Mahabalipuram, India – Tourists at the Pancha, or Five, Rathas (also known as Pandava Rathas) which are a series of monuments at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the reigns of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I (630–680 AD) of the Pallava Kingdom. Photo shows the Dharmaraja, Bhima, and Nakula Sachadeva Rathas; the structures are without any precedence in Indian temple architecture and are completely carved out of a single rock each. Remarkably well preserved for monuments that are over 1300 years old; they withstood the ravages of the Tsunamis of the 13th Century and 2004. They however display the effects of wind and sand erosion. These are not temples as they are unfinished and were never consecrated. They are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Mahabalipuram. Photo shot in the afternoon sunlight; horizontal format. ©Mano Chandra Dhas