Shore Temple
A stone temple right beside the sea, from the 7th or 8th century. Foreigners pay about Rs 500 to Rs 600, but sources disagree, so confirm at the counter.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
1 to 2 daysHow long to stay
Not confirmedRough cost
Couples, Families, Friends, SoloWho it suits
Tamil NaduSouth India
Is this for you?
Want great stone carving without a long journey? Start here. The town is small and the monuments sit close together, so it's easy going for families and architecture lovers. Give it a day or two, not a week, and skip it if old stone doesn't interest you.
When to go
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.
What to do
Five Rathas
Five small-looking temples, each carved from a single piece of rock. Nobody stacked separate stones to make them.
Arjuna's Penance and Krishna's Butterball
Arjuna's Penance is a huge scene carved on a rock face. Krishna's Butterball, close by, is a giant boulder balanced on a slope. See them together.
Tiger Cave
A temple carved into the rock, a little apart from the main monuments. Save it for a second day.
Fishing-town beach
A working fishing beach with boats pulled up on the sand. Come at sunset and paddle only: we couldn't confirm that sea swimming is safe.
What to eat
This is a fishing town, so eat what came off the boats, on a beach-side terrace. There's a proper temple-street vegetarian meal too.
Pongal
Soft rice and lentils cooked together, a Tamil breakfast. Have it before you set out for the monuments.
Vegetarian
Tamil thali
A full plate of rice, sambar, a lentil stew, and small vegetable dishes. Have it at lunch near the temples.
Vegetarian
Tawa-fried fish
The day's fish, often tuna, fried on the griddle with spice. Ask what came in that morning before you order.
Tawa-fried prawns
Prawns fried hot on a tawa, a flat iron griddle. Have them at lunch at a shack near the beach.
Where to go
Le YogiOthavadai Street, Fisherman's Colony
Relaxed spot with good vegetarian plates. A copycat sits up the street, so check the name.
Mid-rangeMamalla BhavanS Mada Street
Open since 1959. Go for the South Indian thali, the sambar or the pongal.
Cheap eats, vegetarianMoonrakersOthavadai Street
The name everyone knows for fresh fish. One writer prefers the places next door.
Mid-rangeMy GoodnessOthavadai Street
A beach shack for lunch. Go for the tawa-fried prawns and crab.
Mid-range
Getting there
Chennai airport is about 55 km away and Chengalpattu railway station 23 km. Buses run from Chennai and Pondicherry. Pondicherry itself is about 95 km down the East Coast Road, 1 hour 33 minutes to 2 hours.
Where to stay
Covelong Road Resorts along the coast road, for when you want comfort. You'll pay more for it.
Fisherman's Colony A quieter fishing neighbourhood by the sea, if you want peace. Everything here is simple.
Othavadai Street The main traveller street, close to the monuments and the beach. It's the easy pick, so don't expect it to yourself.
Worth knowing
Rules
On 23 October 2026 the Madras High Court ruled that at Agamic temples (temples run by traditional Hindu rules of worship) non-Hindus must not be allowed past the flag-pole, the tall flagstaff in the courtyard in front of the main shrine, unless they sign an undertaking of reverence for the deity. The ruling is about religion, not nationality. We found no list of the temples it applies to, and no report of an appeal or a stay up to 31 October 2026, but the ruling is only days old, so rules may change. Signing is a personal matter of faith, and we do not suggest it just to sightsee. Plan any temple day so it works if you only see the outside and the outer courtyards.
Rules
The same ruling says even entry to the temple premises can be refused to non-Hindus who show their own religious markers, and it does not say what counts as a marker. A visible cross, a head covering or a turban could be treated that way, and we do not know about a small pendant. Check at the gate and follow what the staff tell you.
Safety
Check the forecast and keep your plans flexible from October to December. The Tamil coast is wettest then, with cyclones most often in late November and early December.
