GetWiki

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

factoids

| subdivision_type = Country| subdivision_name = IndiaStates and territories of India>State| subdivision_name1 = Tamil NaduList of districts of India>DistrictChengalpattu district>Chengalpattu| established_title = | unit_pref = Metric| elevation_m = 12Mamallapuram {{Webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204090755www.britannica.com/place/Mamallapuram |date=4 December 2022 }}, Encyclopedia Britannica| population_as_of = 2011| population_density_km2 = auto| demographics_type1 = Languages| demographics1_title1 = OfficialTamil language>TamilIndian Standard Time>IST| utc_offset1 = +5:30Postal Index Number>PIN| postal_code = 603104| area_code_type = Telephone code| area_code = 91–44TITLE=TN MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION ACCESS-DATE=18 JANUARY 2019 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090301043754/HTTP://WWW.TN.GOV.IN/STA/REGNSERIES.HTM, live, }}Mamallapuram (also known as MahabalipuramBOOK, Subburaj, V., Tourist Guide to Chennai, December 2006, Sura Books, 978-81-7478-040-9, 17,www.google.co.in/books/edition/Tourist_Guide_to_Chennai/Wy9ZtMmsZmQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Wandiwash+(Vandavasi)&pg=PA17&printsec=frontcover, 21 March 2024, en, ), is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is one of the famous tourist sites in India. The ancient name of the place is Thirukadalmallai. It is a part of Chennai Metropolitan Area. It is a satellite town of Chennai.Mamallapuram was one of two major port cities in the Pallava kingdom. The town was named after Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who was also known as Mamalla. Along with economic prosperity, it became the site of a group of royal monuments, many carved out of the living rock. These are dated to the 7th and 8th centuries: rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), the giant open-air rock relief the Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple dedicated to Shiva.BOOK,archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch, registration, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, James G. Lochtefeld, The Rosen Publishing Group, 2002, 978-0-8239-3179-8, 399, The contemporary town plan was established by the British Raj in 1827.Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th Edition (1982), Vol. VI, p. 497

Etymology

The earliest mention of the city is found in the 1st century work called Periplus of the Erythraean Sea by an unknown Greek navigator. Ptolemy, the Greek geographer refers this place as Malange. Mahabalipuram is also known by other names such as Mamallapattana and Mamallapuram. The term Mamallapuram means the city of Mamalla, the other name of the famous Pallava Emperor Narasimhavarman I (630-670 CE) who built the famous temples in the city. Thirumangai Alvar, the famous Vaishnavite saint mentions this place as Thirukadalmallai, referring to the Sthalasayana Perumal Temple.C. 2004, p. 3 Another name by which Mahabalipuram has been known to mariners, at least since Marco Polo’s time is “Seven Pagodas” alluding to the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram that stood on the shore, of which one, the Shore Temple, survives.JOURNAL, Sundaresh, A. S. Gaur, Sila Tripati, K. H. Vora, 10 May 2004, Underwater investigations off Mamallapuram,www.ias.ac.in/currsci/may102004/1231.pdf, 86, 9,www.ias.ac.in/currsci/may102004/1231.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20041105051003www.ias.ac.in/currsci/may102004/1231.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20041105051003www.ias.ac.in/currsci/may102004/1231.pdf, 5 November 2004, Current Science,

History

(File:Pancha Ratha Panorama (1).jpg|400px|thumb|left|Panoramic view of Pancharatha temple)Neolithic burial urn, cairn circles and jars with burials dating to the 1st century BCE have been discovered near Mahabalipuram. The Sangam age poem Perumpāṇāṟṟuppadai relates the rule of King Thondaiman Ilam Thiraiyar at Kanchipuram of the Tondai Nadu port Nirppeyyaru which scholars identify with the present-day Mahabalipuram. Chinese coins and Roman coins of Theodosius I in the 4th century CE have been found at Mahabalipuram revealing the port as an active hub of global trade in the late classical period. Two Pallava coins bearing legends read as Srihari and Srinidhi have been found at Mahabalipuram. The Pallava kings ruled Mahabalipuram from Kanchipuram; the capital of the Pallava dynasty from the 3rd century to 9th century CE, and used the port to launch trade and diplomatic missions to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. An 8th-century Tamil text written by Thirumangai Alvar described this place as Sea Mountain ‘where the ships rode at anchor bent to the point of breaking laden as they were with wealth, big trunked elephants and gems of nine varieties in heaps’.C. 2004, p. 3The temples of Mahabalipuram, portraying events described in the Mahabharata, were built largely during the reigns of King Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman and show the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The city of Mahabalipuram was founded by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I in the 7th century CE. The mandapa or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed stone. What makes Mahabalipuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. The Shore Temple includes many reliefs, including one {{convert|100|ft|m}} long and {{convert|45|ft|m}} high, carved out of granite.Ancient Discoveries: Lost Cities of the Deep History Channel In 1957 the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture was established to promote and revive the art of making sculptures and temples.

