Mahabalipuram ---Tamil Nadu

Arjuna's Penance

         "I like sculpture . It is physical, created with the hands,                                          brains and heart, maybe."

I love visiting temples, cathedrals, gompas or monasteries, be it in Chartres (France), Meteora (Greece) Blue Mosque (Turkey) or Taktsang Monastery (Bhutan). I am not religious. There’s no spirituality or dharma involved in my visits. I love the  art and architecture that goes to add to the magnificence of the structure , to reflect on the circumstances and era that they were made and ponder over the vicissitudes of the artisans who put in so much effort to construct these edifices. This pursuit led us to hit the road and head for Mahaballipurm, Tamil Nadu (India) to see the “Shore Temple” and other UNESCO sites.

Shore Temple

Barely 54 kms from Chennai, we took the East Coast road with the Bay of Bengal splashing along the left, it is a small ancient town as old as Ptolemy, the Greek geographer. That it was an important trading base in days of yore is evident from the Roman and Greeks coins found in the area. Hueng Tsang, 7th Century Chinese traveler mentions Mahaballipurm in his writings.

It is believed the name Mahaballipurm comes from King Mahaballi who ruled over the area. Yet, there is another legend that the Pallava king, Narasimhavarman! Was renowned for his wrestling and hence Mamalla was given to honour him. Consequently, the town is known by two names Mahaballipurm and Mamallapuram. 

The sea at Mahaballipuram

There are many places to visit in the town and each visit may reveal something new.  The Rathas are rock- cut temples in the shape of five chariots, the Cave temples, Thirurukadalmalai Temple, Krishna’s butterball and  the Lighthouse. Each monument has a legend behind it .  The crocodile farms , if you don’t find them slimy , can be visited. The clean and relatively empty beach is comforting compared to other Indian beaches.  But my favorite was the Shore Temple, right on the sea, made of solid granite which has changed color because of the effect of the sea water. They look golden –red with beautiful carvings, much of it eroded and some of it having been restored. There were 7 temples of which only one remains. The others are believed to be under the sea. During the Tsunami of 2004, the sea withdrew 500 meters exposing remnants of the submerged six temples. The walk round the temple is beautiful. Don’t visit during a holiday when the rush of visitors takes away the joy of the visit. Another master-piece is the huge bas relief, supposedly the biggest in the world, called the Arjuna’s penance. The intricate details of natural phenomena, gods and mythological characters engraved on the rock front are astonishing.

Besides monument visiting, shopping can take some time. Handicrafts, jewelery, Brass, copper and stone figurines can be a collectors treasure –trove. Bargaining is a must in all the shops.  Sometimes you will be surprised at things that you bought for the price.          

Apart from the delicious cuisine of Dosa-idli-sambar, enjoy the sea-food. You’ll never have it so good. A good restaurant is Wok-to-Dhaba. Complete your day with the luscious, sweet water of a coconut.  There is so much to see that it would be wise to make a short-list of what would actually interest you and venture out accordingly. Don’t spoil your holiday rushing around leaving you tried at the end of the day.Take a guide to explain the minute details of what you see .He will advise you where and what to buy . Just chill and go slow especially on a hot day! Dark shades and a water bottle are a must.

Prawns

         "I go to the ocean to calm down, to re-connect with the                                                      creator,to just be happy."

Munnar--Kerela

                             "There comes........a longing never to travel again except on foot."

The drive from Coimbatore to Munnar is captivatingly beautiful. The scenic goodness is a photographer’s delight. After 110kms drive from Coimbatore we entered the Annamalai Tiger Forest Reserve.  As we were registering our names on the ledger at the check gate, we saw a few wild boars at a distance of 20 feet feeding on the berries and grass, undisturbed and content. The previous evening we were told that we may cross a tiger but were'nt lucky enough. The drive is beautiful and the roads are good. After approx 1 hour we entered Kerela ...The Chinnar wildlife Sanctuary and drove on for another 45mins before we entered the tea country of Munnar.

entering the state of Kerela

We  wove our way through the most beautiful tea area of South India. A blanket of greenery on undulating slopes edged with red poinsettias was a sight to behold. The curves on the roads were challenging and at times we had to be careful of the buses hurtling down the slopes along the two lane drive. We crossed 4 check gates, two in Tamil Nadu and two in Kerela, which was a little cumbersome and  felt they were unnecessary,

engaging staff who would have been better used for productive services elsewhere. On enquiry, we were told they were on the look-out for sandal smugglers!! Did we fit the bill??

Annamalai Tiger Reserve 

We rented a self-driven vehicle and were informed that an RTA(road transport authority) permit for Kerela would be issued at the border check-gate of the state .We spent 3 days without coming across any RTA security post only to be told while exiting the province that it should have been  taken at Pollachi or Adimaly. Therefore, remember to collect the necessary documents before entering any state in India.

Western Ghats

Munnar, an ecological hot-spot in the Western Ghats, is situated at 5200 feet above sea level. Established as the summer resort of the British elite, it is the home to tea-gardens, spice farms and a 

variety of birds. Waterfalls, gurgling streams and tribal folklore 

make the trip fascinating. The Kundala Dam Lake and Attukal 

waterfalls are worth visiting. The walking treks are amazing 

especially with a good guide who knows about the flora and fauna 

of the place. Breakfast and lunch is included. You have a choice of 

a half day or full day tour. The walk through a spice garden is also 

enlightening. As many as 12 different spices invaded our senses.  

Nutmegs

Your Munnar trip will be incomplete if you do not visit the Tata Tea 

Museum also known as the Kannan Devan Tea Museum. A 

documentary is shown followed by a talk and a demonstration of 

the tea-making process. Tea varities are sold at the factory out-let. 

The Munnar experience can be completed with a cultural trip to 

Punarjani Village where a traditional dance and martial arts 

performance is staged. We were lucky to see the Munnar flower 

show where an array of beautifully colored and scented


blossoms greeted us. It draws people from far and wide.

Small  waterfall during the dry season

Munnar town is like any other hill town of India. The town center has a number of shops which often get crowded. The bus terminus adds to the chaos at times. We therefore stayed at a B&B "The Shade” 35 kms away. Reasonably priced, you get true value for the money paid. The sunrise over the hills is a photographer’s delight. Santosh, the host, was friendly and helpful. The rooms are spot-less .Local cuisine is served which is delicious.They serve non-vegetarian food too.

 Breakfast with rice cakes at "The Shade"

Munnar, like most tourist destinations, is under threat of being over-run by hordes of visitors. Trees are being felled to give way to concrete resorts. Multi-storied hotels are dotting the hill-slopes, totally out-of-sync with the beautiful  landscape. Steps have to be taken to preserve and conserve the scenic stillness of the location. Limiting the footfalls of tourists would do a lot of good to the area.

            "If the bio-sphere is our host , why do we manipulate it for our benefit? "