East Coast Road, wide and smooth, where littoral palms, backwaters, brooks and green fields line the edges. At a distance of 55 kms from Chennai lies Mamallapuram on the seashores of the Bay of Bengal. Here you can see Pagodas, rock-cut Caves, single-stone crafted Rathas and bas-reliefs. All belonging to the times of the Pal lavas, who ruled from 600 to 750 AD with Kanchi as their capital.

An ancient port with a flourishing maritime trade, Mamallapuram, earlier called Mahabalipuram, stands today as a centre of art and as a testimonial to early Dravidian Style of temple architecture. Here you can also hear the sound of wind on stone and the swish of waves bathing the Shore Temple. The rich portraits in stone of various gods, goddesses, celestial beauties and epic stories present an endless feast for the eye and the mind, at once intriguing and inspiring. These compositions in stone, built for all years to come, are works of faith and of love.

A first time visitor to Mamallapuram feels a thrill and an excitement. The beauty ot the place is that it can be visited again and again. Mamallapura offers glimpses of the glory of the Pal lava Kings and the creativity of the craftsman, who is both a supreme artist and a devotee. No wonder that the sunny beach, silvery sand, splendours of sculpture are visited by tourists from all over the world.

Festivals
Pongal Tourist Festival is celebrated in Mamallapuram on a grand scale during the iddle of January every year. Sthalasayanaperumal Temple Festival, Masimagam and rahmmotsavam attract a large number of devotees.

Dance Festival
December-January is the time for convergence at Mamallapuram to celebrate the Mamallapuram Dance Festival every year. To the accompanying music of the wind and with Arjuna's penance serving as a fitting backdrop, artistes of Indian Classical Dance and Folk Dance from all over the country come together to perform these various forms of Indian Dance. The Dance festival ensemble attracts a large number of tourists.

How to get there

Road
A good motorable road connects Mamallapuram with Chennai and other places. The State Transport Corporation operates buses to Chennai, Kalpakkarn, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Pondicherry and Cuddalore. There are also express buses to Thiruthani, Thirupathi, Chidambaram, Nagapattinam and Bangalore.

Local Transport
Taxis, Autorickshaws, Bicycles and Mopeds are available on hire.

Railhead
The nearest railway station is Chengalpattu, 30 kms from Mamallapuram. Trains to Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Thiruchirappalli, Madurai, Ramesvaram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari, coming from Chennai can be boarded here.

Airport
The nearest airport is Chennai which is 55 kms from Mamallapuram.

General Information

Area - 8 sq.km
Population - 12, 049 (2001 census)
Altitude - Sea Level
Climate - Max. Min.
Summer - 36.6c 21.1c
Winter - 30.5c 19.8c
Clothing - Tropical
Season - Throughout the year
Languages Spoken - Tamil and English
STD Code No. - 04114

Other Information

Places of Worship
Temple : Sthalasayana Perumal Temple
Church : Holy Family Church (RC)
Mosque : Majid Noor Jumma