Mahaballipuram - Group of Monuments, TN
The group of monuments at Mahaballipuram is a collection of 7th and 8th century religious monuments in the coastal town of Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India. This was recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
The site has many ancient monuments and Hindu temples, including one of the largest open-air rock reliefs in the world: the Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance. Most of the monuments here were built during the Pallava dynasty. Mahabalipuram is known by several names, including Mamallapuram; Mamalla means "Great Wrestler", and refers to the 7th century king Narasimha Varman I.
Mamallapuram became prominent during the Pallava Dynasty’s rule. The monuments are a fusion of religion, culture and legend relating to the Hindu religion. The site has many monuments, in varying degrees of completion, categorized into five groups:
Rathas: chariot-shaped temples
Mandapas: Cave temples
Rock reliefs
Structural temples
Excavations
