Penance of Arjuna Review

Read our Tamil Nadu sights reviews. Or post your own.

Penance of Arjuna

  • Address: Behind bus stand, W. Raja St., Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

Fodor's Review:

A monumental bas-relief—29 meters (96 feet) long and 13 meters (43 feet) high—the Penance of Arjuna, also called the Descent of the Ganges, is carved on two adjacent boulders. Created by the Pallava dynasty, the work dates from the 7th century. Among the many figures depicted, both mythical and real, is a figure of Shiva with an ascetic Arjuna to his left, standing on one leg. The rendering illustrates a scene from the Bhagavad Gita, in which Arjuna asks Shiva for help defeating his enemies. An extensive but unfinished Pallava water canal system included a pool above the bas-relief; the idea was that water would cascade down a natural cleft in the rock from this pool, simulating the descent of the Ganges from the Himalayas. The entire, enormous project is a fascinating and vital combination of the mundane and the mythical (look for the starving cat at the bottom, who has renounced his mousing). More than a dozen cave temples are cut into the rock hill behind the Penance of Arjuna. Some are unfinished and some have been damaged, but nearly all are remarkable. Most are atop the granite hill, so you have to take a short hike to reach them.

  • Cost: Free
Find more sights in Tamil Nadu »

Member Reviews and Ratings

Be the first to review this property

Get Advice From Other Travelers

Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip



Get the Fodor's Newsletter

For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Read the current issue. Browse previous issues.




Copyright © 2010 Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House, Inc.