Fire Monkeys, Olbrich Gardens

One of the most popular artist installations within the GLEAM exhibition at the Olbrich Gardens, "The Fire Monkeys" is the creation by local artists Laurie Rossbach & Jennika Bastian. According to the Chinese (and Korean) zodiac, it is the year of the Monkey. 

The installation hearkened me back to the beautiful lanterns I saw while in Korea, in the Lotus Lantern Parade, at the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, and at Seoul's annual fall Lantern exhibit.  The Fire Monkeys were also created out of paper (in Korea it was called hanji paper), wire, and paint. 

While walking around the gardens at night, I heard the yelping monkey sounds well before I arrived at the willow tree. Each of the monkey sculptures glowed as if on fire, which is one of the four purified elements within Buddhism.

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Critters in the Reserve, and an Elephant Ride

The following morning after breakfast, we took a walk around the hotel within the reserve. Trees in the area were massive, towering high into the bright sky. Some trees seemed to flow like ribbons, their sculpted moss and lichen-dotted roots disappearing at the ground. Standing at the base within these bands made a person feel like an insignificant dwarf. Rhesus monkeys poked their heads from around the trunk, while a baby monkey clung to its mother. Seemingly unfazed by the presence of people, several wild hogs and a baby strolled past. Signs in multiple languages warned people not to feed the animals.

Just outside the reserve, we did a touristy thing and rode an elephant, which easily carried all four of us. The mahout led the elephant through the forest, past brilliant flowers, ferns, and jackfruit trees. Our petite mahout had the elephant pause occasionally so he could take photos with my mother’s camera, sometimes commanding the elephant to pose and curve its trunk.

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Sigiriya Nature, Drive to Colombo

Late that afternoon, I went for a walk on the dirt road outside the hotel. Monkeys sat on the branches of the large trees that looked like a tangle of vines and flowing roots. Others were busy trying to find mangoes that were at least somewhat fleshy. Although I didn’t know what lay at the end of the road, I hoped to see at least a clearing in between the trees; perhaps I’d see some elephants in the nearby fields. Alas, a local on a motorbike told me to turn around, because wild elephants had been spotted there yesterday at that time. Knowing that wild elephants can be unpredictable and dangerous, I conceded and walked back to the hotel.

The next morning, I woke up to pattering and thumps on the roof of my room. Looking out the window, I saw langur monkeys jumping between trees and onto the roof. Like the monkeys I saw yesterday, they were enjoying a morning snack of green mangoes. It was interesting to watch, but I don’t know how long that novelty would last, particularly early in the morning.

 

I left Colombo just before 8am, headed for Colombo, the final leg of my trip. The drive was through a large number of towns and villages, some still rather sleepy, and others already adjusting to morning activities. Once again, I saw mosques, churches, Buddhist temples, and perhaps a Hindu temple on the same street. Farmers were busy in the muddy paddy fields. Multiple workers were busy using a large hoe-like tool. A few used tiny garden-size tractors with hand controls and special metal wheels protruding from the rubber ones, designed to work in the paddy fields. Children in their crisp white uniforms were already at school, some gathered around the shady trees in the schoolyard.

The road was shared by lots of buses, pimped-up rickshaws, Massey-Ferguson tractors, pulling wagons of people, colorful trucks pulling loads of veggies, coconuts, and other produce. Spanning the width of the road and tied to the trees were large signs of politicians. Like in Tamil Nadu, these politicians must have loved to have seen pictures of themselves. Alongside the road, men were whacking grass with a tool the size of a golf club; a lawn mower would have been SO much faster. Signs announced the names of towns, along with its elevation, and not its population.

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Madumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

Wanting to have as much time as possible to also enjoy Mysore located 155 km away, we reluctantly headed onwards after buying some tea and scented sandalwood oil. We passed by tea fields appearing to flow down steep hills, some of which contained speckles of distant women picking. Suddenly the scene would change, varying between groves of bamboo plants, thin, tall trees, some banyan trees, and those of a more tropical type. A sign indicated that we were now in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest in Tamil Nadu and perhaps one of the most important in the southern region. This sanctuary borders the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and the Wynad Sanctuary in Kerala. Although we did not spot any tigers, sambar, antelope, leopards, or panthers present in the area, we did spot some elephants, wild boar, peacocks, common langur, and bonnet macaques. In addition to the variety of traffic with wheels, we now had to contend with the four-legged type – elephants on the road moving along large bundles of grassy branches. Along the way to Mysore we also passed by large strands of coconuts dangling from a tree with the seller sitting nearby ready with straws and a knife. Shepherds (men and women) carefully tended their sheep and goats, an umbrella in the left hand just in case the weather changed. Women carried large bundles of twigs, walking gracefully towards the village. So many wonderful photographic scenes passed us by.

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Drive to Ooty

For a departure from temple towns, flat land, and rice paddies, a trip to the Nilgiris is an excellent choice. Nicknamed the “Blue Mountains” (or nila giri), this junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats is named because of the Kurunji shrub that turns the hills blue with blossoms once every 12 years. Similar to the hill station in Munnar, this region contains high altitude grasslands, shoals (montane evergreen forests), and steep hills covered with freshly plucked short tea bushes. Although the drive up to the Nilgiris can be slow, one is rewarded with beautiful glimpses of lush green valleys, tea plantations, various types of trees, and some wildlife. Due to its high elevation, clean air, and cooler climate, Ooty and surrounding areas in the Nilgiris are popular tourist destinations, particularly by South Indian residents who come here to escape the scorching heat.

