 600-30), father of Mamalla I, is also given
credit to some of the architectural edifices here during his reign. During the 7th century, temple-building
initiated the beginning of rock-cut architecture in South India as part of Dravidian architectural
monuments. Some of the monuments built during this period are: Rock-cut rathas (Five Rathas or
chariots, the open air bas-reliefs known as the Descent of the Ganges, the rock-cut decorated caves like
the Govardhandhari, Mahishasuramardini, and the Jala-Sayana Perumal Temple, all attributed to
Mamalla.
In the 8th century, the building of the rock-cut monolithic temples started declining and structural temples
started becoming more popular during the reign of Rajasimha (AD
700-28), another Pallava king,. His contribution to structural architecture was monumental, as he built one
of the grandest temples known at the time, the Shore Temple.
This temple complex comprises three temples within itself. the Rajasimha Vara, a west-facing structure
which has a small tritala vimana; the Kshatriyasimhesvara, an east-facing structure which has the largest
vimana; and NripatisimhaPallavaVishnugriha, another east-facing structure with a flat-roofed mandapa in
oblong shape, and which enshrines the reclining Vishnu. The two prakara walls surrounding the temples
in this complex are dated to a later period. The Pallava dynasty reigned from the 4th to the 9th centuries.
It was defeated by the Chola dynasty in 897 AD. Mahabalipuram's historical importance diminished after
that. For some time, it was known only as a port, but was gradually deserted.
In the 19th century, these monuments were rediscovered by the archaeologists of antiquarian art and by
the 20th century, it had become a major tourist attraction and was made a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1984, under four categories under criteria of I, II, IlI and IV. Immediately before the tsunami of 2004
struck the Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal, the ocean water off Mahabalipuram's coast pulled
back approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft). Tourists and residents who witnessed this event from the
beach remembered seeing a long, straight row of large rocks emerge from the water. As the tsunami
rushed to shore, these stones were covered again by water. However, centuries worth of sediment that
had covered them was swept away. The tsunami also made some immediate, permanent changes to the
coastline, which left a few previously covered statues and small structures uncovered on the shore.

GEOGRAPHY
One of the prominent geographical features of Mahabalipuram is its rocky shoreline, which is dotted with
large granite boulders and outcrops. These natural formations have not only shaped the town's landscape
but also provided a unique canvas for the exquisite stone carving and sculpture for which Mahabalipuram
is renowned. The artisans of Mahabalipuram have skillfully crafted magnificent temples, rock-cut caves,
and monolithic sculptures out of these granite rocks, showcasing their artistic and architectural prowess.

The town's strategic location along the coast has also played a significant role in the preservation of its
ancient structures. The proximity to the sea has created a moderate microclimate that has helped protect
the stone carvings from excessive weathering and erosion.

Additionally, the scenic beauty of Mahabalipuram's coastal setting, with its golden sandy beaches, palm
trees, and azure waters of the Bay of Bengal, adds to its charm and allure as a popular tourist destination.
The town's geographical location has made it a cultural and historical hub, attracting visitors from around
the world to explore its architectural marvels and experience its rich heritage.
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ANCHAYAT PANCHAYAT