The finely hewn grandeur sculptures reflect artistic excellence and cultural splendour of dravidian culture.
Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state, is famed for its Dravidian-style of Hindu temples,has more than 4,000 years of continuous cultural history.
Tamil Nadu has some of the most remarkable temple architecture in the country, and a living tradition of music, dance, folk arts and fine arts. Tamil Nadu is well renowned for its temple towns and heritage sites, hill stations, waterfalls, national parks, local cuisine and the natural environment and wildlife.
Tamil Nadu has excellent hill stations like Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Elagiri, Javvadhu Hills, Kolli Hills, Sirumalai Hills, Valparai, Topslip, Parvathamalai Hills and Pachamalai Hills. It has silvery cascades in Courtallam, Hogenakkal, Thiruparappu, Monkey falls,Thirumurthi Malai, Akasa Gangai and Papanasam.
It has excellent National Parks like Guindy National Park and Anamalai National Park.
It has wildlife sanctuaries in Mudumalai, Kodiakarai, Kalakkad, Mundanthurai and Berijam.
It has Botanical Gardens in Ooty, Kodaikanal and Coimbatore.
It has UNESCO declared monuments like living Chola temples at Thanjavur, Darasuram and Gangaikondacholapuram, monuments at Mamallapuram and Nilgiris Heritage Train.
The vast coastline of Tamil Nadu has many silvery beaches like the Marina, Elliots, Thiruvanmiyur, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram and Kanniyakumari.
The temples of Tamil Nadu reverberate with spirituality and music. Madurai, Rameswaram, Kumbakonam, Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli have innumerable temples with different deities.
Hill stations
Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Elagiri, Javvadhu Hills, Kolli Hills, Sirumalai Hills, Valparai, Topslip, Parvathamalai Hills and Pachamalai Hills
Ooty
The Queen of Hill stations
Kodaikanal
Honeymoon destinations in India.
Yercaud
Enchanting Hill Station
Yelagiri
Hidden Hills
The world that is a combination of rich flora and fauna and nature-architected aesthetics.
Sirumalai Hills
Lush green slopes and a salubrious weather
Point Of attractions:
Avalanche Lake…Ooty Lake…Emerald Lake…Ooty Botanical Gardens…Deer Park…Doddabetta Peak…Kalhatty Waterfalls…Kamraj Sagar Dam…Mudumalai National Park…Mukurthi National Park…Needle View Hill point/Needle Rock View-point…Ooty Rose Garden…Ooty Toy Train…Tribal Research Center…Parsons Valley Reservoir Ooty…St. Stephens Church…Ooty Stone House…Toda Huts Ooty... The Wenlock Downs… Tiger Hill… Cairn Hill
Ooty
Mudumalai National Park
An Experience Like No Other
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu state spread over 321 sq.km. at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and it plays an unique role by forming part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, the first Biosphere Reserve in India, declared during 1986. It has a common boundary with Wyanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North, and the Nilgiris North Division on the South and East and Gudalur Forest Division on the South West, together forming a large conservation landscape for flagship species such as Tiger and Asian Elephant. Reception Centre is located at Theppakadu. The name Mudumalai means ” the ancient hill range”. Indeed, it is as old as 65 million years when Western Ghats were formed.
Mukurthi National Park
Your Adventure Awaits
Mukurthi National Park is a beautiful place, located in the Nilgiris district of the state of Tamil Nadu. The park was previously known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park.
It was declare as a National Park in the year of 1990. Total area of the park is about 78.46 Km2. The park is characterized by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas in a high altitude area of high rainfall, near-freezing temperatures and high winds.
The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India’s first International Biosphere Reserve. As part of the Western Ghats, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1 July 2012. The Park is sandwiched between the Mudumalai National Park and the Silent Valley National park
Needle Rock View-point
Exceeding Expectations
Sim's Park
coonoor
The Lamb's Rock
Coonoor
Longwood Shola - treaking
kotagiri
Kodanand View Point
Kotagiri
Rangasamy Hill
Kotagiri
Nilgiri
Unforgettable Memories
Nilgiri
An Experience Like No Other
Take Your Next Trip with CHRISTONE HOLIDAYS
Kodakanal
Kodaikanal is linked by road with several prominent cities,Bangalore (460 km), Trichy (198 km) Chennai (530 km), Ooty (255 km), Coimbatore (175 km) and Kumili (160 km). From Madurai (120 km), it takes less than four hours to reach Kodaikanal via NH 49.
