Mahabalipuram (Mammallapuram)lies about 60 km from Chennai (Madras), the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is an ancient place, having been a port city in the time of Mahendra Varman (670-715 B.C.), the Pallava king. It has the world's largest bas-relief ,  a shore temple,  several halls with carved pillars and monolithic temple-chariots. The architecture is based on Buddhist monasteries but the carvings are mostly based on the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Arjuna's Penance is a carving in relief in the face of a huge rock depicting animals, deities, Panchatantra fables and Arjuna practising austerities to win a boon from Shiva. The 5 temple-chariots are named after the 5 Pandava brothers.

The largest and the most complete is the Dharmaraja ratha, dedicated to Yudhistthira, and exhibits the best examples of Pallava-style architecture : pillars in the portico with rampant lions, pyramidal tower and turreted roof. The shore temples were built a later(between 700 and 800 A.D.) and in spite of  12 centuries of wind and sea-water, stand displaying their architectural beauty against the naturally beautiful background of the sea. They are approached through paved forecourts, with perimeter walls supporting long lines of bulls.