Mahabalipuram - Curse of the Shore Temple

Dadi**: "Guddu, have you heard of Mahabalipuram?"

Guddu**: "The place with the stone temples near Chennai?"

Dadi**: "Yes! But did you know there were once seven granite temples standing on that beach? Today, only one remains above water. The other six are hidden beneath the sea!"

Guddu**: "Six temples under the ocean? What happened to them?"

Dadi**: "This is an ancient legend, beta. Long ago, the Pallava kings built the most beautiful temples on the shore. They were so magnificent that even the gods in heaven noticed."

Guddu**: "That sounds nice!"

Dadi**: "But Indra, the king of gods, became jealous. He looked at these perfect temples and thought, 'These humans are becoming too proud. They need a lesson in humility.'"

Guddu**: "Oh no, what did Indra do?"

Dadi**: "One night, he unleashed a terrible storm - the kind never seen before. Torrential rains, powerful winds, waves as tall as mountains. One by one, six of the seven temples sank beneath the angry sea."

Guddu**: "Only one survived?"

Dadi**: "Only the Shore Temple remains, standing as a witness to the city that once was. It looks out at the ocean, perhaps remembering its six brothers sleeping beneath the waves."

Guddu**: "Is this story really true, Dadi?"

Dadi**: "Ah, that's the magical part! For centuries, people thought it was just a legend. But then in 2004, something incredible happened. Do you know about the great tsunami?"

Guddu**: "The big wave that came?"

Dadi**: "Yes. When the ocean pulled back before the tsunami, it revealed something amazing - stone structures under the water! The Indian Navy later searched with special equipment and found the remains of two submerged temples and a cave temple!"

Guddu**: "The legend was true!"

Dadi**: "They found a 10-meter wall, stone stairs, carved blocks - all about 1,100 to 1,500 years old. The story passed down through generations wasn't just myth - it held a kernel of truth!"

Guddu**: "Dadi, there's another story about this place, isn't there?"

Dadi**: "Yes, beta. Some say a sea goddess demanded a human sacrifice to protect the temple from the ocean. When the Pallava king refused, she cursed the structure to be consumed by the waters."

Guddu**: "But the king was right to refuse!"

Dadi**: "He was. Sometimes doing the right thing has consequences, but it's still right. The king chose to let temples fall rather than sacrifice an innocent life. That's real kingship."

Guddu**: "There's even a story about Draupadi, right?"

Dadi**: "How do you know these things! Yes, some say Draupadi cursed a lingam there, causing the sea to recede and the town to emerge. These coastal lands have collected stories like shells on a beach."

Guddu**: "I want to visit and see the Shore Temple!"

Dadi**: "You must! And when you stand there, remember - beneath those waves, history sleeps. The temples that Indra's jealousy drowned still rest on the ocean floor, their carvings kissed by fish instead of devotees."

Guddu**: "It's kind of beautiful and sad at the same time."

Dadi**: "That's life, beta. Beautiful things don't always last above water. But they remain. The stories remember them. The sea preserves them. And sometimes, when the world shakes, the ocean reveals its secrets. Sleep now, and dream of temples under the stars and under the waves."