Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is around 60 km south from the city of Chennai. It is an ancient historic town and was a bustling seaport during the time of Periplus (1st century CE) and Ptolemy (140 CE). Ancient Indian traders who went to countries of South East Asia sailed from the seaport of Mahabalipuram.
By the 7th century it was a port city of South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. It has a group of sanctuaries, which was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries : rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air rock reliefs such as the famous Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva. The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet). The modern city of Mahabalipuram was established by the British Raj in 1827.
Mahabalipuram is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Don Sandy. The film features Vinayak, Karunakaran, Ramesh Thilak, Vetri, Vithika Sheru and Angana Roy in the leading roles, while K composed the film's music. The film, produced by Vinayak, released in March 2015.
The film was first announced in November 2013, with director Don Sandy noting that the story was inspired by real life events which had occurred at Mahabalipuram. Featuring five rookie actors, the film is produced by Vinayak, previously seen in Lee and Kokki, who also features in a leading role. The team successfully approached Silambarasan to sing a song based on the New Year to feature in the soundtrack, and he recorded it in December 2013. The film was predominantly shot around Mahabalipuram, with a song shot in Bangkok. Actor Sathyaraj provided a voice-over for a sequence in the film.