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Mahabalipuram, Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu · 12.6175°, 80.1989°
A rock-cut Pallava mandapa at Mahabalipuram, carved in the later 7th century and celebrated for its panel of Varaha raising the earth goddess; it forms part of the UNESCO-listed Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
The central panel recalls how Vishnu took the form of a boar to defeat the demon Hiranyaksha and lift the earth back from the bottom of the cosmic ocean.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Pallava
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…