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Southern India

The beginning of a trip to Southern India departing October 5, 2024 San Diego to San Francisco to Singapore to Chennai, India. After flying 27 hours, one flight segment San Francisco to Singapore was 16 hours 50 minutes in the air. After one more flight from Singapore I arrived in Chennai, India and after an hours drive arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel in Mahabalipuram tired but ready for a new adventure in Southern India.

Pool area of the Intercontinental. Mahabalipuram is a town in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is one of the famous tourist sites in India.

Entrance to the beach side restaurant Koko M Mo, The Shack, at the Intercontinental situated on the Bay of Bengal

Cannot get any closer to the Ocean

Directional signs to the world

Beach entrance from the pool area

Drive into Mahabalipuram. It is about 35 miles from Chennai where we are staying

Some of our group trying to find an ATM that actually worked. Not an easy feat. This was a failure.

I thought it was interesting that the sign listed "Halls"

The sign says Mr. Fancy Store. Really?

Locals shopping

Each of the five monuments in the Pancha Rathas complex resembles a chariot and each is carved over a single, long stone or monolith, of granite which slopes in north–south direction with a slight incline. The center one is Naku Sahadava Ratha. Each of the monouments is named after a member of the family.

The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha.

Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. Draupadi Ratha

Dharmaraja Ratha. Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as temples, the structures were never consecrated because they were never completed following the death of Narasimhavarman

The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha. This particular item is Bhima Ratha.

Arjuna Ratha

Looking at the monuments from a different direction

Back side of the monuments.

View from the bus driving in the early evening

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