If you are looking for shopping souvenirs from Mahabalipuram, you will find a number of items made from sandstone and seashells. And why not, Mahabalipuram is a coastal town.
Shopping stone sculptures in Mahabalipuram
You will find here mostly the sculptures are made of sandstone and granite stone. Although a miniature, still people follow the monolithic rock-cut carvings. (Actually, not rock but yes the sculptures are made from a single piece of stone :D). There are Hindu deities and replicas of the monuments from the place in their sculpture. There are several vendors along the beach selling these art pieces. You can bargain as well.
You can visit the Mount Road and Arjuna’s Penance in Mahabalipuram for stone sculptures.
Oh yes, you can also see people working on the art and they are friendly enough to hand you their chisel to try a chip.
Shopping seashell items in Mahabalipuram
You can find some very good seashell jewelry and showpieces along the streets of the popular monuments in Mahabalipuram. Again buy them directly from the artisans, the stores and emporiums are generally more pricey than buying from the artists themselves. Shore temple road is one such place to buy some good seashell items at a reasonable price.
The street vendors also sell leather sandals, pashmina shawls, bronze statues around the popular tourist places. There are even silk saree emporiums, but you can find better deals in Chennai for the same clothing. If you are looking for exclusive from Mahabalipuram, we suggest buying stone sculptures and seashell items.
You can also book AC cab in Mahabalipuram for your entire trip and hop around the streets for the best bargain and coastal shopping experience.
Here is a tip– Buy the sculptures from the interior streets or small roadsides rather than from the main road. You can save a lot on almost similar items.
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