Krishna's Butterball

From the Arjuna's Penance bas relief, walk northwards for about 100 metres. Turn left where you see an entrance and a pathway leading up to a large rock on a slope - the Butterball. Play the next story there.

What you see in front of you is an ancient rock that refuses to roll! It’s been sitting there for over 1300 years at least, seemingly defying all laws of Physics. Measuring 6 metres tall, 5 metres wide and weighing over 250 tons, it stands on a small and slippery base and on an incline that should really push it over. Yet, that rock miraculously balances itself and stands proud. So what’s its story?

There are many wonders in India, but often, the stories behind the wonders are even more wonderful.

Locally, this rock is called the Vaanirai Kal in Tamil which literally translates to “Stone of the Sky Gods.” And, who were these sky gods? One fantastic story is that the sky gods were a bunch of aliens from a galaxy far, far away. They placed this rock here because …well, because they could! Who knows what they needed it for?

Others say that this rock is hardened butter. Yes, butter. You see, the Hindu God Krishna, as a child, loved to steal dollops of butter and eat it on the sly. Apparently one large handful of the stolen butter fell right here and hardened to become this very rock. And that’s why it is still called Krishna’s Butter Ball.

Geologists rubbish these as mere tales. They call it a ‘natural’ phenomenon. They say it is the friction between the rock and its 4 feet base that holds it together. It is also possible that sea and wind erosion could have created this effect. In other words, the rock just came to be.

The strange thing is that the Pallava sculptors who left their mark on almost every rock around here, left this huge boulder untouched. Surely, they couldn’t have missed spotting this rock? Was it left untouched because the rock was dramatic enough just the way it was? Or did they believe in the sky gods too?

Or perhaps, it settled here after they left? We don’t know.

Later in 1908, a British Governor tried moving this rock using elephant power. He thought it was too dangerous to leave it as it was. He too failed. And a century later, the butter ball still stands in the exact same position, maintaining a fine balance and making for a great photo opportunity.