Mahabalipuram, an ancient seaport of India's medieval Pallava dynasty (circa 300-900), lies south of Chennai. The Pallavas left behind an astonishing heritage of Dravidian architecture in the form of huge monuments carved out of solid rock.
The Shore Temple close to the beach is remarkable: a twin-towered structure within a courtyard that's surrounded by a wall topped with rows of sitting bulls.
Equally impressive is Arjuna's Penance and the Descent of the Ganges, a huge bas-relief carved from one enormous monolithic rock between 670 and 715.
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