Kodaikanal
Point Of Attractions
Kodai Lake…Green Valley View…Bear Shola Falls … Pillars Rocks…Rat Tail Falls…Devil's Kitchen…Coakers walk…Berijam Lake…Dolphin's Nose…Brayant Park…Silver Cascade Falls…Silent Valley View… Kodakanal Observatory…Shenbaganur Museum…Pine Forest… The Mother Salette church…The Kukkal caves…Moir Point… Christ the King Church… Fairy Falls…Pambar Falls…Upper Lake View…Dolmen Circle…Perumal Peak... Vattakanal Falls…Poombarai - village of garlic…Mannavanur Lake -farming village…
Green Valley View
Kodaikanal
Kodai Lake
Exceeding Expectations
Yercaud
Point Of Attractions:
Yercaud Lake, The Anna Park, Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point, Killiyur Falls, The Servaroyan Temple, SILK WORLD – YERCAUD(Seri-Tourism Centre “Silk World”) Rose Garden, Botanical Garden, Gents Seat, Yercaud Lake Boat House (Emerald Lake)
Yercaud lies in the Shevaroy Hills, known for their orange groves, and coffee, fruit and spice plantations. Yercaud Lake has a boathouse, and is surrounded by gardens and woods. On the lake’s eastern shore, Anna Park has local plants and a Japanese garden with bonsai. To the southwest, Lady’s Seat vantage point has a watchtower with a telescope.
It is Situated in Salem district.
Lady's Seat
Yercaud
Yelagiri ( 170 km from Bangalore)
paragliding
Javvadhu Hills
The Eastern Ghats spread across parts of Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts
Kolli Hills - 'The Mountain of Death' Situated in Namakkal District
The most scary road in the world
The road with 70 hairpin bends - The Bikers Paradise
Sirumalai Hills
Situated 25 km (16 miles) from Dindigul and 40 km (25 miles) from Madurai
Velankanni Church
Point Of Attractions :
Annai Velankanni Church, Sirumalai Lake, Observation Tower, Sanjeevani Hills, Saathiyar Basin, Vellimalai Murugan Temple, Selvi Koil Point, Agastya Puram, Silver Hills.
Pachamalai
Pachamalai is a green hill range, just 80 kms north of Tiruchirapalli
Itinerary Planning
Exceeding Expectations
Family Travel Consultation
Everything You Need
International Travel Guidance
Personalized Approach
National Parks
The ever-changing topography of this park consist dry scrub forests, savannah forests, moist deciduous and evergreen forests and grasslands at high elevations. The park is rich in mixed deciduous forest with fair population of rosewood and teaks. The forests are noted for their valuable timber trees including teak and rosewood, Hopea parviflora, Mesua ferrea, Calophyllum
Guindy National Park and Anamalai National Park
National Park
Guindy National Park - Chennai
Guindy National Park is a 2.70 km² protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai, India, is the 8th-smallest National Park of India and one of the very few national parks situated inside a city.
Anamalai National Park.
Aanaimalai Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and previously as Aanaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected area located in the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District.
The faunal species includes Nilgiri Langur, Giant Squirrel, Lion tailed macaque, Gaur, Elephant, Chital, Sambar, Mouse Deer, Barking Deer, Variety of Birds, Tiger, panther, Wild Dog, Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Langur, Bonnet macaque etc. The bird life includes Malabar whistling thrush, Grey jungle fowl, Malabar and Great pied hornbills, Ceylon frogmouth, Malabar trogon, Red Tree Pie, Whiskered Bulbul, Spotted Dove, Black Headed Oriole, Pigeons etc. The Amaravati reservoir in the park, having a large number of crocodiles
Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen. Contact us for a free consultation.
Wildlife sanctuaries
Mudumalai, Kodiakarai & Kalakkad Mundanthurai .
Sanctuary is an area which is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance. The Sanctuary is declared for the purpose of protecting, propagating or developing wildlife or its environment. Certain rights of people living inside the Sanctuary could be permitted. Further, during the settlement of claims, before finally notifying the Sanctuary, the Collector may, in consultation with the Chief Wildlife Warden, allow the continuation of any right of any person in or over any land within the limits of the Sanctuary.
The Wild
Mudumalai
Exceeding Expectations
The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a tiger reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains) in Nilgiri .
