#UNESCO_world_heritage_sites
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
The Group of Monuments at
Mahabalipuram is a collection of 7th- and 8th-century CE religious monuments in the coastal resort town of
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site has
40 ancient monuments and
Hindu temples, including one of the largest
open-air rock reliefs in the world: the
Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance. The monuments were built during the
Pallava dynasty. Known as the Seven Pagodas in many colonial-era publications, they are also called the
Mamallapuram temples or Mahabalipuram temples in contemporary literature. The site, restored after 1960, has been managed by the
Archaeological Survey of India.