What started as an efficient drive from Srirangam abruptly changed shortly after passing the “Welcome to the Nilgiris” sign. Our car climbed up the steep road, passing through forests of tall sholas and tropical trees. Due to a road closure further up (the Nilgiris had problems this monsoon season with mudslides), we had to turn around and take the less efficient route to Ooty. Seeing that some people had pulled over and were now looking in the valley below, we also went to check things out. Several wild elephants were spotted, but unfortunately trees mostly obscured the view. The air was much cooler and cleaner up here – a refreshing change from the normally hot & humid Chennai. Our driver expertly maneuvered the car through the narrow winding roads without becoming impatient, stressed, or aggressive. A bit higher up, we began spotting more monkeys along the roads and in trees. Soon the light began to fade, enveloping the tea fields with a cool blue fog. Visibility was further reduced by rainfall. Further along, our pace slowed from a crawl to a halt, due to an accident. Needless to say, we arrived in Ooty much later than expected.

For more photos of Ooty, visit my Ooty Flickr page

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A Bit Tickly, Perhaps

Noticing that this young monkey was deftly picking up items and rapidly eating them, I leaned in closer to see what the tasty morsels were. Ants.

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The Monkey Temple

Our rickshaw driver then offered to drive us to a place he called “The Monkey Temple.” While he sat at a table below and drank chai with other drivers, we headed up the path towards the temple. Along the way were many monkeys. Mother monkeys picked out lice from their young; others took a nap before their evening meal came. A few cows and hairy pigs also shared the path. Goats butted heads. A snake charmer swayed his punji instrument in a slight circular path as the cobra’s hood emerged from the basket. Beyond him a poor woman rocked her baby in a makeshift cloth sack cradle. A hunched swamy inched his way up to a temple building. At the top of the rocky cliff was the Surya Mandir (Temple of the Sun God). Rising about 100 m (328 ft) above the city, we had a good panoramic view of Jaipur. Punctuating the hazy air were minarets, popping up throughout the cityscape. Large gates marked entrances to the old city. On the way back down, we saw some young men throwing pieces of sliced white bread to the monkeys. Curiously enough, the monkeys ate the middle and left the crust - just like kids. If they saw more bread being thrown, the greedy monkeys would sometimes drop theirs and go after that one as well. Then a vehicle drove up the narrow path, tossing out small bananas to the monkeys. This was the treat they were waiting for.

Back in the chaos of the city streets, we were back in the traffic. A bicyclist somehow pulled six fridges. A passenger on a motorcycle cradled a computer tower in his arm. Rickshaws fluidly swerved between lanes without signaling. Almost like Chennai...

See more photos of the monkeys and the Sun Temple on Flickr

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Wat Arun's Central Prang

Dominating the river view of Wat Arun is its central prang. Up close, the sight is equally impressive. Towering 81 meters (266 feet), this 19th century structure is decorated with colorful pieces of broken Chinese porcelain. The flower is a common motif, with petals emerging from the surface, formed from portions of shallow bowls. A creative form of recycling, the pieces were offloaded from Chinese trading ships where they were used as ballast. The central prang represents Mount Meru, the dwelling place of the gods in Hindu-Buddhist cosmology. On top of the prang is a thunderbolt, the weapon of the god Indra. Monkey-like figures with their arms bent upwards appeared to be supporting the portion above them. Some of the faces almost reminded me of gargoyles present on Gothic churches.

Symbolism
The central prang has three symbolic levels. The base represents Traiphum, all realms of existence in the Buddhist universe. The middle portion stands for the Tavatimsa, where all desires are gratified. The top section symbolizes Devaphum, six heavens within seven realms of happiness. Even the stairs themselves and journey up the stairs contains symbolic meaning. Narrow and rather high, the stairs represent the difficulties people face when trying to attain a higher level of existence. The stairs were of different heights, keeping me keenly aware of what I was doing. Once up on the narrow terrace I had a great view of the Old City and Chinatown. This contrasted with the view to the right, composed mostly of modern skyscrapers and concrete structures. On the river one could watch the ferries and colorful boats-for-hire zipping along.

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Gingee Fort - Krishna and Rangantha Temples

From the arched openings of Durbar Hall, I could see the spire of Rangantha Temple. The tiles on the roof had now faded, blending in with the surroundings. I liked how the angular flat roof with its series of squares framed the inner courtyard with its more organic temple spire. In the distance I could see one of the other fortress hills.

Krishna Temple
Nearby was the Krishna Temple with its pyramidal spire. Although some of the gods and other carved figures were in bad condition, I enjoyed looking at the profusion of details contained on this spire with its curved top. I could feel one of the carved dancers jutting her hips in a dance, the gold disc decorations pulsating with movement. Within the temple area were two small stone structures that looked like enclosed altars. Nearby were some large granaries, now very dark and empty.

Banyan Tree Monkeys

Back at the base of the hill, we waited for the rest of our school colleagues to & R. Monkeys played at the roots of the banyan tree while a few baby monkeys were perched in the tree’s crook. Some of us went up one of the other hills a short way, but had to return as it was time to go. In the middle of the lush fields and surrounded by trees, I could see what looked like a small mosque and a hall. Not having enough time to explore the expansive fort, I may have to come back again to see the famed Venkataramana Temple.

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