Voyage 361

The Legacy of Pallavas, Mahabalipuram-Part III: Shore Temple The third and last complex we visited at Mahabalipuram was the much acclaimed shore temple. The  shore temple  near the seashore of Mahabalipuram is the most visited amongst the group of monuments in Mahabalipuram. To tell the tales of the past, Shore temple remains as the last living Pagodas of Pallavas  It was built in the early 8 th  century (700-728 AD) by the Pallava king Rajasimha. It is located on the shores of the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The temple resembles the Dharmaraja Ratha in design, but unlike the Rathas this is a structural temple and not a rock-cut monolithic structure. The temple is partially eroded due to the salty winds and closeness to the sea. Shore temple has three shrines, two of which have pyramid shaped gopuras (temple tower) The main shrine of the Shore Temple is a five-storied pyramidal structure 18 m high and sits on a 15 m square platform which faces east, so that th

The Legacy of Pallavas, Mahabalipuram-Part II: Caves  and Sculptures The second and the largest complex at the Mahabalipuram hosts many cave temples and bas-reliefs.  The monuments in this complex are scattered across on the hillock and one have to walk for more than a kilometer to cover all the monuments. On a shorter visit, do visit the Mahishasuramardini and Varaha cave temples, Descent of the Ganges and the Krishna Mantapa. "Descent of the Ganges" - largest open-air bas-relief in the world We started with  Olakkannesvara Temple  which is built on top of the Mahishasura mardhini cave, it also served as a light house overlooking the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. During the 7 th  century Mahabalipuram served as a major port for the Pallavas. Olakkannesvara Temple on top of the Mahishasura mardhini cave Mahishasuramardini Mandapa  is a rock-cut cave temple with large exquisitely carved reliefs on its interiors, the prominent ones are the goddess Dur