Mahabalipuram

Mamallapuram's UNESCO monuments — the Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance and the Five Rathas — are carved from granite by the Pallavas. Add stone-carving workshops, surf lessons and fresh seafood.

Places we love here

• Culture

  Arjuna's Penance

  A huge open-air bas-relief with elephants and gods.

• Food

  Fishermen's cove seafood

  Pick fresh fish to grill at a beach shack.

• Viewpoints

  Krishna's Butterball

  A giant balanced boulder on a slope.

• Culture

  Pancha Rathas

  Five monolithic chariot temples.

• Culture

  Shore Temple

  8th-century granite temples on the beach.

• Experiences · lesser-known

  Surf lesson

  Beginner surf lessons at Kovalam (Covelong) beach nearby.