Tourism in Mahabalipuram revolves around historical monuments. Krishna Cave Temple is one of the major tourist attractions in Mahabalipuram. A group of monuments at Mahabalipuram holds great importance amongst the classical monuments of India. The Krishna’s cave temple is one of the many caves that are located in this ancient town. This rock-cut brilliance which is pure delight to the eyes, makes for an incomparable experience of Indian architecture & sculpture. One of the unique ‘mandapams’ of the town is on a hilltop, very close to the Descent of the Ganges/ Arjuna’s Penance, Krishna Mandapam. Every structure in the city has a great story steeped deep into ancient and glorious past. Krishna Mandapam shows the persistence of earlier traditions. One of the sides of the rock cut boulder has a carving of Lord Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana. It is believed that Indra - the God of Rain, was not very pleased with the villagers and so storms & massive rainfall followed. Krishna the divine being, who lived in the same village, lifted the Mount Govardhana, creating an umbrella of protection for the village, its people & cowherds. The scene that is carved shows Krishna surrounded by ‘gopis’ who stand amazed and Radha, his childhood lover decorated with a crown & ornaments. Another scene is of a cowherd milking the cow, the animal liking the calf in the most natural loving way. Close to this is a Gopi holding a pile of milk pots and balancing fodder on her head. There are also beautiful carvings of a cowherd playing the flute, a little child in the arms of his mother, an old man carrying a baby on his shoulder, a woodcutter walking with his axe. In one of the panels, Krishna is also seen playing his flute, along with a bull carved to perfection. So realistic & detailed are these carvings, it feels like one is in the moment, witnessing the events as they are happening around. As history reveals, the cave has nine reliefs that were sculpted in the 7th Century under the rule of Narasimaha Varma, with additions made on them through during the 16th Century. Although the design & layout is simple with minimal decorations, it is one of the oldest ones in Mahabalipuram. The process of creating Krishna Cave Temple was in multiple steps. First the artisans worked on the outline on the rock face, which was then polished to refine and highlight the outline. Then column were cut in the polished surface where they later created square panels. On these square panels, chisels were used to carve the beautiful scenes. With the tradition of stone carving still alive in the city & rhythmic sound of the hammer & chisel give us a tiny glimpse into how these magnificent monuments came into being, infinite number of years ago. The Krishna’s cave, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, is fondly visited by history & art lovers from all around the world.