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 Planning a trip to Mahabalipuram and not sure where to start? There are some key things to know before visiting Mahabalipuram.

As someone who has explored Mahabalipuram’s ancient wonders and coastal beauty multiple times, we’ve picked up a few tips and insights that will enhance your visit. From understanding the best times to explore the iconic Shore Temple to knowing the dress code, this guide will cover all the essentials.

Let’s make sure you have all the information you need for a smooth and memorable trip!

Things To Know Before Visiting Mahabalipuram

1. Mahabalipuram Dress Code

There are no restrictions or dress codes for visiting Mahabalipuram temple. Since it is an Archaeological Hindu temple, we highly recommend you dress modestly and respectfully. Women can opt for long skirts, sarees, churidar/ salwar kameez, or pants. Men can wear long trousers or pants. Both men and women are allowed to wear shorts. But it is advisable to avoid wearing any party wear or anything too revealing.

Since this is a traditional setting, clothing that covers your shoulders and knees is considered respectful. Remember, when deciding what to wear in Mahabalipuram, breathable clothing is ideal due to the warm weather.

Also, don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes, as a fair amount of walking is involved and you need not remove them before entering each monument.

2. Entry Ticket Price

• INR 40 for Indian citizens
• INR 600 for foreign nationals
• Free entry for all people below 15 years.
• INR 5 discount for Indians and INR 50 discount for foreigners if the tickets are purchased online.

The entry tickets are valid only on the day of the purchase.

Explore Mahabalipuram on a guided tour for an immersive cultural experience!

3. Where to buy entry tickets?

There are 3 ticket counters present at the Mahabalipuram UNESCO Heritage Complex to buy entry tickets in person or offline.

• Krishna’s Butter Ball
• near the Pancha Rathas
• Shore Temple

Purchasing a ticket at any of these counters would be enough to visit all the heritage sites at Mahabalipuram. Cash, UPI, and card payments are accepted at the ticket counters.

Online tickets can be bought from the official website of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Besides the monuments, if you want to visit the lighthouse, and the Heritage and Maritime Museum, you’ll have to purchase separate tickets, close to the attractions.

4. Mahabalipuram Timings

You should absolutely know the opening hours before planning to visit Mahabalipuram.

• Ticket counter timings: 6 AM to 5:30 PM
• Monument timings:  6 AM to 6 PM

All the monuments including the Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas, and Krishna’s Butter Ball open at 6 AM and close at 6 PM, on all days.

5. Two Wheeler and Car Parking

A huge paid vehicle parking space is available near the shore temple and five Rathas. INR 10 is collected for two-wheelers, INR 30 for cars, INR 50 for minibus, tempo, and INR 100 for buses. Free parking space is not available in the vicinity.

6. Drinking Water and Restroom Facilities

Free drinking water and restroom facilities are available near the shore temple. Restrooms are found near the parking area at Five Rathas and to the left of the rock-cut sculptures of elephants, peafowl, and monkeys.

Direction boards are installed at different points to guide you. However, if you miss them, you can always ask the locals. They mostly speak Tamil, but some can also converse in English.

7. Best Time to Visit

Mahabalipuram can be visited throughout the year. The best time to visit Mahabalipuram is between November and February when the weather is pleasantly warm, making it ideal for exploration.

However, this period also marks the peak tourist season, so you can expect larger crowds. Weekends and public holidays are super crowded, as people from Chennai and nearby towns often visit for a day trip.

To avoid the crowds and have a more peaceful experience, we recommend starting your exploration early in the morning when the sites open.

8. Tour Guides and Audio Guides

Authorized and licensed guides can be hired at the entrances of different sites for a fee. We highly recommend you hire a guide to understand the significance of the monuments and learn their history.

FREE audio recordings are available at different spots across various sites. Scan the QR code or download the Story Trail app (Play Store) for FREE or Pinakin (Play Store, App Store) for the paid audio tour.

