• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SHORE TEMPLE

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

The Shore Temple is one of southern India’s most unique temples, both historically and architecturally. It gets its name from the fact that its stands on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, and it might have once served a dual purpose as a light house. Unlike virtually every other major temple in India, which are generally rock cut and involve intricately carved marble and granite, the Shore Temple is a stone structure giving it a truly ancient appearance. The Shore Temple is one of the oldest intact temples on the Indian Subcontinent and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

The Shore Temple was built in the early 8th century by King Rajasimha. Both historical records and early accounts indicate that he constructed a total of seven temples along the coast of the city Mahbalipuram, each similar to the others, but for centuries only the Shore Temple was known. Legend had it that the other temples were destroyed by the divine wrath of the gods and that they sank into the ocean.

From time immemorial, the Shore Temple was referred to as the Seven Pagodas, in memory perhaps of the other six lost temples. It remained little changed since its completion in 728 AD. It was certainly a familiar landmark to sailors plying the Bengal Coast in the Middle Ages. Evidence suggests that the temple may have once served the dual function as a lighthouse.

The story of the Shore Temple might have ended there, if not for one of the greatest disasters in recent memory. In 2004, a massive tsunami struck the coast of India. In the minutes before the wave reached the shore, the ocean pulled back, taking away centuries of sediment with it, and revealing ancient ruins. Survivors of the tsunami reported the site and its location.

The next year, archaeologists investigated the site. Where no evidence of the lost temples had ever been found before, several were now uncovered, along with remains of many other buildings, thus proving that the ancient myth of the Seven Pagodas was not in fact a myth. The area is now being explored and studied, and no doubt will be incredibly popular with divers seeking India’s now famous drowned temples.

Visiting

The Shore Temple is architecturally much difference from India’s other great temples. Built from cut stone, it is much smaller and much more primitive in appearance, and yet at the same time boasts a much greater air of adventure about it. Temple-towers rise above both the main entrance and the inner shrine. The temple carvings are not nearly as extensive or detailed as is typical of other temples, but the older style is nevertheless equally fascinating. Of particular note is a series of great stone bulls representing Nandi guard the site.

The interior of the temple boasts three very ancient shrines: two to Shiva, and one to Vishnu. Some of the statuary inside is among the oldest to be found in India, and include an incomplete Vishnu, Krishna dancing and Vishnu riding Garuda. The remains of some of the other temples, which are now beneath the ocean just off shore, may already be accessible by scuba divers.

The Shore Temple stands on an outcropping of land on the east side of Mahabalipuram, separated from the rest of the city by a large open area park, approximately 900 miles south of New Delhi. It is open daily from 8:00am-6:00pm. The cost of admission is Rs5. Web: www.tamilnadutourism.org (official tourism website of Tamil Nadu).

Other Sites

In addition to the Shore Temple there are of course the other pagoda temples just offshore waiting for intrepid divers. Also in Mahabalipuram are a series of ten Cave Temples which represent ten stories of Hindu legend, with carvings and art to match.

Filed Under: Hindu Tagged With: India (South)/Sri Lanka

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.