The Reserve has tall grasses, commonly referred to as “Elephant Grass”, Bamboo of the giant variety, valuable timber species like Teak, Rosewood, etc,. There are several species of endemic flora. Such a varied habitat is inhabited by a variety of animals which include Tiger, Elephant, Indian Gaur, Panther, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Common Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Wild Dog, Mangoose, Jungle Cat, Hyena, among others.
Kodiakarai(Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary)
Everything You Need
Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is a 21.47-square-kilometre protected area in Tamil Nadu, South India along the Palk Strait where it meets the Bay of Bengal at Point Calimere at the southeastern tip of Nagapattinam District.
Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Personalized Approach
Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve located in the Southern Western Ghats in Tirunelveli district and Kanyakumari district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the second-largest protected area in Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
One of the large patches of Non-Equatorial Rain Forests: KMTR bears a large contiguous tract of about 400 sq.kms of wet evergreen forests located away from the equatorial region. Besides a rich array of flora and fauna, it harbours a large number of threatened species including the Lion Tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus), a flagship species of rainforests in the Western Ghats.
Botanical Gardens
A botanical garden or botanic garden is a garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation, preservation and display of a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names
Ooty, Kodaikanal & Coimbatore
Ooty Botanical Gardens
Spread over an area of 55 acres,which has the fern house which harbors one hundred and twenty seven species of ferns, the Lower Garden, which contains the rose garden, a lot of natural floral carpets and natural ponds, the Italian Garden, laid down by Italian Prisoners of War from the First World War, the Conservatory, which has lots of groups of flowering plants and the Nurseries, which contains a series of glass houses which contains innumerable varieties of exotic plants. The Flower show held as a part of the Summer Festival in Ooty is a must see if you happen to visit Ooty during that time.
This garden was laid out in 1897 by the Marquis of Tweedale and is spread over 55 acres. Lush green, well maintained lawns, rare trees species (like the cork tree which is probably the only such tree in India, the paper bark tree and the monkey puzzle tree-monkeys cannot climb this tree), a 20 million year old fossilized tree, an Italian-style garden bordering a clear pool, a vast variety of flowering bushes and plants in myriad hues (exotic and ornamental), fern house with a vast range of ferns and orchids, are some of the many highlights of this garden. A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every year in month of May at this garden.
Beaches
The Marina, Elliots, Thiruvanmiyur, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram and Kanniyakumari.
The Marina Beach
Edward elliot each
Thiruvanmiyur
Tiruchendur Beach
Ramahwaram Beach
Kanyakumai Beach
UNESCO Heritage Monuments
Chola temples at Thanjavur, Darasuram and Gangaikondacholapuram.
Monuments at Mamallapuram and Nilgiris Heritage Train.
The Great living Chola temples at Thanjavur
Darasuram
Gangaikondacholapuram
Monuments at Mamallapuram
Exceeding Expectations
Nilgiris Heritage Train
Everything You Need
Temples with different deities
Madurai, Rameswaram, Kumbakonam, Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli
The temples of Tamil Nadu reverberate with spirituality and music.
Meenakshi Temple Madurai
Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple
Kumbakonam temple
Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Chennai - Dakshinachitra
1 hr 2 min (32.6 km)
DakshinaChitra is an exciting cross cultural living museum of art, architecture, lifestyles, crafts and performing arts of South India. The main mission is to exhibit, promote and preserve aspects of the broader, more inclusive cultures of the states and to bring these arts to the public in a participative, enjoyable and engaging way. DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum.
DakshinaChitra has a collection of 18 authentic historical houses with contextual exhibitions in each house. All the houses bought and reconstructed at DakshinaChitra had been given for demolition by their owners. The authentic homes in a regional vernacular style are purchased, taken down, transported and reconstructed by artisans ( Stapathis) of the regions from where the houses came
Dakshinachitra museum
Explore Traditional Architectural wonders of South India in One Stop - Tamilnadu
Tamil Nadu Merchant House
From Kandanur Village, Ramnad District
This house is representative of the ancestral homes of the Nattukottai Chettiars, a merchant community found scattered through the 76-80 remaining “Chettiar” villages in the present day Ramnad, Pudukottai and Sivaganga districts of Tamil Nadu.
The outside columned verandah (Burmese teak) and the central courtyard have been authentically relocated and reconstructed from a house in Aryakudi village dated to 1895. The door and inner verandah, dating back to c.1900, are from a house in Kandanur village.
