Mahabalipuram - the Journey Begins

In the days since my two friends arrived, they had been kept busy seeing some of Chennai’s religious and natural sites, dodging bicycle rickshaws and cows on colorful Mint Street, attending a Bharathanatyam classical dance performance, and of course – shopping. Early morning on Christmas Eve day, we began our journey of South India. The driver I had pre-arranged from Tamil Nadu Tourism had arrived relatively on time and with a larger car than I had anticipated. Great!

Mahabalipuram
Located about 58 km (36 mi) south of Chennai right off the ECR road was Mahabalipuram. I had already visited Mahabalipuram before, but still couldn’t help but be awed by the rock-cut temple architecture built by the Pallavas between the 5th and 9th centuries. What dedication it must have taken to carve such hard granite structures (and some without an apparent purpose), many of which were carved from single stones. The pleasant temperatures made it enjoyable walking along the paths and climbing up rocks to reach the structures. Chipmunks scurried about structures, climbing on top of their stone sculptures of gods. Newborn puppies whimpered quietly near a temple with a prominent Shiva linga in the shape of the male body part. Goats scampered down granite rocks and over to some plants. Under the massive boulder known as Krishna’s Butterball, goats lazed in the shade.

Even though I had taken quite a few photos of the relief carvings at Arjuna’s Penance as well as the Five Rathas, I felt compelled to take more. There were more visitors at the Five Rathas and at the Shore Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site), but overall it wasn’t nearly as crowded as last time. Children climbed up and slid down the huge stone Nandi bull sculpture. Photos of friends and family were taken next to the elephant and Nandi sculptures as well as between the pillars of Bhima’s Rath. Many school groups were here, with the children coming up to us to ask what our names were, where we were from, and if we would be willing to take their photo. At the Shore Temple (700-728 AD), I noticed for the first time that portions of this highly influential Dravidian style temple still was covered with a white limestone-like surface – and was quite detailed. Most other portions were very soft and worn by sea.

For lunch we ate at rooftop restaurant by sea, tasting some calamari prawns as we enjoyed the sea breeze. While in town we also spent a few minutes visiting the marble and granite carvers. Some used powered tools sounding like dental drill to quickly transform a large block into a Hindu god sculpture. For visitors unable to haul such heavy souvenirs, plenty of palm-sized pieces such as reclining Ganeshas with a computer or spherical tea light candleholders were just waiting to be purchased.

South of Mahabalipuram, the scene became more rural. Cement buildings were replaced by thatched huts. Men tended cows alongside road and in fields. Cows ambled across the road or lay in middle, seemingly aware of their elevated and protected status. Women were busy sweeping courtyard of their house. Many of the rice paddies were flooded, with a few workers in the fields.

See more photos of Mahabalipuram on my Flickr page

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