Mahabalipuram is an Open air museum with a treasure chest of India’s heritage. Topping the to do list is visiting Arjuna’s penance, a beautifully carved monolith. It is one of the largest bas reliefs in the world, given the honor of the world heritage site. This site is named after one of the great leaders of the Mahabharata epic- one of the Pancha Pandavas.

The monolith was carved on the face of 2 huge boulders with a length of 96ft. The majestic rock sculpture is known as the Descent of the Ganges, depicting a scene from the Mahabharata where Arjuna undergoes rigorous penance to get Shiva’s weapon and destroy his enemies. Lord Shiva sent down the Ganges to answer his prayers hence both the names. The fascinating skill of the sculptures can be seen clearly in the minute Details and liveliness of the figures.