Brahmin House
Ambur village, Tirunelveli district
This Brahmin house has been relocated from Ambur village, an agricultural village in the South of Tamil Nadu.
This type of Brahmin house is prevalent throughout the villages and towns of the Tirunelveli area. Brahmin houses in the various regions of Tamil Nadu differ slightly in style, technique and materials, depending on their location. They are almost always connected by a common wall and tend to be narrow in width and very long. They are often without an interior courtyard, but have open spaces in the back. A clear storey on the roof provides light and fresh air for many agraharam homes with flat roofs.
Silk Weavers
KANCHIPURAM Reddy Pettai Street, Chinna Kanchipuram.
The style and form of this house is common to many communities throughout Chengelpet District. The colours used are the same as those in the original house.
The traditional craftsmen, including the weavers, do not separate their workspace from their home. The reeling and twisting of the thread as well as the preparation of the loom and weaving are all done in the main space of the house. Work activities are stopped to accommodate any major ritual, wedding or festivity. These are celebrated in the area where the loom is installed.
Explore Traditional Architectural wonders of South India in One Stop
Dakshinachitra museum
Agricultural House
Sathanur village, Parasalur post, Tarangambadi Taluk, Mayavaram district.
This house was built circa 1850 A.D. in Sattanur village by a Hindu Naidu family of agriculturalists. The house is typical of many in the towns and villages of Mayavaram and Tanjavur districts.
The house has been relocated to DakshinaChitra and reconstructed exactly as it originally was.
Potters House
Chengleput District
The house in front is made of mud. The thatch is a reed found near the banks of ponds and rivers. The structural supports are from palmyra trees. The house is given a protective and antiseptic finish with a slurry of cow dung which is repeated weekly.
The house in the rear was originally mud. It has been made here with compressed mud blocks, more durable than plain mud, and a technique now being introduced to villages to ugrade their mud construction. The blocks are stabilized with 5% cement.
Mud and thatch houses are the most prevalent form of housing in Tamil Nadu. They are constructed by all communities. Since the materials and labour are local this building represents the most economical means of initially building a house. However, upkeep of the house is both material and labour intensive.
Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen. Contact us for a free consultation.
Dakshinachitra museum
Explore Traditional Architectural wonders of South India in One Stop- Kerala
Syrian Christian House
Puthupally, Kottayam District, Kerala
The basic features of this house are common to houses of all communities from the earlier Travancore section of Kerala- the wood craft and joinery, the underground storage and general emphasis on storage of food items, the well in the kitchen, the steeped roof and the long verandah.
The distinctive feature of the Syrian Christian house is its layout, with the entrance of the house leading directly into the granary. Prayers in this house were conducted in front of the granary (identified by the small cross above the door). The addition of a masonry structure (c.1910) which includes a living room, a separate dining room and kitchen is a sign of the early westernization of the community and the social trend of entertaining guests in a family house. Houses from this period in Travancore were generally single storied. House expansion occurred by the addition of supplementary buildings: an agricultural house, a cow shed, a separate granary, guest house and an elaborate gate house- Padipura.
Hindu House
Mankavu, Calicut, Kerala
This two storey house built of laterite and timber is representative of many early 20th century middle class homes throughout the central and northern part of Kerala. This house belonged to a Menon family, one of the many traditionally matrilineal Hindu communities of Kerala. The owners of this house earlier had ten acres of agricultural land which was sold.
Central and northern Kerala have vast deposits of laterite, a clay and pebble substance which is cut into blocks for building and hardens on oxidation. It is the chief building material in this area and, along with wood, is used for two storey homes.
The houses in north Kerala are characterized by the many small rooms, affording a modicum of privacy to couples within the joint family. The typical Hindu family at that time was an extended family often comprising three to four generations within the same house- even when the house was relatively small.
Hindu House
Trivandrum, Kerala
This small middle class house from South Kerala belonged to an agricultural Hindu family of Nairs, a popular matrilineal Hindu caste. The house is representative of houses in southern Kerala, where the building material was primarily timber. The manner of joinery and wood used (jackfruit wood and palmyra) was standard in southern Kerala for both the rich and middle class. The carved detailing on the cross boards of this house is of the highest quality.
