MY EXPERIENCE :
Was in Mamallapuram for two days with Amitaabh and Suzzanne. Stayed in a bed and breakfast
hotel called Butterball (which is a stone's throw away from the famous Krishna's Butterball)
FOR THE COMPLETE POST CLICK ON LINK : http://theevolvingbackpacker.com/2011/11/Mamallapuram
ALSO DO VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE :
www.theevolvingbackpacker.com FOR MORE BACKPACKING STORIES!!!
The drive from Chennai took about 2.5 hours along the scenic ECR road (We had stopped at
Crocodile bank enroute).
Hired a local guide named Mr. Madan who runs a handicraft shop adjacent to the hotel.
Started the tour of the town with Madan at 9:00 am the next day and completed the entire
circuit by 12:00pm. Places covered - Krishna Mandapa - Arjuna's Penance (aka Descent of the
Ganges) - Butterball - Trimurthi caves - Varaha caves - Ganesh temple - Shore temple - 5
Rathas - Old and new lighthouses.
Spend the rest of the day just chilling out on the beach, checking out the curios shops.
Had lunch at Moonrakers and dinner at Buddha bar.
TIPS :
1) Alcohol is available only at select outlets. A beer costs about Rs.150/-. The place with
the best ambiance is Buddha bar. They also offer whiskey/rum. Lovely place with some floor
seating tables and lovely music playing in the background.
2) Most of the establishments close down by 9:30-10:00pm. and last orders in the
restaurants are around 9:00 pm in some places.
3) It is highly recommended to hire a local guide as we got tremendous insights of the
carvings and temples we visited.
FUN FACTS AND TRIVIA :
1) Butterball - It is said that, to avoid accidental rolling down of the rock the British
tried to forcibly move the rock using seven elephants. However the rock was steadfast and
did no budge an inch.
2) Krishna Mandap - Facing inward, at the extreme left notice the figures of a sphinx and a
Chinese dragon. Also notice the relief of Krishna milking a cow. His hair depicted is as
Buddha's. These demonstrate the varied influences the artists had at that time due to the
fact that this place was a thriving sea port with traders from as far as Rome and China.
3) Arjuna's penance - The principal story is of Arjuna going on a fast at Mount Kailas to
seek the God's divine grace. Notice a cat at the lower center who is also in the meditative
pose. Story goes that he was blind and was meditating to get the rats to come to him and if
you notice he has his belly full and also some rats in his vicinity.
4) At the extreme right of Arjuna's penance (facing the relief) there is a kind of a slide
cut out of the rock. It is believed that this was used a a play slide for children.
5) Shore temple - There are actually 7 temples of which only one is presently visible. The
rest have been submerged underwater.
6) Most of the rock cut carvings are in an unfinished state due to a war erupted at that time.
7) There are four distinct types of designs - Temple, Bass Relief, Caves and architectural.
8) Arjuna's penance is the second largest in the world next only to the one at Angkor Wat
(which was also created by the same Pallava dynasty)
9) It is easy to get around the town on foot, though bike rental is also available. It is
relatively a small city and all point of interest are close to each other. Paid parking areas are available near the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas. Note, for visiting both Shore temple and the Filv Rathas you need to buy entry tickets. These ticket counters getsvclosed by 5.30PM and both these places gets closed by 6PM. So, you cannot enter unless you buy the ticket before 5.30PM.
PRACTICALITIES :
HOW TO GET THERE :
1) Direct buses available at frequent intervals from Chennai, Kancheepuram or Pondicherry.
Taxis are also available and cost around Rs. 1200/- one way.
STAY :
ButterBall Bed N Breakfast : Lovely place with rooms for Rs. 1800/- for double and Rs.1600/- for singles
Call : +914427442850 / +91 9840793902
LOCAL GUIDE :
Highly recommend Mr. Madan : Call - 09840616512. Charges Rs. 750/- for a group of two to three. He is also fluent in French.
GETTING AROUND :
It is a small town and most of places can be covered on foot or bicycle (Rs. 60 per hour).
You can also rent bikes (Rs 250-350 per hour) or a chauffeured taxi for the day trip.
EATING AND SHOPPING :
Most of the action is centered on Othavadai street. Moonrakers is highly recommended by all, however I personally like the ambiance at Buddha bar. Santana Bar (sea facing) was a letdown as they had nothing on offer for dinner when we stepped in around 9:00 pm.
Nautilus - #4, Othavadai Cross Street. Popular with foreign tourists, this French-owned cafe features credible Western food, a decent cup of coffee, a competent and friendly waitstaff, and a library stocked with Tintin and Asterix volumes.
