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Apart from the cold
waves and soft sand, a few fascinating monuments
further beautifies Mahabalipuram beach. People
throng Mahabalipuram to see the magnificently built
temples and the serene beach. One of the longest and
cleanest beaches of India, this beautiful beach is
20 kms long.
Mahabalipuram is some 58 kms away from Chennai.
Accommodation
and Connectivity
From economy to high-end, various types of
accommodation is available in Mahabalipuram.
However, the beach resorts of Mahabalipuram are a
big hit among the tourists. As the resorts remain
full during peak season, it is advisable to go in
for advance booking.
The airport nearest to Mahabalipuram is Chennai at a
distance of 60 kms. It is an international airport.
The nearest railhead is Chengalpattu at a distance
of 29 kms. Mahabalipuram has very good road
connectivity with Chennai, Kanchipuram and
Pondicherry.
Beach
Attractions
The Shore Temple
The 7th century Shore Temple is widely visited
throughout the year. It is a structural temple built
out of hard blackish leptinite. Both Lord Shiva and
Lord Vishnu are worshipped here. What is more
fascinating is the fact that this temple has
withstood numerous onslaughts from the sea and still
stands tall on the beach.
Swimming and Sun Bathing
The beach at Mahabalipuram is one of the cleanest in
Tamil Nadu . The serene ambience of the beach
becomes most appropriate for sun bathing. A number
of foreign tourists may be seen sunbathing at the
place. Swimming is also very popular on the beach.
Arjuna's
Penance
The world's largest bas-relief that measures 27m x
9m also stands on the Mahabalipuram beach. It is
actually a huge rock that contains figures of Gods,
Demigods and beasts. Infact, it is said that an
attempt has been made to depict representatives of
the entire universe on the rock.
Five Rathas
Each one of them created in a different style, the
five rathas are infact five monolithic temples. They
are also called "Pancha Pandava Rathas".
The presence of the rock formations and temples lend
a spiritual colour to Mahabalipuram beach.
Dakshinachitra
Dakshinachitra is a heritage crafts centre on the
beach. While strolling on the beach, one can also
pick up information on traditional crafts of
Mahabalipuram.
There are a few other attractions near the beach
that are also worth a visit while on a tour to the
beach. They include the crocodile farm, snake venom
extracting centre and a school of art and sculpture.
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