In Kerala, craftsmanship and materials used were the same for the well-to-do and the middle class. More affluent families would have added one or even two courtyards in the middle of their wooden structure. For other activities they would expand by building separate buildings- a small shrine, a cowshed, an entrance gateway with storage and a small granary. If they were very well to do they may have built a separate guest house. Most traditional houses in Kerala do not have a courtyard.
Granary
Kuttattukulam, Kottayam
The granary and cowshed at DakshinaChitra from Kuttattukulam, near Kottayam was part of a larger compound which included a cowshed, gate house and a Syrian Christian house very similar to our Pudupally house. The granary was constructed Circa 1910. The British influence is noticeable in the arched verandah which came to replace the graceful curved slated wooden screens and inside seating which were characteristic of earlier verandahs. The wooden granary which occupied the downstairs has been removed to provide exhibition space. However the upstairs with its wooden rooms and central granary remains the same.
Dakshinachitra museum
Explore Traditional Architectural wonders of South India in One Stop-Karnataka
The Chikmagalur House
Chikmagalur district, Karnataka
Mr K.A.Mohamed Ismail, built this house in 1914. The house represents one part of the history of the Chikmagalur district, in Karnataka, as well as the Muslim heritage of Karnataka. Mr.Mohamed's ancestors immigrated from West Asia (Turkey) to Bijapur several centuries ago and later to Chikmagalur. His neighbors say he may have owned five acres of coffee - appropriate both for the area which is known for its excellent coffee as well as for the tale which attributes the introduction of coffee by an Arab trader into Chikmagalur in the late 1700s.
Mr. Mohamed was also a trader. He owned the main general store in Aldur, a small town 30 kilometers from Chikmagalur town and sourced his merchandise from far away Bombay (Mumbai). His neighbors and distant relatives spoke of the beautiful porcelain, his elaborate furniture and lamps. From his decorative stucco work recreated here in lime exactly as it was in his house we know that he was widely travelled. This work combines inspiration from the colonial period and from the grand Muslim manor houses of the time.
Ilkal Weavers House
Ilkal, Bagalkote District, Karnataka
This cluster of weavers' houses from northern Karnataka represents an urban settlement pattern and is typical of weavers' houses in the larger northern region of Karnataka. The wooden elements have been taken from similar houses near Bagalkote from a village which has now been flooded by the new dam. However, as the Bagalkote houses had already been dismantled, the Ilkal cluster was taken as a model after research around the area and has been reconstructed accurately at DakshinaChitra.
The wooden gateway, stone and wooden window at the entrance were taken from Ilkal, the last remaining standing remnants of a house which was considered to be the oldest known house in the town.
Dakshinachitra museum
Explore Traditional Architectural wonders of South India in One Stop-Andhrapredesh
Coastal Andhra House
Yellamanchilli Mandal, Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh.
This house cluster was built by residents of the Haripuram village in Yellamanchilli Mandal, Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh.
In Andhra, this house form is locally referred to as chuttillu which means a round house (illu stands for house). In a cyclone prone area, fisherman and agricultural farmers build circular houses which nestle closely to form clusters. The shape and the positioning help the houses battle against the raging winds.
The walls of the house are built in mud using the cob wall technique i.e. earth is mixed with water thoroughly to form the right consistency. Then, balls of mud are placed closely in a row and the wall is built up from there. In one day, only 2 feet of wall may be erected. It is allowed to dry, before the next 2 feet is built on the following day. Palmyra timber is used for rafters, palmyra thatch for the roof, and lime wash for the walls. There is an inner flat mud and timber roof above the inner room to provide extra protection from rain and fire. It is important that the slope of the roof be a minimum 45 degrees. A slope less than that causes water to fall through the palm thatch leaves. The roof overhang protects the mud walls from the rain. Because of the need for such an overhang, the roof almost touches the ground around the house. The door is very low and made out of locally available timber.
Ikat house
Nalgonda District
The weavers house at DakshinaChitra from Nalgonda Dt, Telengana follows an age old traditional style locally known as bhawanti .The preferred plan is the chitra sala plan, with three bays (sections)and a small courtyard in the middle. Rooms are at the back. Building materials are the following – reapers are bamboo, beams are palmyra, roof tiles are semi circular in shape. If the owner can afford, the house will have an outside garden, bathroom and utility area enclosed by walls and a separate entrance. The plinth is made of stone blocks with mud mortars and the walls are either mud of sundried bricks. The weavers’ house plan is an adaptation of an agriculturist house. The house was constructed by local masons and carpenters after the same plan of the family house where Mr.Janardan grew up. Ikat, the technique of dyeing the yarn to form designs before putting the yarn on the loom is famous in Nalgonda district.
Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen. Contact us for a free consultation.
Dakshinachitra -Mahabalipuram
23 min (24.1 km)
Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram, is a town on a strip of land between the Bay of Bengal and the Great Salt Lake, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s known for its temples and monuments built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. The seafront Shore Temple comprises 3 ornate granite shrines. Krishna’s Butter Ball is a massive boulder balanced on a small hill near the Ganesha Ratha stone temple.
Mahabalipuram
Point Of Interest :
India Seashell Museum, Shore Temples, Five Rathas, Krishna’s Butterball, Tiger Caves, Mahabalipuram Beach,Arjuna’s Penance, Alamparai Fort, Crocodile Bank, Covelong Beach, Mahishasura Mardini Cave Temple, Krishna Cave Temple, Ganesh Ratha Temple, Trimurti Cave, Mamallapuram Lighthouse. Maritime Heritage Museum, Sculpture Museum, Mamallapuram Dance Festival
Mahabalipuram
Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram, is a town on a strip of land between the Bay of Bengal and the Great Salt Lake, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s known for its temples and monuments built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. The seafront Shore Temple comprises 3 ornate granite shrines. Krishna’s Butter Ball is a massive boulder balanced on a small hill near the Ganesha Ratha stone temple.
Five Rathas
The Five Rathas were, astonishingly, all carved from single large rocks. Each of these fine 7th-century temples was dedicated to a Hindu god and is now named after one or more of the Pandavas, the five hero-brothers of the epic Mahabharata, or their common wife, Draupadi. The rathas were hidden in the sand until excavated by the British 200 years ago.
Shore Temples
The temple is a combination of three shrines. The main shrine is dedicated to Arkadeep, as is the smaller second shrine. A small third shrine, between the two, is dedicated to a reclining Vishnu and may have had water channeled into the temple, entering the Vishnu shrine. The two Shiva shrines are orthogonal in configuration. The entrance is through a transverse barrel vault gopuram. The two shikharas have a pyramidal outline, each individual tier is distinct with overhanging eaves that cast dark shadows. The outer wall of the shrine to Vishnu and the inner side of the boundary wall are extensively sculptured and topped by large sculptures of Nandi. The temple's outer walls are divided by pilasters into bays, the lower part being carved into a series of rearing lions The temple walls have large sculptures of Nandi
Arjuna’s Penance
Believed to be the world's largest structure of its kind, inscribed on two monolithic boulders, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Arjuna's Penance (tapas) is a bas-relief, measuring to 43 ft height and 100 ft length. It has over 100 sculptures of gods, birds, beasts and saints. The relic depicts a scene from the epic Mahabharata, where Arjuna is praying hard and performing penance to Lord Shiva to ask him for his powerful and divine bow. It is said that Arjuna needed this bow in the battle of Mahabharata to defeat the Kauravas. Another legend gives the site the name of descent of the Ganges, as it is believed to be the spot where king Bhagiratha performed penance and prayed to Lord Shiva, standing on one leg, to let River Ganges descend from heaven so he could gain salvation for his ancestors.
India Seashell Museum
Crocodile Bank
Ganesh Ratha Temple
Krishna Cave Temple
Trimurti Cave
Maritime Heritage Museum
Sculpture Museum
Mahabalipuram Beach
Covelong Beach
Mamallapuram Lighthouse
Mamallapuram Dance Festival
Mamallapuram - pondicherry
1 hr 41 min (96.0 km)
Point Of Attractions :
Auroville, Paradise Beach, Gingee Fort, Basilica Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus, Jawahar Toy Museum, Promenade Beach, White Town, Sita Cultural Centre, Ousteri Lake, Pondy Bazaar, Raj Niwas, French War Memorial, Pondicherry Botanical GardenRock Beach, Mahatma Gandhi Statue, The Pondicherry Museum, Statue Of Dupleix, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, ISKCON Pondicherry, Serenity Beach, Yanam Beach, Ananda Ranga Pillai Mansion, Seafront Promenade, Arikamedu
Auroville
ISKCON Pondicherry
Gingee Fort
Jawahar Toy Museum
Arikamedu
Basilica Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Pondy Bazaar
Mahatma Gandhi Statue
Rock Beach
Raj Niwas
French War Memorial
