Itinerary

1. Mahabalipuram Day Tour From Chennai

   • Get a pick-up from your hotel and meet your local tour guide. 
   • Drive towards the historic site of Mahabalipuram in a private air-conditioned vehicle. 
   • Make the first stop of the day at the Pancharathas, or five chariots, a series of monolithic temples built by the Pallavas. These are rock-cut monolith temple structures built in the 7th century. 
   • Marvel the architecture of each of the five Rathas or chariots, dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharat epic - Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. 
   • Visit Arjuna’s Penance, a bas-relief monument that’s considered one of India’s most magnificent pieces of ancient art, depicting vivid scenes from the Mahabharata.  
   • Learn the main story from your guide that states how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities to obtain Lord Shiva's weapon.
   • Visit India Seashell Museum, the 40000+ collection of seashells is a singular effort of Raja Mohamad, who spent 33 years collecting these items worldwide.
   • Stop at Krishna’s Butterball, a granite boulder that is poised on a stony slope. This curious boulder seems to defy Newton's laws of gravity and has not moved an inch despite being in this precarious position on the slope for more than a thousand years. 
   • Make a last stop at the Shore Temple. The magnificent temple overlooks the Bay of Bengal and was an important centre during the Pallavas' reign when Mahabalipuram was the main port of their Kingdom.
   • Roam around the Shore Temple, which is a landmark in the architectural landscape of India. Marco Polo referred to this as the seven pagodas. The existing temple is the last surviving of the seven, which once stood as a beacon for seafarers.
   • Conclude with lunch at Hotel Mamalla and drop-off back to Chennai.