Beaches In Mahabalipuram :

The old port town of Mahabalipuram also known as Mamallapuram on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, has a coastline spanning a distance of over 20 km with beautiful beaches. Located 58km from Chennai on the  Mahabalipuram road, the golden sandy beach is a picturesque place bounded by the shimmering sea and rolling hills. Identified as the most pristine beaches of Tamil Nadu, the beach attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year. The beach is an idle place for sunbathing and lazing around. The sea is rough and swimming is not recommended.

Mahabalipuram beach also has some ancient historical monuments in its close proximity and this is the main reason of attraction of this beach. There is one of the oldest shore temples in South India built by the Pallava King Rajasimha in the early 8th century and the world's largest bas-relief, the 'Penance of Arjuna', which is 96ft long and 43 ft high, the five rathas and the tiger's cave along the beach. On the way to Mahabalipuram Beach is Dakshinachitra, 28 km from Chennai, a heritage space with exhibitions and workshops of the arts and crafts including traditional home architecture and performing artists of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Other places worth a visit while on a tour to the beach include the crocodile farm where about 5000 crocodiles of 6 different species, alligators and other reptiles are bred in captivity, kept in open, marshy enclosures, snake venom extracting centre and a school of art and sculpture.

Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu hosts a Dance Festival annually at Mahabalipuram during Jan- Feb. The festival which lasts for a month has exponents of classical dances like Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali.as well as folk dances perform in an open air stage against the magnificent backdrop of the Pallava rock sculptures. A wide choice of accommodation for longer stays are provided at various rates along the beach draw holiday seekers all round the year. Accommodation is available at Hotel Tamil Nadu (Beach Resorts Complex), Hotel Tamil Nadu II Camping Site and other beach resorts and lodges.

Major Attractions of Mahabalipuram Beach :

Dakshinachitra
Coming down from Chennai to Mahabalipuram you can visit Dakshinachitra - a heritage center. Here traditional craftspersons and folk artists work and perform in the same manner as they used to in 19th century. These skilled people were mainly residing at Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Arjuna's Penance
The world's largest bas-relief measuring 27m x 9m, is the pride of Mahabalipuram. This huge rock consists figures of Gods, Demigods, men, beasts, birds and representing the entire creation.

Five Rathas
Ratha are nothing else but five monolithic temples, each having there own style. They are also known as the "Pancha Pandava Rathas". Out of these five, four of the Rathas are supposed to have carved out of a single rock formation.

Tiger's Cave
The Tiger Cave is situated at 4-km north of the main monument complex. It was an open-air theater, where cultural programmes were held. Being very near the sea, the place is exotic and serene.

Shore Temple
One of the oldest temples in south India, the Shore Temple belongs to the early 8th century AD. It is a good example of the first phase of structural temples constructed in Dravidian style. These monuments look more beautiful at night when they are floodlit.

How to Reach Mahabalipuram :

by Air : The nearest airport is at Chennai about 58-km way from Mahabalipuram which has both domestic and international terminus. Chennai is connected with all the major places in India through the numerous domestic flights. International flights also operate from various parts of the world to Chennai.

by Rail : The nearest railway stations from Mahabalipuram are Chengalpattu (29-km) and Chennai (58-km). From these stations one has to take the road to reach Mahabalipuram.

by Road : Mahabalipuram is connected with a good network of roads. There are bus available from Pondicherry, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai to Mahabalipuram daily. One can also hire a taxi from Chenna.