Krishna's Butterball

Krishna's Butterball
Balancing rock
Map
Coordinates: 12°37′09″N 80°11′32″E / 12.6191°N 80.1923°E / 12.6191; 80.1923
LocationMamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
GeologyGranite[1]
DesignationCentrally Protected Monument (Archeological Survey of India)
Part of Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Other namesVaan Irai Kal

Krishna's Butterball (also known as Vaan Irai Kal[2] and Krishna's Gigantic Butterball) is a gigantic balancing rock, a granite boulder resting on a short incline in the historical coastal resort town of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu state, India.[3]

Being part of the Group of Monuments at Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built during the seventh- and eighth-century CE as Hindu religious monuments by the Pallava dynasty, it is a popular tourist attraction locally.[4][5][6] It is listed as a protected national monument by the Archeological Survey of India.[7]

  1. ^ "In Khanapur, a rock that defies gravity". The Times of India. 7 April 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Krishna's Butter Ball". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  3. ^ Eric Grundhauser (4 August 2015). "The Delicately Balanced Beauty of Krishna's Butter Ball". Slate. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  4. ^ James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8.
  5. ^ "Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram". UNESCO.org. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  6. ^ Neha Vashishth (16 April 2016). "These Mysterious Places In India Totally Defy Gravity!". Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Alphabetical List of Monuments – Tamil Nadu". asi.nic.in. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2022.