Beaches of Mahabalipuram & Covelong
These beaches near Madras, known for their tranquility, have many ancient
monuments around them which serve as living reminders of the old Dravidian
culture.
Mahabalipuram boasts of an open air museum of sculpture in living rock which
has few parallels in the world. The masterpiece of this monumental art exhibition
is undoubtedly Arjuna's Penance or the Descent of the Ganga - the world's
largest bas-relief, 764ft by 288ft (27m by 9m) & an invaluable piece
of Indian art.
The best known landmark of Mahabalipuram, however, is the Shore Temple.
Standing by the sea, now protected by a wall that hides it's facade but
saves it from the elements that are fast eroding it, this twin-spire is
pure poetry in granite in it's perfect proportions & wealth of sculpture.
It is also unique in that it includes shrines for both Shiva & Vishnu
in repose. Covelong offers a safe beach (except during monsoons) as well
as a variety of water sports, including wind surfing.
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