The
Ganesh Ratha, is a Dravidian temple carved out of rock to resemble a
chariot. Home Indian Trips <<Previous Chennai Next>>
The village of Mamallapuram is about 50 km south of Chennai and was formerly known as Mahabalipuram. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for various rock carvings, cave and temples made from the 5th to the 8th centuries during the reign of the Pallava kings of Kanichipuram, a town about 60km inland. Stone carving is still a craft practiced today and can be seen at many stalls and shops around the village.
The
Ganesh Ratha, is a Dravidian temple carved out of rock to resemble a
chariot.
Krishna's Butter Ball. This large rock sits looking rather precarious on the slope of the rock below. However it is reputed that one in an effort to move it 7 elephants failed to be able to pull it down. It is known as Krishna's Butter Ball, Lord Krishna, one of the Hindu deities, grew up as a cow herder and had a passion for milk and butter.
The Butter Ball from the side.
Another rock temple, the Trimuti Cave Temple. This is a small but very decorated temple.
The
central doorway from the temple above, contains the lingam. This is also
carved from the rock, but centuries of worship and the application of oils has
changed it to black.
A large rock showing many incisions. These would have been made as the first stage to remove a large section out of the rock, work which was never pursued.