KRISHNA’S BUTTER BALL GARDEN

The "Krishna butter clod" is a huge rock that seems to defy gravity. Tourists like to pose while trying to push it... Of course the rock does not move... since it was cut directly into the rock. Its name refers to the Hindu mythology: when Krishna was a baby, he liked to steal butter clods from his mother. Several interesting monuments, including several rock-carved cave temples, are scattered throughout the large garden dominated by the beautiful Mamallapuram lighthouse. Arjuna's Penance, a grand bas-relief, is the masterpiece of the site. The garden is open every day from dawn to dusk but the entrance is now paying since the beginning of 2022... Here are the most remarkable sites:

Ganesha Ratha. It is one of the ten rathas (chariots) carved in pink granite among the group of monuments of the Pallava period. The ratha is an example of monolithic architecture carved in Indian rock dating back to the late 7th century.

Mahabalipuram Lighthouse. Mamallapuram Lighthouse has been open to tourists since 2011, with an additional entrance fee (Rs 25) to access the top. The first lamp was commissioned here in 1887. The lighthouse with a circular masonry tower made of natural stone became fully operational in 1904. The panorama offered from the top of its 26 meters is spectacular. The oldest lighthouse in India, built around 640 AD by the Pallava king Mahendra, stands next to this modern structure. A small temple dedicated to Shiva, the Olakaneeswara Temple, is nearby.

Mahishasuramardhini Mandapa. This cave-temple is located in the south of the site, near the lighthouse. Here the sunlight shimmers on panels of eternal beauty. The sculpture of Mahishasuramardhini, an incarnation of Goddess Durga, radiates peace, power and wisdom while Lord Vishnu, at rest, is a masterpiece of dhwani (art of suggestion) perfected by a Pallava sculptor.

Varaha Cave Tample. This small rock-cut mandapam is a faceted gem with four panels of the famous Pallava doorkeepers, who wear an expression of rapture. There is a contemplative reverie, a lyrical sweetness and a subtle grace about them, totally at odds with the primordial machismo that their role as guardians of the gods imposes upon them.