Try the Breakfast buffet (7 am to 11am) at GRT, Temple Bay (now known as Radisson Blue) -Rs.533 all inclusive
Was in Mamallapuram for two days with Amitaabh and Suzzanne. Stayed in a bed and breakfast
hotel called Butterball (which is a stone's throw away from the famous Krishna's Butterball)
FOR THE COMPLETE POST CLICK ON LINK : http://theevolvingbackpacker.com/2011/11/Mamallapuram
ALSO DO VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE :
www.theevolvingbackpacker.com FOR MORE BACKPACKING STORIES!!!
The drive from Chennai took about 2.5 hours along the scenic ECR road (We had stopped at
Crocodile bank enroute).
Hired a local guide named Mr. Madan who runs a handicraft shop adjacent to the hotel.
Started the tour of the town with Madan at 9:00 am the next day and completed the entire
circuit by 12:00pm. Places covered - Krishna Mandapa - Arjuna's Penance (aka Descent of the
Ganges) - Butterball - Trimurthi caves - Varaha caves - Ganesh temple - Shore temple - 5
Rathas - Old and new lighthouses.
Spend the rest of the day just chilling out on the beach, checking out the curios shops.
Had lunch at Moonrakers and dinner at Buddha bar.
TIPS :
1) Alcohol is available only at select outlets. A beer costs about Rs.150/-. The place with
the best ambiance is Buddha bar. They also offer whiskey/rum. Lovely place with some floor
seating tables and lovely music playing in the background.
2) Most of the establishments close down by 9:30-10:00pm. and last orders in the
restaurants are around 9:00 pm in some places.
3) It is highly recommended to hire a local guide as we got tremendous insights of the
carvings and temples we visited.
FUN FACTS AND TRIVIA :
1) Butterball - It is said that, to avoid accidental rolling down of the rock the British tried to forcibly move the rock using seven elephants. However the rock was steadfast and
did no budge an inch.
2) Krishna Mandap - Facing inward, at the extreme left notice the figures of a sphinx and a
Chinese dragon. Also notice the relief of Krishna milking a cow. His hair depicted is as
Buddha's. These demonstrate the varied influences the artists had at that time due to the
fact that this place was a thriving sea port with traders from as far as Rome and China.
3) Arjuna's penance - The principal story is of Arjuna going on a fast at Mount Kailas to
seek the God's divine grace. Notice a cat at the lower center who is also in the meditative
pose. Story goes that he was blind and was meditating to get the rats to come to him and if
you notice he has his belly full and also some rats in his vicinity.
4) At the extreme right of Arjuna's penance (facing the relief) there is a kind of a slide
cut out of the rock. It is believed that this was used a a play slide for children.
5) Shore temple - There are actually 7 temples of which only one is presently visible. The
rest have been submerged underwater.
6) Most of the rock cut carvings are in an unfinished state due to a war erupted at that time.
7) There are four distinct types of designs - Temple, Bass Relief, Caves and architectural.
8) Arjuna's penance is the second largest in the world next only to the one at Angkor Wat
(which was also created by the same Pallava dynasty)
9) It is easy to get around the town on foot, though bike rental is also available. It is
relatively a small city and all point of interest are close to each other. Paid parking areas are available near the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas. Note, for visiting both Shore temple and the Filv Rathas you need to buy entry tickets. These ticket counters getsvclosed by 5.30PM and both these places gets closed by 6PM. So, you cannot enter unless you buy the ticket before 5.30PM.
PRACTICALITIES :
HOW TO GET THERE :
1) Direct buses available at frequent intervals from Chennai, Kancheepuram or Pondicherry.
Taxis are also available and cost around Rs. 1200/- one way.
STAY :
ButterBall Bed N Breakfast : Lovely place with rooms for Rs. 1800/- for double and Rs.1600/- for singles
Call : +914427442850 / +91 9840793902LOCAL GUIDE :
Highly recommend Mr. Madan : Call - 09840616512. Charges Rs. 750/- for a group of two to three. He is also fluent in French.
GETTING AROUND :
It is a small town and most of places can be covered on foot or bicycle (Rs. 60 per hour).
You can also rent bikes (Rs 250-350 per hour) or a chauffeured taxi for the day trip.
EATING AND SHOPPING :
Most of the action is centered on Othavadai street. Moonrakers is highly recommended by all, however I personally like the ambiance at Buddha bar. Santana Bar (sea facing) was a letdown as they had nothing on offer for dinner when we stepped in around 9:00 pm.
Nautilus - #4, Othavadai Cross Street. Popular with foreign tourists, this French-owned cafe features credible Western food, a decent cup of coffee, a competent and friendly waitstaff, and a library stocked with Tintin and Asterix volumes.
Try the Breakfast buffet (7 am to 11am) at GRT, Temple Bay (now known as Radisson Blue) -Rs.533 all inclusive
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