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Tamil Nadu

Mahabalipuram and Coast

The small beachside town of Mahabalipuram makes a perfect start (or end) point for a tour of Tamil Nadu and further into South India as it is just 90 minutes drive from Chennai airport. The town has a fascinating history befitting a place which was once a major dynastic capital and elements of this past can be seen in such places as the 7th century Shore Temple and Arjuna’s Penance which is the largest bas-relief carving in the world. These and other ancient structures around Mahabalipuram have been recognized as significant by UNESCO which has listed them as World Heritage sites. Mahabalipuram today is a quiet place with a laidback atmosphere- ideal for relaxation, acclimatization and a gentle introduction to the serene pace of life in the south of India.

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Gingee Fort	Gingee Fort	Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of India	‘Land’s End’ at Kanyakumari	Kanyakumari - views out to the windfarm
Locals at Kanyakumari	Vivekananda Rock at Kanyakumari	Vivekananda Rock at Kanyakumari	Giant statue of the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari	Locals bathing at Kanyakumari
Krishna’s Butter Ball, a giant rock at Mahabalipuram	Children on the beach at Mahabalipuram	View of the 7th century Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram	View of the 7th century Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram	View of the 7th century Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram
Street vendor, Mahabalipuram	Fish market, Mahabalipuram	Fishing boats on the beach at Mahabalipuram	Fishing boats on the beach at Mahabalipuram	Fishermen at Mahabalipuram
Goat near Mahabalipuram	Temple at Mahabalipuram	Goat and temple at Mahabalipuram	Goat and temple at Mahabalipuram	Local children at Mahabalipuram
Locals near Mahabalipuram	Rock formations at Mahabalipuram	Krishna’s Butterball, Mahabalipuram	Children playing, Krishna’s Butterball, Mahabalipuram	Family transport, Mahabalipuram
Arjuna’s penance, Mahabalipuram	Local crafts for sale near Mahabalipuram	Local crafts for sale near Mahabalipuram	Pichivaram Backwaters and Mangrove Forest	Pichivaram Backwaters and Mangrove Forest- Egrets in Flight
Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram	Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram	The Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram	Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram	The Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram
The Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram	Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram	Derelict temple on the beach at Tranquebar	Derelict temple on the beach at Tranquebar	Derelict temple on the beach at Tranquebar