India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (176 page)

Next stop (about halfway mark to Mamallapuram) is
DakshinaChitra
, a nonprofit heritage center showcasing different living styles of India’s four southern states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. It has relocated or rebuilt real 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century houses and re-created village streets and workplaces typical of each state, and there are goods for sale as well as artisans (weavers, potters, glassblowers, puppeteers) demonstrating their skills. Informative guided tours of the reconstructed heritage villages are available; alternatively there is a good map given out with the entry fee (Muttukadu, East Coast Rd., 30km/18 miles south of Chennai;
044/2747-2603;
www.dakshinachitra.net
; entry Rs 200; child Rs 20; Wed–Mon 10am–6pm).

DakshinaChitra has plenty of activities for kids but beleaguered parents with overactive kids will find the most successful stop just 15km (9 miles) north of Mahabalipurum, the
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
(
www.madrascrocodilebank.org
; Rs 30; children under 10, Rs 15; photo with croc or python Rs 50; feeding crocs Rs 30; Tues–Sun 8am–6pm) was set up by the famous New York–born herpetologist Romulus Whitaker in 1976. It is today an extremely successful breeding and research center that sustains around 2,500 crocodiles, including 14 of the world’s 26 species, and puts these much maligned creatures in a new light. Did you know for instance that it is not chromosomal configuration but temperature, timing, and incubation duration that determines the sex of crocodile offspring?

ESSENTIALS

GETTING THERE & AWAY
Mahabalipuram is 2 hours south of Chennai, on the East Coast Highway. Buses from Chennai arrive and depart every half-hour from the suburban Koyambedu bus stand (state-owned buses at Mofussil and private buses at Omni stand). Pondicherry is around 40 minutes away by road.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Government of Tamil Nadu Tourist Office
(Kovalam Rd.;
04114/242-232;
Mon–Fri 10am–5:45pm) can supply you with limited information (like a map of Tamil Nadu) and a few booklets on the town. Peak season is December to February; July and August, when the French are on vacation, is also busy.

GETTING AROUND
All of the town’s attractions can be reached on foot, or you can catch an auto-rickshaw.

EXPLORING THE SHRINES & TEMPLES

Mahabalipuram’s monolithic shrines and rock-cut cave temples lie scattered over a landscape heaped with boulders and rocky hillocks. Among these, the excellent
Shore Temple,
built to Lord Shiva, and the
Five Rathas,
a cluster of temples named for the five Pandava brothers of
Mahabharata
fame, are definitely worth seeking out, so too the celebrated
Arjuna’s Penance,
largest relief-carving on earth—try to see these as early in the day as possible, before busloads of noisy vacationers descend. Also try to view
Mahishamardini Mandapa
(give the nearby government-run Sculpture Museum
a miss). If you feel the need to visit an active temple, head for
Talasayana Perumal Temple,
dedicated to Vishnu. It stands on the site of an original 9th-century Pallava temple but was rebuilt during the 14th century by the Vijayanagar King Parang Kusan, who feared that the sea would eventually erode Shore Temple. Half-hour
puja
(prayer) sessions are conducted daily at 9am, 11:30am, and 7:30pm. About 4km (2 1⁄2 miles) north of Mahabalipuram,
Tiger Cave
(Covelong Rd.) is the site of an 8th-century shrine to the tiger-riding goddess Durga. It’s thought that the shallow cave, with its sculpted
yalis
(mythical beasts) framing the entrance, might have been used for open-air performances.

Arjuna’s Penance
Opposite Talasayana Perumal Temple, the world’s largest bas-relief is commonly referred to as “The Descent of the Ganges,” depicting the sacred penance performed by one of the Pandava brothers. Standing on one leg, the meditative Arjuna contemplates Shiva—a painful reparation performed while lively representations of the gods, celestial nymphs, elephants, monkeys, and other creatures look on. A naturally occurring cleft down the rock is said to represent the Ganges, a symbol that comes to life during the rainy season when water flows into a tank below. Just a few feet away, to the left of Arjuna’s Penance, is
Krishna Mandapam
, another bas-relief, carved in the mid–7th century; this one depicts Krishna using his divine strength to lift a mountain to protect people from imminent floods. The duality of the god’s nature is expressed in carvings of him going about more mundane activities, including flirting with his milkmaids. Near Arjuna’s Penance, to the north, is the huge spherical boulder known as
Krishna’s Butter Ball,
balancing on a hillside.

W. Raja St.

Mahishasuramardini Cave
A lighthouse tops the hill where you’ll find a number of superb rock-cut shrines—seek out
Mahishasuramardini Mandapa,
remarkable for the two impressive friezes at each end of its long veranda. In the panel to the right, Durga, the terrifying mother of the universe, is seated astride her lion
vahana
wielding an assortment of weapons. She is in the process of destroying the buffalo-headed demon, Mahisha, who disturbs the delicate balance of life. At the opposite end of the veranda, Vishnu is depicted sleeping peacefully on his serpent bed, the sea of eternity; gathered around him, the gods appeal to him to continue the creation. Also atop the hill,
Adivaraha Mandap
features various sculpted figures and mythical scenes, including one large panel of Vishnu as a gigantic boar.