Chennai, which was previously referred to as Madras or Madarasapatinam, is the capital town of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It located on the Coromandel Coast, along the Bay of Bengal at the eastern coast of the country. Chennai is also the nerve centre of Carnatic music, and conjointly incorporates a spirited theatre backdrop. It is equally famous for Bharata Natyam (the traditional dance style of Tamil Nadu) schools, and other educational institutions and academies. The Tamil film business, which is touted to be the second largest film business in India, is also based in Chennai.
Mahabalipuram is an ancient port city situated on the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu. Also known as Mamallapuram, the city of Mahabalipuram is believed to have been built by the Pallava Dynasty in the 7th century. One of the most famous and most visited destinations of Tamil Nadu, Mahabalipuram is approximately 58 kilometers away from the capital city of Chennai. Mahabalipuram is a well-known paradigm of Dravidian style architectures and monuments.
Mahabalipuram is located in close proximity to Chennai and is easily accessible by road. This ancient city has no railway station and Chengalpattu (CGL) lying at a distance of 31 km from Mahabalipuram is the nearest train station, which is directly connected to Chennai. On reaching Chengalpattu, one can hire a taxi from the station to reach Mahabalipuram. Alternatively one can also board the buses from here.
Mahabalipuram is well-connected and easily accessible from other parts of the state, especially from the capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. Many private and government operated bus services are available to travel from Chennai to Mahabalipuram. Tourist taxis can also be hired to reach Mahabalipuram from Chennai. Buses, two-wheelers on rent and taxis are the common means of intra-city travel.
Mahabalipuram is also well connected with Chennai by daily bus services. These services, which are run by both government and private operators, are the most popular and common means of travel from Chennai to Mahabalipuram. An ordinary bus plying along this route will cost up to Rs 100 per ticket. Moreover, there are many other types of buses like A/C, non A/C Volvo, air bus and others that offer comfortable journey to the place. Since the time taken for the journey is fairly less, even elderly and families with small kids can also opt to travel by bus.
An alternative mode of travel is to hire a taxi from Chennai to Mahabalipuram. It will cost a traveller around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for a round trip. This is highly recommended while travelling with infants, elders and invalids.
Air travel is not a feasible option to travel as the distance between both the cities is not much.
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