Pancha Rathas
Five temples each cut from a single granite outcrop in the seventh century, and none of them ever finished.
- Where
- Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 12.6088, 80.1896
Get the Pancha Rathas stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Pancha Rathas. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Tamil Nadu volume with your photos and a note.
Near Pancha Rathas
Arjuna's Penance 1.1 km
A rock relief thirty metres long with over a hundred figures, one of the largest open air carvings anywhere.
Varaha Cave Temple 1.1 km
A seventh century Pallava cave whose panel of Vishnu lifting the earth is among the best rock cut relief in India.
Shore Temple 1.3 km
Standing against the Bay of Bengal for thirteen centuries, the last of the legendary seven pagodas.
Tiger Cave, Mahabalipuram 5.8 km
A rock-cut shrine with eleven tiger heads round the opening, in a grove by the sea.
Vedagiriswarar temple 14 km
A Shiva temple at Thirukazhukundram, south of Chennai.
Nithyakalyana Perumal temple 18 km
A temple to Vishnu as the boar at Thiruvidandai, sung by the Alvars more than a thousand years ago.
DakshinaChitra 22 km
Eighteen heritage houses from four southern states, taken down where they stood and rebuilt here.
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary 24 km
Protected by villagers since the eighteenth century.
More UNESCO World Heritage sites in Tamil Nadu
Questions
Where is Pancha Rathas?
Pancha Rathas is in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Arjuna's Penance (1.1 km), Varaha Cave Temple (1.1 km), Shore Temple (1.3 km).
How do I get the Pancha Rathas stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Pancha Rathas and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Tamil Nadu volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Pancha Rathas before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Tamil Nadu volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.