Mahabalipuram & Pondicherry one day trip from Chennai with Lunch

For a well-organized 12-hour day trip from Chennai, begin at 7:00 AM with a drive to Pondicherry, which takes approximately 3 hours. Start your visit at the serene Aurobindo Ashram, then explore the historic French Quarter and the Manakula Vinayagar Temple. Following this, take a relaxing stroll along Promenade Beach. Next, proceed to Auroville to experience its innovative architecture and the Matrimandir. After enjoying lunch, drive to Mahabalipuram and tour the Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas, Arjuna’s Penance, and Krishna’s Butterball. Return to Chennai by 7:00 PM to conclude a memorable and enriching day.

Make the first stop of the day at the Pancharathas, or five chariots, a series of monolithic temples built by the Pallavas.These are rock cut monolith temples structures built in the 7th century. Each of the 5 rathas or chariots are dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharat epic- Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. There is also a sculpture of an elephant next to the ratha of Nakul-Sahadeva. Once you stand towards the rear of the elephant you will notice that there is an uncanny resemblance between the rear of the chariot and the elephant.

We next visit Arjuna’s Penace, a bas-relief monument that’s considered one of India’s most magnificent pieces of ancient art, depicting vivid scenes from the Mahabharata. The relief is 100 feet long and 45 feet tall! The main story being told is how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities in order to obtain Lord Shiva’s weapon.

The next stop is Krishna’s Butterball, a granite boulder that’s poised on a stony slope. This curious boulder seems to defy Newton’s laws of gravity and has not moved an inch despite being in this precarious position on the slope for more than a thousand years.

Our last port of call is the Shore Temple. The magnificent temple overlooks the Bay of Bengal and was an important centre during the reign of the Pallavas when Mahabalipuram was the main port of their Kingdom. Built by King Raja Simha during the early 8th century, the Shore Temple is a landmark in the architectural landscape of India. Marco Polo referred to this as the seven pagodas. The existing temple is the last surviving of the 7 which once stood as a beacon for sea farers.

Shri Aurobindo, a great seer, poet and prophet of the twentieth century, made Pondicherry his home from 1910 till his death in 1950. His vision and ideals continue to draw people from all over the world.

we travel to Auroville, the radical concept of a global village where thousands of people from across the world have given up their nationalities and are living as global citizens. Auroville was conceived with the vision that- “There should be a somewhere on earth, a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony…”. Guests will also get to see the various ways in which its citizens practice sustainable way of life. Matri Mandir is a giant dome for silent meditation.

The Manakula Vinayagar Temple, in Puducherry, is a grand and beautiful temple, dedicated to the Hindu lord Ganesha. Puducherry might be a place full of churches but Manakula Vinayagar Temple is highly coveted among Hindu devotees and tourists, traveling from all parts of the country. Being more than 500 years old, it has an illustrious history and is one of the oldest temples in the region.

We visit a unique factory which makes hand made paper. Sri Aurobindo Paper Factory started 50 years ago and makes paper from 100% cotton rag pulp. In this visit guests will experience how the paper is produced from cotton rags and then processed with techniques like silk screen printing and marbling.

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

• Mahabalipuram & Pondicherry one day trip from Chennai with Lunch
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  Pickup included

• Headsets to hear the guide clearly
• Lunch
• Entry/Admission – Monuments

• Personal expenses
• Gratuities
• Beverages

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• This Tour is Provided by Wonder tours.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Asia/Kolkata.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• This Tour is Rated 5 Stars based on 12 valid reviews on TRIPADVISOR.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 15 Travelers is accepted for booking.