ImportMaster at 08:45, 12 December 2022

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{{Short description|Monument in Mahabalipuram}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox rock
|name=Krishna's Butterball
|alternative_name=
|type=
|type_link=
|image=Krishna Butterball Below Mahabalipuram Sep22 A7C 02490.jpg
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|coordinates={{coord|12.6191|N|80.1923|E|type:landmark_region:IN-TN|display=inline,title}}
|composition=[[granite]]{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
|composition_secondary=
}}
'''Krishna's Butterball''' (also known as '''Vaan Irai Kal'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/krishnas-butter-ball|title=Krishna's Butter Ball|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=2016-09-27}}</ref> and '''Krishna's Gigantic Butterball''') is a gigantic [[balancing rock]], [[granite]]-[[boulder]] resting on a short incline in the historical coastal resort town of [[Mamallapuram]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] state of India.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Eric Grundhauser|title=The Delicately Balanced Beauty of Krishna's Butter Ball|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2015/08/04/the_delicately_balanced_boulder_known_as_krishna_s_butter_ball_is_a_lovely.html|accessdate=21 May 2016|work=Slate|date=4 August 2015}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p399">{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5kl0DYIjUPgC&pg=PA399|year=2002|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8|page=399}}</ref><ref name=Unesco>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249/|title=Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram|accessdate=23 October 2012|publisher=UNESCO.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Neha Vashishth|title=These Mysterious Places In India Totally Defy Gravity!|url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/news-hf/LIF-WEW-weird-places-in-india-where-gravity-has-no-power-5300560-PHO.html|accessdate=22 May 2016|work=[[Dainik Bhaskar]]|date=16 April 2016}}</ref> It is listed as a protected national monument by the [[Archeological Survey of India]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Alphabetical List of Monuments – Tamil Nadu |url=http://asi.nic.in/alphabetical-list-of-monuments-tamil-nadu/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919070208/http://asi.nic.in/alphabetical-list-of-monuments-tamil-nadu/ |archive-date=19 September 2018 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=asi.nic.in}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The original name, ''Vaan Irai Kal'', according to the [[Atlas Obscura]], translates from Tamil as "Stone of Sky God".<ref name=":0" /> According to [[Hindu scriptures]], lord [[Krishna]] often stole butter from his mother's butter [[handi]]; this may have led to the namesake of the boulder.<ref name=":0" /> In 1969, a tour-guide is said to credit its present name, ''Krishna's Butterball'', to [[Indira Gandhi]] who was on a tour of the city.<ref>{{cite news|title=Krishna's Butter Ball - Ancient Aliens In India? ~ Places on the planet you must see|url=http://www.phenomenalplace.com/2013/12/krishnas-butter-ball-ancient-aliens-in.html|accessdate=21 May 2016}}</ref>

==History==
The [[Pallava]] king [[Narasimhavarman]] (630–668 CE) also made a failed attempt to move the boulder.<ref name=":0" /> The Indian [[Tamil people|Tamil]] king [[Raja Raja Chola]] (985 and 1014 CE) was inspired by the balance of this massive stone boulder and it led to the creation of never-falling mud dolls called ''[[Thanjavur doll|Tanjavur Bommai]]'', which having a half-spherical base tends to come back to its original position every time one tries to make it fall.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} In 1908, then-governor of the city [[Arthur Havelock]] made an attempt to use seven elephants to move the boulder from its position due to safety concerns but with no success.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} On 12 October 2019, Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and Chinese President [[Xi Jinping]] took a photo in front of Krishna's Butterball holding hands during their second "informal summit".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/camaraderie-marks-start-of-modi-xi-informal-summit/article29660482.ece|title=Camaraderie marks start of Modi-Xi 'informal summit'|last=Ramakrishnan|first=T.|date=2019-10-11|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=2019-10-19|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==Details==
Krishna's Butterball is located in the tourist town [[Mahabalipuram]] in [[Chengalpattu district]] in the state of [[Tamil Nadu]] in south [[India]]. It is easily accessible via the [[East Coast Road]] (ECR) at a distance of {{cvt|55|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Chennai Central railway station]] and {{cvt|53|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Chennai International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chennai Central Railway Station - Mahabalipuram route |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=fossgis_osrm_car&route=13.0824%2C80.2756%3B12.6196%2C80.1936#map=10/12.8506/80.2345&layers=C |access-date=7 December 2022 |website=[[OpenStreetMap]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chennai International Airport - Mahabalipuram route |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=fossgis_osrm_car&route=12.9761%2C80.1486%3B12.6196%2C80.1936#map=11/12.7964/80.1741&layers=C |access-date=7 December 2022 |website=[[OpenStreetMap]]}}</ref> To the south, [[Pondicherry]] is {{cvt|95|km|mi|abbr=on}} distant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram route |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=fossgis_osrm_car&route=11.93%2C79.83%3B12.62%2C80.19#map=10/12.2779/80.0123&layers=C |access-date=7 December 2022 |website=[[OpenStreetMap]]}}</ref>

The boulder is approximately {{convert|6|m|ft|spell=in}} high and {{convert|5|m|ft|spell=in}} wide and weighs around {{convert|250|t|ton}}.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Samonway Duttagupta|title=7 of the most incredible natural wonders in India|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/7-of-the-most-incredible-natural-wonders-in-india-maharashtra-lonar-tamil-nadu-kerala-valley-of-flowers-karanataka-travel/1/635723.html|accessdate=21 May 2016|work=[[India Today]]|date=5 April 2016}}</ref> It seems to float and barely stand on a slope on top of {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on|order=flip|sp=us}} high plinth which is a naturally eroded hill. It is said to have been at the same place for 1,200 years.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=IndiaTimes>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/travel/this-is-krishna-s-mysterious-butter-ball-rock-and-it-has-never-rolled-downhill-250079.html |title=This Is Krishna's Mysterious 'Butter Ball' Rock And It Has Never Rolled Downhill |author=Neha Borkar |date=7 February 2016 |work=[[Times Internet|IndiaTimes]] |accessdate=29 September 2016}}</ref> A part of the boulder on top back has broken away, making it look like a half-spherical rock from the back, while it appears round shaped from the other three sides.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="120">
File:India - Temples & Towers - 018 - Mamallapuram - Krishna's Butterball.jpg|viewed from south
File:India - Temples & Towers - 019 - Mamallapuram - Krishna's Butterball.jpg|viewed from southwest
File:Krishna Butter Ball in Mahabalipuram.jpg|viewed from west
File:Krishna Butter ball.JPG|viewed from north
File:Krishna Butterballl.jpg|viewed from northeast
File:Krishna's Butter Ball, Mahabalipuram.JPG|viewed from east
File:Krishna's Butter Ball, Mamallapuram.JPG|viewed from southeast
[[File:Butter_well_at_Mahabalipuram.jpg|alt=|thumb|right|Butter well, {{convert|40|m|ft}} north of Krishna's Butterball]]
[[File:Tricky_rock.jpg|alt=|thumb|Krishna's Butterball, side profile viewed from west]]
</gallery>

==In media==
* Krishna's butter ball was shown in an episode of [[History TV18]]'s television infotainment show, [[OMG! Yeh Mera India]], hosted by [[Krushna Abhishek]].<ref>https://www.historyindia.com/</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of gravity hills#India|List of gravity hills in India]]

==References==
{{commons category}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Krishna]]
[[Category:Mahabalipuram]]
[[Category:Natural monoliths]]
[[Category:Rock formations of India]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu]]

Krishna's Butterball - Revision history

ImportMaster at 08:45, 12 December 2022