Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of TamilNadu. It is around 58 km south from the city of Chennai. It is an ancient historic town and was a hectic seaport during the time of Periplus (1st century CE) and Ptolemy(140 CE). Ancient Indian traders who went to countries of South East Asiasailed from the seaport of Mahabalipuram.
By the 7th century it was a port city of South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. It has a group of sanctuaries, which was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries : Rathas(temples in the form of chariots), Mandapas(cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the Shore Temple, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Lord Shiva. The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram has been classified as a UNESCO World heritage Site.
It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet). The modern city of Mahabalipuram was established by the British Raj in 1827
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"Now its a tourist spot where there are lot of visitors every year all around the world."