Mamallapuram, also called Mahabalipuram, is one of South India's most popular beach resorts. Located 58 km from Chennai (formerly Madras), Mahabalipuram is just an hour's drive on the East Coast Road with long stretches of beaches and casuarina groves. Mahabalipuram is a delightful mix of sun, surf and sand at the beach side. The beach with its shore temple is a lovely sight to behold. A huge rock precariously perched on a bedrock, and five rock chariots (Five Rathas) chiseled out of a single rock are monuments that belong to the Pallava dynasty and particularly to the reign of Narasimhavarman I Mamalla (630-668 AD).
Five Rathas (Chariots):
These monolithic temples are known as Rathas as they resemble wooden chariot and it is an innovation of Pallava king Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla) (AD 630 - 668). A huge rock sloping from south to north was utilized to judiciously cut out different forms of temple, besides a few animal sculptures. Though these monolithic temples are termed as Panchapandava Rathas, they have nothing to do with Mahabharata.
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