Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallpuram, is on the Coromandel coast on the Bay of Bengal in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At its height, Mahabalipuram was a city ruled by the Pallava dynasty, which rose to power during the sixth and seventh centuries. It was renowned for its architecture and carvings, which can still be seen in the city's surviving ancient temples.

It was established as a sea port in the 7th and 10th centuries and became the second capital of the Pallavas, who ruled Kanchipuram. The name derives from King Mahabali, who ruled the city and was said to have been very cruel and who was killed in a fierce battle with Lord Vishnu.

The golden age of the Pallava dynasty was between 650 and 750 AD. They were great poets, dramatists, artists, artisans and scholars and they created sculptures and unique, innovative paintings. Mahabalipuram is famous for its rock-cut caves, temples and bas-reliefs.

During the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, large sandbanks were washed away from Mahabalipuram's beach, uncovering walls, statues of lions, elephants, horses and deities, and temples from the Pallava period of the seventh to ninth centuries AD.

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