These audio tours help you understand the history and significance behind each sculpture better. In addition, each sculpture will have short descriptions that will offer more information and knowledge about the artifact behind it.

Explore Mahabalipuram with a private guide (Lunch and Hotel Pickup included)

9. Mahabalipuram Monuments Map

Since the Mahabalipuram Heritage Site is a group of monuments, it can be easy to lose your way. We’re here to guide you through them efficiently.

1. The Shore Temple, close to the Mahabalipuram Beach
2. The Pancha Pandava Rathas
3. The architectural complex – has two entrances – one at the hill entrance near the Olakkanneshvara temple and the other one next to the ticket counter near Krishna’s Butter Ball.

So despite having separate entrances, you only need a single ticket to visit all these sites. Each complex is located a Km away from each other.

You can explore these sites on foot. However, if you’re an elderly person or want to beat the heat, hop onto a tuk-tuk.

Online taxi services such as Ola and Uber are not available in Mahabalipuram. There are no public or special e-kart service buses to commute between these tourist spots.

10. Drone and Photography

Drones and tripods are not allowed inside any of these heritage sites in Mahabalipuram. Getting special permission to fly a drone is a big hassle or almost impossible. The aerial view of the shore temple can be captured by flying the drone from Mahabalipuram Beach. But make sure NOT to fly inside the temple complex.

However, cameras are allowed without any extra charges. You can take as many pictures as you want using camera and mobile phone.

11. Packing List

Here is a quick essential packing list for Mahabalipuram for a day trip. This list highlights what you need to carry and the items that you should not miss.

• Sunscreen, A hat, and sunglasses to ward off the heat
• A Reusable water bottle
• Comfortable shoes. You need not remove while entering any monuments in Mahabalipuram
• Camera (Optional)

12. Eateries in the Temple Complex

Small vendors sell snacks, fruits, cool drinks, and water bottles inside and outside Krishna’s Butter Ball, the Olakkanneshvara temple, the Shore temple, and Five Rathas.

Fresh seafood can be found on the Mahabalipuram beach. Sit-in restaurants are spread across the town but are hard to find closer to the attractions.

Online food delivery services like Swiggy or Zomato are not available in Mahabalipuram. Refer to the detailed blog that explains our recommendations for accommodations and restaurants.

13. Code of Conduct

Mahabalipuram is a heritage town that the community and officials take good care of. Therefore, visitors should be respectful and avoid climbing on the monuments.

Do not write or scribble. Any damage done to the monument is chargeable under the law. Security guards can also be seen watching the public’s activities and movements.

14. Network Availability

Being an important tourist destination that attracts a large number of tourists around the world, reliable 4G internet services are provided by both Airtel and Jio network providers. You can rely on them to use the map, online payment apps, and more.

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15. Quick History of Mahabalipuram

• Mahabalipuram was a thriving port town during the Pallava dynasty, whose capital city was Kanchipuram. Once a flourishing port town is now poetry engraved and carved in stone.
• Pallavas are ardent lovers of art and architecture. The sculptures you see today in Mahabalipuram were carved by the Pallavas between the 6th and 8th centuries, i.e., about 1300 years before.
• The sculptures here are carved in hard granite stones. They were sculpted by hand for generations without any fancy equipment as they didn’t exist in the olden days. These sculptures need precise calculation and skills as the entire sculpture has to be abandoned if any mistake is made or any curve or line is carved wrong by the sculptor.
• The statues, monoliths, cave temple, and bas relief, found in Mahabalipuram are carved from the top all the way to the bottom, and when they reached the bottom, they chiseled a doorway, went in, and continued to cut the rock until they had a small room. This is the reason why the bottom portion seems incomplete in many sculptures.
• The sculptures depict the Hindu gods and goddesses, the war of Durga and Mahishasura, and scenes from the two great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. We highly recommend hiring a guide or listening to the audio tour as mentioned above. 
• Most of the monuments at Mahabalipuram were submerged in the sea and were discovered in recent years. The monuments at Mahabalipuram were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

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