Chennai, Mahabalipuram Tour with Lunch

Travel to an esteemed World Heritage site dating back to the 8th century, renowned for its breathtaking rock-cut architectural marvels. This immersive experience encompasses Asia's largest bas-relief structure, a unique gravitational anomaly, and one of the Seven Pagodas referenced by Marco Polo over a millennium ago.

Your journey begins when you are picked up from your accommodation at 7:30 AM. Upon arrival in Mahabalipuram, you will proceed towards Panch Rathas, comprising of rock-cut monolithic structures dedicated to various characters from the Mahabharata epic. Amongst these, Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima, and Yudhishthira are revered. Additionally, there is a sculpture depicting an elephant beside the ratha dedicated to Nakul-Sahadeva.

Following Panch Rathas, your itinerary takes you to Arjuna's Penance, an expansive 100-foot by 45-foot open-air rock relief featuring a depiction of the Mahabharata epic. At its heart lies the River Ganga, flanked by celestial beings, hunters, animals, birds, and trees from the Himalayas.

Continuing your tour, you'll visit the majestic Shore Temple, an 8th-century granite structure standing out against the backdrop of the ocean. It serves as a landmark for sailors of ancient times. A legend attributes it to a grand complex of seven temples scattered along the coastline, with the renowned explorer Marco Polo mentioning Mahabalipuram in his memoirs, describing it as the "City of Seven Pagodas."

Lastly, upon reaching Chennai, you will be transported back to your accommodation by 3:30 PM.