Mahabalipuram
A shoreside town of temples and shrines
The tiny seaside village of Mahabalipuram would have been unremarkable along a boulder-strewn stretch of the East Coast Road, had it not been for the Pallava dynasty that left its legacy behind in stone. From monolithic chariots, rock-cut caves, shore temples and shrines, and a precariously balanced boulder left behind by the glaciers of the last Ice Age, Mahabalipuram is a study in architecture; recording the transition of dynasties and faiths, an evolution of sculpture styles and icons, a witness to changing influences and regimes.