During my four month trip in late 2015 to Southern India, I visited the state of Tamil Nadu, here in Mahabalipuram I saw many of the wonderful Monuments there. This one is affectionately known as Arjuna’s Penance, and competes with it’s other title of The Descent of the Ganges.
It is one of the magnificent monuments of Mahabalipuram. This wonderful bas air relief dates back to the mid-seventh century. Standing tall at a height of 43 feet, the monolith was carved on the face of two huge adjoining boulders, making its length around 96 feet.
The subject of the massive structure is either Arjuna’s Penance or the Descent of the Ganges, or possibly both. Historians and experts of archeology have never settled on one account as there are not sufficient sources or records.
Journeys From A Small Room 