Hot Hot India: Mamallapuram

After Puri, we took a bus (where I was puked on, a story for another time), then an overnight train and a third bus to find our way to Mamallapuram a small town in the province of Tamil Nadu.  Tamil Nadu is a very important (and proud) southern Indian province.  As many Indians will tell you, Tamils have a very unique culture (they have their own film industry named Kollywood), food and language.  Their language dating back over 2000 years, was one of the languages spoken by the Romans.  It hasn't changed much since.  A proud populace, they had once demanded their independence.  Anywho....

Mamallapuram really was a gem in central Backpackistan. In terms of tourism, Puri and Mamallapuram were polar opposites.  Here, there are mellow Jack Johnson tunes playing, Bob Marley flags hanging from balconies, menues full of overpriced (Indian standards) Western food (beef? It's almost insulting...) and clothes selling "indian clothes" that Indians would never wear. But nonetheless, the city is absolutely gorgeous and it's hard not to stay a while.  The place is situated amongst rock-carved temples and rock-carved art.  Sauntering through the town's carvings and temples at sunset while the modern carvers "tink-tink" with their chisels on the streets ignites imagination as to what this place used to be like thousands of years ago.

I think I'm going to like this place !

One thing that we noticed is that it is HOT here.  Unbearable to Canadians.  Our strategy for the heat is wake-up really early and do what we gotta do.  And then, at noon or so, take refuge.  If not in the ocean, in a restaurant or in your bed, taking a nap.  Then, at 4 or 5, wake up, finish the day and stay up late !  This is a strategy practiced by many, including the locals.  At midday, streets are empty. At night, things get cool, lively and exciting.

At night, things get moooovin' .....

We checked out the Five Rathas which are rock-cut architecture that have been made out of monoliths.  They date back to the 7th century and although some of it has eroded, the detail that has been put into these beautiful temples and art pieces is phenomenal.

 

The temples and sculptures at the five rathas site

 

Can you believe it?  Carved out of one stone!

 

This is high risk.  Chris is clumsy. 

Riding cowgirl !

This life-sized elephant is regarded as one of the most perfectly sculptured elephant in India. And then his husks fell.

 The shore temple is another temple we checked out. Overlooking the Bay of Bengal it's one of seven temples that were built during the 7th century.  But alas- the other 6 temples are all submerged under the ocean's waters.  If you take a boat out into the ocean you can see one's summit.  However, during the 2004 tsunami, the ocean's coast waters pulled back 500 meters and the other temples were visible.  Considering the trade-off, I'm content just believing it rather than seeing it....

 

 

The grounds of the shore temple.  This place got a little beat up from the 2004 tsunami. Mother Nature don't care 'bout history...

 

These would make nice base boards....

Shhhhh....the Gods are sleeeeeping !

This was a very popular spot for school field trips so we got to meet many a-kids and teachers as well.  Being that I am also a teacher, conversation was easy and we easily related to each other.  There was a mutual respect for we shared the same profession.  I couldn't help but surround myself with these intrigued and curious students.

Okay guys, we have 15 minutes to find out everything there is to know about each other.  Who wants to start?

 

 

 

 

 

You know what?  You're pretty cool too...

As much as I like ancient temples, the modern colorful ones are so nice to look at.  I could go back and look at the same one everyday and notice something new.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I saved a bunch of Indians...

Okay guys, hurry up, take your photos.  I can't hold this thing all day !

Just kidding...I tried to kill them !

But Chris saved the day with another one of his heroic acts...

Fine, fine. Truth is, the rock is perfectly balanced that way and so it looks unstable, but it isn't.  We found out what kept it from rolling down...

Phew !

On our last night we enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the top of Mamallapuram's lighthouse.  A curious thing was that we went for a good hour walk and we were followed by a fellow Indian the entire time.  And not in an inconspicuous way either.  We'd walk and sit on a certain boulder and he would come sit right next to us.  After 10 minutes or so we'd get up, keep walking (with him following right behind) and then sit on another certain rock. He would sit right next to us.  We smiled at him, he smiled back and shook his head (as Indians do).  Then, we kept walking and he followed suit.  He followed us for a 1 km or so.  I thought he would eventually ask us something or...well, I don't know what....I was expecting something.  Anything.  But no, eventually, he just got bored of us and went off on his way.  We stood there confused, without company, thinking "why?"  But that is a question that we ask regularly here and getting an answer, despite the fact that in India "everything is possible", is just not possible.