Mahabalipuram is known for it’s group of temples built in the 7th and 8th century which have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It takes you back in time with the rock-cut temples, elaborate carvings on the walls, and the monoliths. Here is a list of the 14 best places you must visit in Mahabalipuram and you can cover all these places in just 1 day!
How to reach Mahabalipuram?
There is no direct train or flight to this place. The nearest Railway station is Chennai Central and from there you can take a bus or hire a cab to Mahabalipuram. The nearest airport is the Chennai airport and from there you can hire a cab to Mahabalipuram. You can also drive down to Mahabalipuram for a scenic long drive into the historical city!
14 Best Places To Visit In Mahabalipuram In Just 1 Day!
- Shore Temple
- Pancha Rathas
- Olakkanneswara Temple
- Mahishasurmardini Mandapa
- Mahabalipuram Light House
- Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance
- Panch Pandava Cave Temple
- Krishna Mandapa
- Krishna’s Butter Ball
- Ganesha Ratha
- Varaha Temple
- Trimurti Cave
- The group of elephants, monkeys and peacock
- Mahabalipuram Sea Shell Museum
Let’s start with the details!
1. Shore Temple
A beautiful temple, overlooking the Bay of Bengal with a history of the Pallava Dynasty and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To cover the huge premises, it will easily take an hour or 2. It feels like you entered a historical era with beautiful stone-cut structures and carvings on the walls. This is one of the best places to visit in Mahabalipuram! The ticket to the Shore Temple is valid for all the other temples in Mahabalipuram, so visit this temple first and then visit the rest of the temples.
Entry ticket : Indians – ₹ 40/-, Foreigners – ₹ 600/- and free entry below 15 years
Timings : 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2. Pancha Rathas
The Pancha Rathas are a group of five monolithic temples also known as Pandava Rathas. Monolith means carved out of a single rock. The Pancha Rathas are very unique rock-cut sculptures. Each of the five rathas is a monolith. Among all the 5 rathas, you can actually enter the Bhima Ratha, which is like a cave and is the biggest Ratha in this complex. This is surely one of the best place to visit in Mahabalipuram.
3. Olakkanneswara Temple
Olakkannesvara temple, also called old Mahabalipuram Lighthouse, is located on top of the Mahishasuramardini cave temple and right beside the new lighthouse. So, there are 3 spots to cover at the same place. When you reach the top of the hill, the view is breathtaking. You can see the whole city from the top! You can also see the new Mahabalipuram lighthouse from here. There are also some beautiful carvings on all the sides of this temple.
4. Mahishasurmardini Mandapa
Mahishasurmardini Mandapa is an incomplete cave temple located at the base of the Olakkanneswara temple. It has many interesting architectural features and carvings on the cave walls among which one is of the main deity of the temple Durga slaying the buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura.
5. Mahabalipuram Light House
This modern lighthouse constructed with brick and stone with a height of 26 meters or 85 feet, is India’s oldest lighthouse, built in 1904! The lighthouse has been only used to guide the mariners till 2011 post which it has been open to tourists. The lighthouse is quite popular among foreign tourists and is among the 14 best places to visit in Mahabalipuram.
Entry fee : Adult – ₹ 10, Child – ₹ 5, Foreigner – ₹ 25 – Camera – ₹ 20
Timing of the Lighthouse: From 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4.45 p.m.
6. Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance
Descent of the Ganges also known as Arjuna’s Penance, measuring 96 by 43 feet, is a giant structure with beautiful carvings on 2 monolithic rock boulders. It depicts the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to Earth from Heaven led by Bhagiratha. This is a very unique rock-cut sculpture not much seen anywhere else in India. The prominent carvings are sure to blow up your mind!
7. Panch Pandava Cave Temple
The cave temple has the largest cavern among the Mahabalipuram Cave Temples, with a length of 50 feet (15 meters). The long area inside the temple seems to be the passage within the cave for devotees to reach the central shrine. This temple is right beside the Arjuna’s Penance.
8. Krishna Mandapa
Krishna Mandapa is the largest and the oldest rock-cut caves located in Mahabalipuram. The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The carvings on the walls depicts different historical mythological events. One of the incident carved here is of Lord Krishna, who lifted the whole Govardhana mountain to save the people from heavy rainfall.
9. Krishna’s Butter Ball
Krishna’s Butter Ball is a very interesting rock structure. It is a 250-ton rock boulder, which is resting inclined on a slope. How the rock is able to balance itself in such a position is a mystery. Many failed attempts have been made to move the boulder. Up close it looks like the rock is going to roll down but it is standing still at this position since the 7th century! This is surely among the 14 best places to visit in Mahabalipuram.
10. Ganesha Ratha
Ganesha Ratha is one of the ten rathas erected out of the pink granite within the group of monuments of the Pallava period. They still perform the rituals for worship of Ganesha in this temple.
11. Varaha Temple
Varaha Temple is a beautiful rock-cut temple reflecting ancient South Indian architecture. It is made from a giant piece of granite as well and has some very prominent carvings on the walls. All the fours pillars in the temple are designed to greet people at the entrance. This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Mahabalipuram.
12. Trimurti cave
Trimurti Cave Temple is quite different from all other temples as it does not have a front mandapa or porch. It can be called as one of the most complete excavations. This cave temple consists of three shrines.
13. The group of elephants, monkeys and peacock
The group of elephants, monkeys and peacock – The beautiful carving represents the wildlife in it’s natural sense and is made out of granite rock.
14. Mahabalipuram Sea Shell Museum
Last but not the least, Mahabalipuram Sea Shell Museum which is the largest sea shell museum in Asia with a wide collection of approximately 40,000 seashells & marine fossils from around the globe. The various artifacts surely is going to take you to the marine world and depict the beauty of the marine life and it’s worth visiting, hence is among the 14 best places to visit in Mahabalipuram.
Entry Fee : Museum ticket – ₹ 100, Aquarium ticket – ₹ 50, Museum + Aquarium ticket – ₹ 130
Timing : 8 a.m. TO 8 p.m.
I also have a video on the 14 best places to visit in Mahabalipuram in just 1 day, you can watch it below.
If you are a history lover, then Mahabalipuram is one of the best places that you can visit to quench your thirst and experience an historical era built up of rock-cut stones and mythological stories. There are many more temples and rock sculptures that you will find along the way. During the summer months, Mahabalipuram gets very hot so do carry an umbrella, cap and water bottles to counter the heat!