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Notes on Mamallapuram

October 7, 2013 By James Clark 10 Comments

Notes on Mamallapuram

My first time to India was in 2007 where I visited Mumbai and some of the southern states. I was told that the south is so more relaxed than the north, but having never been to the north I had no way of comparing.

I came back to India again in 2011, this time flying into Delhi and exploring some of the most populous states of the north. Now that I am back in India I can see how chilled out the south is. While it’s still crazy and chaotic in that way that only India knows how to be, life is a little bit slower down here.

Mamallapuram is in the state of Tamil Nadu in the deep south of India. Mamallapuram is now officially known as Mahabalipuram but most of the signs (old and new) keep referring to the former.

Stone Carvings

Mamallapuram is best known for its monuments with intricate stone carvings that date as far back as the 7th century. Many of the monuments have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, most of which are within walking distance of each other around this compact town.

Five Rathas - Mamallapuram
[Five Rathas]

Shore Temple - Mamallapuram
[Shore Temple]

Arjuna's Penance - Mamallapuram
[Arjuna’s Penance]

Krishna's Butter Ball - Mamallapuram
[Krishna’s Butter Ball]

I could regurgitate some facts and figures from Wikipedia about these beautiful carvings, but you can read that yourself. Instead, I’m going to tell you about some drinks you should try when you are here…

Keeping Hydrated

While Mamallapuram is small enough to explore by foot, it’s thirsty work walking around under the blazing Indian sun. Hydration options at always at hand though, and some of my favourite beverages in the world happen to be a specialty in India.

Chai Tea

While I am first and foremost a coffee man, when in India I can’t go past the masala chai tea. After having chai tea in India I have found having it anywhere else never compares. Just as Guinness aficionados claim that the black stuff isn’t as good outside of Ireland, so to I have never had a chai that compares to an Indian chai (though teh tarik in Malaysia is good).

I found this tea stand in town so of course I had to stop for a tea break.

Making Tea - Mamallapuram

My tea man was happy to show off his tea pulling chops. Part of how good a tea is comes down to how well it’s pulled (poured).

Pulling Tea - Mamallapuram

And here is the end result – A delicious tea at 12 INR (0.20USD).

Tea - Mamallapuram

Lassi

Another classic drink from India is the lassi, yet on my first trip to India I didn’t even try one. I wasn’t a much of a yogurt drink person at the time, the idea of having yogurt product in the heat didn’t appeal. On my return visit I tried a lassi and I was hooked. This picture doesn’t really convey its deliciousness, and sometimes they do look outright unappealing, but you will just have to trust that it tastes better than it looks.

Banana Lassi - Mamallapuram
[Banana Lassi]

Coconuts

Then of course being in the tropics there are coconuts, which are sold everywhere. At 20 INR (0.33USD) for a coconut this is better than water, and if you are hungry you can ask to have it chopped open for a little snack of coconut meat.

Coconut Man - Mamallapuram

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: india, mamallapuram

About James Clark

James Clark is the founder of Nomadic Notes. He has been a digital nomad since 2003, and Nomadic Notes features trip reports, train travel articles, and where to stay guides. He writes about transport and urban development at Future Southeast Asia. Subscribe to the weekly travel newsletter.

Comments

  1. Donnie Law says

    October 7, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Those green coconuts look amazing!

    Reply
  2. Nicki Chen says

    October 7, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Great photos of the tea man. I’ve never been to India, but I’ve had chai at the homes of Indian friends. Fantastic! Love lassi. Love coconut water and buko (immature coconut).

    Reply
  3. Andi says

    October 8, 2013 at 2:54 am

    Ummmm lassis!

    Reply
  4. Maria says

    October 8, 2013 at 7:49 pm

    The Banana Lassi looks great – especially after a tour like that.

    Reply
  5. Hannah@GettingStamped says

    October 9, 2013 at 7:01 am

    The indian artifacts and sites look so wonderful! Your photos really caught the best out of India. My husband and I are so excited. Glad we booked our trip to India next year. Woot!

    Reply
  6. Zara @ Backpack ME says

    October 21, 2013 at 5:10 am

    I really like the photo of the chai man pouring the tea.
    People in India are so photogenic, and they LOVE being photographed – the pride in his face as he does his job is amazing!

    Reply
  7. Rebecca says

    October 29, 2013 at 3:40 am

    those stone carvings are amazing! this place looks like paradise, very different from the usual Indian images we see

    Reply
  8. Rachit Aggarwal says

    February 8, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Hey Nomadic notes, I was searching on Google about Coconut Man in Mahabalipuram and landed here .

    This is really a great website and this post is also quite interesting.

    The thing that caught my eyes is that coincidentally, i have also captured the same man selling coconut in my blog.

    Please refer:

    http://atlasshrugged-eccentric.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-coconut-man-of-india-roadside.html

    Regards
    Rachit

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      February 16, 2014 at 3:36 pm

      Ha, that’s amazing! Thanks for sharing that 🙂

      Reply
  9. praneetha says

    November 10, 2016 at 9:26 am

    Very interesting post about Mahabalipuram. Images and content is also very nice, Thank you for sharing such a good information with us, It is very useful to us…

    Reply

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James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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