Mahabalipuram – Stories in Stone
Mahabalipuram, the most frequented destination renowned among the global travelers houses the group of monuments listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. The coastal resort town is located at a distance of 58kms south of Chennai in Tamilnadu. Dating back to the dynasty of Pallava Kings, Mahabalipuram is home for grand stone structures depicting various events correlated in the epics of Indian Mythology.
Some of the prominent structures you can enjoy here are Arjuna’s penance , a monolithic structure carved in stone, Krishna’s butterball and the Five Rathas (stone temples in the form of chariots). These 7th century structures bring the credit to Mahabalipuram as the most visited City in South India. You have lot more to visit in Mahabalipuram and the list includes various huge halls called mandapas, giant open air rock reliefs and Shore temples dedicated to the Hindu Gods.
The annual dance festival hosted at Mahabalipuram is another highlight here. The Four weeks long cultural extravaganza includes exotic performances with the backdrop of the historic monuments is simple amazing and never to be missed if you happen to be in South India during the December-January.
The UNESCO World Heritage group of monuments at Mahabalipuram is more than perfect for sightseeing and exploration.
What you need to know while planning a visit to Mahabalipuram:
Entry Timings: From 6AM to 6PM
Entry Fee:
| S.No | Category | Fee |
| 1 | Visitors from SAARC & BIMSTEC | Rs.40 |
| 2 | Visitors from other countries | Rs.600 |
Great Living Chola Temples
Plan a visit to the Great Living Chola Temples standing as a testimony to glorious past of the Great Chola Empire functioning from Tamil Nadu with Tanjore as capital. With boundaries beyond India, the Kings of Chola Dynasty were keen in taking the art, culture and civilization of the citizens to greater heights. The pinnacle of Chola Architecture can be witnessed in these Great Living Chola Temples.
Tanjore Brahadiswara temple, even after Thousand years of its inception, is still wondered for its phenomenal architecture. The strategy behind placing the monolithic stone weighing around 80tonnes on top of the gateway tower, the sanctum is very cool during summer and warm during winter, fixing of such a huge linga idol inside the comparatively smaller sanctum, placing a monolithic huge bull facing the sanctum are some of the questions yet to be answered. Brahadiswara temple or Big Temple in Tanjore was built by the great Emperor Raja Raja Chola I, who has set a strong foot in South Indian history for his bravery and achievements.
Gangaikondacholapuram in Perambalur district houses the replica of Big Temple, built by Rajendra Chola, son of Raja Raja Chola I. Tourists and historians from all corners of the country and globe are awestruck by the stunning beauty of this temple. Though it was built to reflect the Big Temple, this temple has its own unique grandeur and style and the sanctum houses a comparatively larger idol of Lod Shiva in the form of Lingam. The tranquil ambience and the mystic beauty of this temple bundled with the stories from the ancient times add more reasons to visit this temple.
The third Great Living Chola Temple is at Darasuram, a suburb of Kumbakonam. The entire temple is built to resemble the form of a chariot used during the festivals and processions. The façade of the temple welcomes with an 80feet high gateway tower and it is quite surprising to know that the sanctum sanctorum is without any pathway for circumambulation unlike any other Hindu Temple. Adjoining a small shrine for Lord Ganesha, there is a set of three steps not to be missed by any visitor. The significance of these steps is that when one strikes these steps, it gives out the seven basic nodes of music .(Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma,Pa,Dha, Ni) which is still a mystery for many architects.
What you need to know while planning a visit to the Great Living Chola Temples:
Entry Timings: From 06.30 AM to 08.30PM
Entrance Fee : Nil
Approach : Tanjore is well connected by rail and road and is at a distance of 330 kms from Chennai. Gangaikonda Cholapuram is on the road to Kumbakonam which is at a distance of 250km from Chennai. Darasuram is a suburb of Kumbakonam.
Ooty Toy Train
If you are planning to visit Ooty this summer, the Queen of Hill Stations located in the South Indian state Tamil Nadu, don’t afford to miss a wonderful journey from Mettupalayam to Coonoor in the Ooty Toy Train. The exquisite journey will take you through the lush green regions of the Western Ghats. The journey for few hours in this monumental icon of South India will take you out of this world. Ooty Toy Train is functioning from 1908 and the distance covered is 46kms through the scenic locations of the Queen of Hill stations. The panoramic view of the hills around is so enthralling and it is for sure, your vacation will be complete with the awesome experiences traveling in Toy Train .
Ooty Toy Train has first class and second class compartments and the travellers can sit comfortable to enjoy the scenic locations all around.
Western Ghats
The series of mountain ranges which are older than Himalayas are the Western Ghats which are acclaimed to have immense geographical importance in maintaining the biological diversity. The climatic changes in the Western Ghats changes the monsoon pattern in the South Indian states. The 1600km long route crossing through the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa,Maharashtra and Gujarat has these mountain ranges sprawling across 140,000sq.km. The Western Ghats Mountain Ranges are home to dense forests inhabited with diverse types of fauna. The exceptional flora and animal species found in these mountain ranges make it very special
