India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (177 page)

W. Raja St.

Panch Pandava Rathas
The initial sight of these five
(panch)
monolithic stone shrines, set in a sandy fenced-off clearing, is dramatic, even though the structures themselves—named for the five brother-heroes of the
Mahabharata
and resembling temple chariots
(rathas)—
are incomplete. The ancient sculpting techniques are astonishing: Carved out of single pieces of rock from the top down, these shrines reveal perfect, precise planning. The dome-shaped
shikhara
(tower finial) found on some of the temples became the template for later South Indian temples, successful experiments that were further refined and enlarged.

E. Raja St., 1km (a half-mile) south of Arjuna’s Penance. Tickets available from ASI booth at the entrance. Single ticket for both Five Rathas and Shore Temple costs Rs 250. Daily 6:30am–5pm. Approved guides can be hired at the entrance.

Shore Temple
Perched at the edge of a sandy beach on the Bay of Bengal, where it has been subjected to centuries of battering by salt water and oceanic winds, this early-8th-century stone temple is considered one of the oldest temples in South India, and a forerunner of the Dravidian style. Its two carved towers inspired a style that spread throughout the region and to more distant Asian shores. Vishnu is found reclining inside one shrine, while two others are dedicated to Shiva. A low boundary wall topped by rock-cut Nandi bulls surrounds the temple, and a veritable pride of lions rear their heads from the base of the pillars.

Northeast of the Panch Pandava Rathas, at the beach. Tickets available from ASI booth at the entrance. A single ticket for entrance to both the Five Rathas and the Shore Temple costs Rs 250. Daily 6:30am–5pm. Approved guides can be hired at the entrance.

Lost City: The Temple Uncovered by the Big Tsunami

When the powerful wall of water began to recede from the shores of Mahabalipuram, it uncovered ancient rock sculptures of lions, elephants, and peacocks—all fairly common motifs used to decorate walls and temples during the Pallava period in the 7th and 8th centuries. Could this be the remains of a once thriving city, submerged below the sea when the shoreline changed? Archaeologists working off the coast after the December 2004 tsunami have already uncovered the remains of a massive collapsed temple, built entirely of granite blocks, renewing speculation that Mahabalipuram was a part of the legendary Seven Pagodas, written of in the diaries of European travelers, and that six temples remain submerged in the ocean.

WHERE TO STAY & DINE

The GRT is hands down the best place to stay if you want to overnight within walking distance of Mahabalipurum’s temples, but if you don’t mind foregoing hotel comforts for a night or two, the village itself has a number of small, very basic budget lodgings, most of them located right on the beach, though everything in Mahabalipuram is within walking distance.
Greenwoods Beach Resort
([email protected]) is neither on the beach nor a resort but offers reasonable lodgings and facilities for the price: Rs 950 to Rs 1,450 for an en-suite A/C room, and they offer a few hotel-like facilities (like airport transfers from Chennai and in-room massages).

The quality of the lodgings on the beachfront varies from year to year, with the best being the most recently painted or extended—in 2009,
Hotel Daphne
(by no means a “hotel,” but rather a small double-story sea-facing apartment block) was the latest addition to the seafront, and therefore offering the neatest, cleanest en-suite rooms at a mere Rs 650; bookings are through Anant, co-owner of
Moonraker’s
(
044/2744-2115
or -2811;
http://moonrakersrestaurants.com
).
Located at 34 Othavadai St (which leads down to the beachfront), Moonraker’s is incidentally considered to be Mamallapuram’s best seafood restaurant: order your seafood grilled rather than fried, and/or ask for head and bones to be removed. If you prefer your seafood with a sea view,
Santana
(
094/4429-0832
or 098/4078-9576; [email protected]), owned by the affable Babu Santana, has a beachfront deck where you can snack on plates of fresh grilled calamari and chips, masala-fried prawns and salad, or vegetable
kuruma
with chapati, while enjoying the view of the Shore Temple with the cooling sea breeze (you can stay here too but rooms are needing a coat of paint). Note that July through August is lobster season; Babu can also arrange outings on the traditional fishing boats that line the beach in front of the restaurant.

After the Great Temple Bay (reviewed below) the so-called
Ideal Beach Resort,
located just a little farther north (3km/2 miles from Mahabalipurum), is your next bet; the older rooms are old-fashioned but with charm; the new wings are unimaginatively designed and horribly decorated, and are wildly overpriced. Opt for a standard cottage at Rs 4,500, and utilize the lovely pool area (
044/2744-2240;
www.idealresort.com
; doubles Rs 2,750–Rs 12,000). (Whatever you do, avoid the
Fortune Chariot Beach Resort
—ill-conceived and badly designed, with few sea views, and depressingly ugly. Not even the pool has a view, but faces the back-end of the presidential suite; given these mistakes, the rates are prohibitive.)

Great Temple Bay
This is by far the best option within walking distance of the village of Mahabalipuram; a beach resort that’s close enough to enjoy a view of the Shore Temple from certain aspects (it doesn’t have half the charm of Fisherman’s Cove, which lies about an hour north). The resort has undergone a massive investment during the past 2 years, doubling its bed capacity from 72 to 144, and now has the atmosphere of a sprawling golf resort, with units cheek-by-jowl overlooking what is billed as (at 200m/656 ft.) the longest pool in India. While the new pool units clustered along this are sumptuously furnished, you could be anywhere; the best part of the hotel is definitely still the (unrenovated) old part, which has the sea views: ask for a front chalet with unobstructed sea-view, or, first prize, for a “sea-view villa”. With so many activities on offer kids have a blast; bring out your inner child by having your feet nibbled by hundreds of fish at the Ayurvedic Spa. (
Note:
service can be slow when full.)

Kovalam Rd, Mammalapuram 603104
044/2744-3636.
Fax 044/2744-3838.
www.grthotels.com
. 144 units. Rs 7,000–Rs 9,000 chalet sea-view/bay room sea-view/pool view; Rs 11,000 villa sea-view; Rs 15,000 suite sea-view. Rates include breakfast. Taxes extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; doctor-on-call; mini golf course, room service; ayurvedic spa. In room: A/C, TV, computer (villas and suites only), hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free).