Transport

MTC and TNSTC (Villupuram division) operate bus services between Mamallapuram/Mahabalipuram and Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Thiruttani etc. MTC’s bus services available from various parts of the Chennai include Deluxe and Air-conditioned buses.WEB,mtcbus.tn.gov.in/Home/vehicles,web.archive.org/web/20200617141033/https://mtcbus.tn.gov.in/Home/vehicles, 17 June 2020, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd, Mahabalipuram is 56 km from Chennai.

Climate

Mahabalipuram has a tropical wet and dry climate. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Aw. The average annual temperature is 28.4 Â°C. The temperatures are highest on average in May, at around 32.6 Â°C. In January, the average temperature is 24.3 Â°C, the lowest of the year. The average temperatures vary during the year by 8.3 Â°C. In a year, the average rainfall is 1219 mm. In winter, there is much less rainfall than in summer. The variation in the precipitation between the driest and wettest months is 309 mm.{{Weather box|location = Mahabalipuram|metric first = Yes|single line = Yes|Jan high C = 28.9|Feb high C = 30.4|Mar high C = 32.1|Apr high C = 34.4|May high C = 37.6|Jun high C = 37.4|Jul high C = 35.5|Aug high C = 34.9|Sep high C = 34.3|Oct high C = 32.0|Nov high C = 29.3|Dec high C = 28.5|year high C = |Jan mean C = 24.3|Feb mean C = 25.4|Mar mean C = 27.2|Apr mean C = 30.0|May mean C = 32.6|Jun mean C = 32.2|Jul mean C = 30.8|Aug mean C = 30.2|Sep mean C = 29.7|Oct mean C = 28.0|Nov mean C = 25.8|Dec mean C = 24.6|year mean C = |Jan low C =19.8|Feb low C = 20.4|Mar low C = 22.4|Apr low C = 25.6|May low C = 27.6|Jun low C = 27.1|Jul low C = 26.2|Aug low C = 25.5|Sep low C = 25.1|Oct low C = 24.1|Nov low C = 22.4|Dec low C = 20.8|year low C = |precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 20|Feb precipitation mm = 6|Mar precipitation mm = 4|Apr precipitation mm = 11|May precipitation mm = 55|Jun precipitation mm = 62|Jul precipitation mm = 92|Aug precipitation mm = 124|Sep precipitation mm = 114|Oct precipitation mm = 240|Nov precipitation mm = 313|Dec precipitation mm = 178|year precipitation mm =|Jan precipitation days = 2|Feb precipitation days = 1|Mar precipitation days = 1|Apr precipitation days = 2|May precipitation days = 3|Jun precipitation days = 4|Jul precipitation days = 6|Aug precipitation days = 8|Sep precipitation days = 8|Oct precipitation days = 13|Nov precipitation days = 15|Dec precipitation days = 10|year precipitation days =71WORK=CLIMATE-DATA.ORG ARCHIVE-DATE=4 MARCH 2016 URL-STATUS=LIVE, }}

Landmarks

File:Mamallapuram, Shore Temple, India.jpg|200px|thumb|Shore TempleShore TempleThe town has a collection of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu religious monuments that has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, about {{convert|60|km}} south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.The site has 40 ancient monuments and Hindu temples,BOOK, National Geographic, Sacred Places of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Most Peaceful and Powerful Destinations,books.google.com/books?id=jNqDFSxR8-MC&pg=PA154, 2008, National Geographic Society, 978-1-4262-0336-7, 154, including Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance – one of the largest open-air rock relief in the world.BOOK, George Michell, The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms,books.google.com/books?id=ajgImLs62gwC&pg=PA133, 1977, University of Chicago Press, 978-0-226-53230-1, 131–134, The site includes several categories of monuments: ratha temples with an architecture of monolith processional chariots built between 630 and 668 CE; the mandapa viharas with halls and stone roofs with narratives from the Mahabharata, Shaktism and Vaishnavism; rock reliefs particularly bas-reliefs of Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism; stone cut temples particularly those dedicated to Shiva that also reverentially display Vishnu and others, built between 695 and 722 CE; and, archaeological excavations with inscriptions some dated to 6th century and earlier.Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Dist. Kanchipuram {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529204944asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram_detail.asp |date=29 May 2018 }}, Archaeological Survey of India (2014) The cave temples and monolithic temples were built during the Pallava Period.WEB,whc.unesco.org/en/list/249/, Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, 23 October 2012, UNESCO.org, 4 November 2005,web.archive.org/web/20051104085753/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249/, live, WEB,whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/249.pdf, Advisory body evaluation, 23 October 2012, UNESCO.org, 9 October 2022,ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/249.pdf, live, The site is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.World Heritage Sites - Mahabalipuram {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070924141649asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram.asp |date=24 September 2007 }}, Archaeological Survey of India (2014)Some important structures include:

• Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance – a giant open-air rock relief.C. 2004, p. 12-3
• Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) – five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. Each of these is carved from one single separate large piece of stone.
• Cave Temples – over ten rock-cut temples dating back to the 7th century. These include the Varaha, Adi Varaha, Krishna, Mahishasuramardini (Durga), Ramanuja, Dharmaraja, Koneri, Kotikal, Panchapandava and others.C. 2004, p. 16-17
• The Shore Temple – a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here.C. 2004, p. 30-1
• Other structural temples including the Olakkanesvara temple and the lighthouse, along with rock-cut features such as the Draupadi’s tank and Krishna’s butterball.C. 2004, p. 33-4
• Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.C. 2004, p. 30

{{wide image|Mahabalipuram pano2.jpg|1400px|align-cap=center|The Descent of the Ganges, also known as Arjuna’s Penance, at Mahabalipuram, is one of the largest rock reliefs in Asia and features in several Hindu scriptures.}}

Demography

{{As of|2001}} India census, Mahabalipuram had a population of 12,345.WEB, Census of towns in Tamil Nadu,censusindia.gov.in/towns/tn_towns.pdf, Census of India, 2012-06-10, 29 September 2011,www.censusindia.gov.in/towns/tn_towns.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20110929085151www.censusindia.gov.in/towns/tn_towns.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20110929085151www.censusindia.gov.in/towns/tn_towns.pdf, live, Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Mahabalipuram has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 73%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 66%. In Mahabalipuram, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.WEB,www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999,www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999," title="web.archive.org/web/20040616075334www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999,">web.archive.org/web/20040616075334www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999, 2004-06-16, Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional), 2008-11-01, Census Commission of India,

Events

In October 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Arjuna’s Penance, the Pancha Rathas complex and the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram.WEB, Narendra Modi,www.narendramodi.in/pm-modi-chinese-president-xi-jinping-visit-mamallapuram-in-tamil-nadu-546836,

Notes

{{Reflist|20em}}

References

• Lukas Hartmann: Mahabalipuram oder Als Schweizer in Indien. Ein Reisetagebuch. Arche, Zürich, {{ISBN|978-3-716-01764-7}}.
• BOOK, Mahabalipuram, The Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India, 2004, New Delhi, C., Sivaramamurthi, 3, Malla,
• {{Citation |last=Ayyar |first=P. V. Jagadisa |title=South Indian shrines: illustrated |year=1991 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-206-0151-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA157 |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102065826books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA157v=snippet&q=mahabalipuram&f=false |url-status=live }}.

• {{Citation |last1=Bradnock |first1=Roma |first2=Robert |last2=Bradnock |title=Footprint India |year=2009 |publisher=Patrick Dawson |location=USA |isbn=978-1-904777-00-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWKaR6LbEGcC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA808 |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102065826books.google.com/books?id=nWKaR6LbEGcC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA808 |url-status=live }}.
• BOOK, Frommer’s India, 350, Pippa de Bruyn, Keith Bain, David Allardice, 978-0-470-55610-8, Frommer’s, 2010,books.google.com/books?id=qG-9cwHOcCIC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA333, 18 October 2020, 2 November 2023,web.archive.org/web/20231102070955/https://books.google.com/books?id=qG-9cwHOcCIC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA333, live,
• {{Citation |last=Hurd |first=James |title=Temples of Tamilnad |year=2010 |publisher=Xilbris Corporation |location=USA |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MaDQ5nqymXAC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA63 |isbn=978-1-4134-3843-7 |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102070956books.google.com/books?id=MaDQ5nqymXAC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA63v=snippet&q=mahabalipuram&f=false |url-status=live }}.
• {{Citation |last=Singh |first=Sarina |year=2009 |title=South India (Lonely Planet Regional Guide) |publisher=Lonely Planet |edition=5th |isbn=978-1-74179-155-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8KnLFpjEHpUC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA387 |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102070926books.google.com/books?id=8KnLFpjEHpUC&q=mahabalipuram&pg=PA387 |url-status=live }}

External links

{{Commons category}}{{World Heritage Sites in India}}{{Authority control}}