Arjuna's Penance, Mamallapuram

Name: Arjuna's Penance
Address: West Raja Street, Mamallapuram, 603104, India
Telephone: +91 81222 33700

#3 among attractions in Mamallapuram

Unesco, Top attraction, Sculpture, Archaeological site

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Photo details 1. Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Samrajclicks / URL • 2. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 / Ms Sarah Welch / URL • 3. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Thamizhpparithi Maari / URL • 4. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Sichu7 / URL • 5. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 / Gabriele Giuseppini / URL • 6. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Mahimabhargava / URL • 7. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 / Gabriele Giuseppini / URL

Facts and practical information

Descent of the Ganges is a monument at Mamallapuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Chengalpattu district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Measuring 96 by 43 feet, it is a giant open-air rock relief carved on two monolithic rock boulders. The legend depicted in the relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha. The waters of the Ganges are believed to possess supernatural powers. The descent of the Ganges and Arjuna's Penance are portrayed in stone at the Pallava heritage site. The relief is more of a canvas of Indian rock cut sculpture at its best not seen anywhere in India. It is one of the Group of Monuments at Mamallapuram that were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. ()

Local name: गंगावतरण शैल Unesco: from 1984Coordinates: 12°37'4"N, 80°11'33"E

Address

West Raja StreetMamallapuram 603104 India

Contact

+91 81222 33700

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Mamallapuram

Day trips

Arjuna's Penance – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, Mahabalipuram lighthouse.

0.5 miE
8th-century complex of 3 temples
Shore Temple, Mamallapuram
12 min walk • Nestled along the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal in the historic town of Mamallapuram, India, the Shore Temple stands as a monumental testimonial to the Pallava dynasty's architectural prowess. This granite marvel, dating back to the 7th century, is a complex of...
0.6 miS
Historic temples sculpted like chariots
Pancha Rathas, Mamallapuram
16 min walk • Nestled in the coastal town of Mamallapuram, India, the Pancha Rathas stands as a testament to the architectural prowess of the Pallava dynasty. This historical landmark, a complex of monolithic rock-cut temples, is renowned for its intricate carvings and monumental...
0.4 miE
Temple
Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, Mamallapuram
11 min walk • Nakula Sahadeva Ratha is a monument in the Pancha Rathas complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is an example of monolith Indian rock-cut architecture.
~1050 ftSW
Lighthouse
Mahabalipuram lighthouse, Mamallapuram
6 min walk • Mahabalipuram Lighthouse is located in Tamil Nadu, India. It has been open to tourists since 2011. It was closed in 2001 following a perceived threat from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The first light was commissioned here in 1887.
~520 ftN
Nature, Natural attraction, Rock
Krishna's Butterball, Mamallapuram
3 min walk • Krishna's Butterball is a gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline in the historical coastal resort town of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu state of India.
0.4 miE
Temple
Thirukadalmallai, Mamallapuram
11 min walk • Sthalasayana Perumal Temple is at Mahabalipuram. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD.
~140 ftS
Temple
Krishna Mandapa, Mamallapuram
1 min walk • Mahishasuramardhini Mandapa is an example of Indian rock-cut architecture dating from the late 7th century, of the Pallava dynasty. It is a rock-cut cave temple located on a hill, near a lighthouse, along with other caves in Mamallapuram.
~260 ftN
Temple, Sacred and religious sites
Ganesh Ratha, Mamallapuram
2 min walk • Ganesha Ratha is a temple in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of ten rathas carved out of pink granite within the group of monuments of the Pallava Period at Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO-inscribed World Heritage Site since 1984.
0.7 miS
Temple
Dharmaraja Ratha, Mamallapuram
17 min walk • Dharmaraja Ratha is a monument in the Pancha Rathas complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is an example of monolith Indian rock-cut architecture.
~480 ftSW
Nature, Cave, Temple
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Mamallapuram
3 min walk • The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram is a collection of 7th- and 8th-century CE religious monuments in the coastal resort town of Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
0.6 miS
Temple
Bhima Ratha, Mamallapuram
17 min walk • Bhima Ratha is a monument in the Pancha Rathas complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is an example of monolith Indian rock-cut architecture.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which popular attractions are close to Arjuna's Penance?

Nearby attractions include Krishna Mandapa, Mamallapuram (1 min walk), Ganesh Ratha, Mamallapuram (2 min walk), Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Mamallapuram (2 min walk), Panchapandava Cave Temple, Mamallapuram (3 min walk).