Yelgiri - Enchanting Tamil Nadu

(Please note: Was unable to click any pics' for this one as this trip was totally unexpected and I didn't have my trusted camera with me. The pics' used in this particular report are thanks to Google Images)


Distance from Chennai: Approximately 250kms.

Route: Chennai → Kathipara → Poonamallee → Sriperumbadur → Walajapet → Katpadi → Vellore → Ambur → Vaniyambadi → Ponneri → Yelgiri.

Driving to Yelgiri

We started at 6.45am on a lovely Friday morning. The route to Yelgiri goes through many places, but although you can’t pronounce any of the names, don’t worry. It’s an absolutely straight road with no diversions right up to Vaniyambadi. There is usually a little traffic along the way, but after Sriperumbadur it’s wide, empty roads for you to cruise along.

RAJIV GANDHI MEMORIAL

Somewhere between Kathipada and Poonamallee you will get a good glimpse of the War Memorial to your right. At Sriperumbadur, cast a glance to your left and you will see a monument built at the site where Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.

If you’re hungry and want to grab a bite, stopping ant Hotel Grand Krishna (Vellore) is the perfect thing to do. The ambience is extremely pleasant, service is good and the rest rooms are clean.

That done get back on the road and follow your nose right up to Vaniyambadi. It’s a pleasant drive as the roads are lined with green trees on either side and the countryside is dotted with a colorful sprinkling of houses, temples and hills.

Just after Vaniyambadi take a left turn and ride further for about 12kms till you see an HP fuel station on the right. This is the last point for filling up. A little further down the road you will reach a small junction. Take a left turn here and you’ll see the Yelgiri hills towering up in front of you.

HAIRPIN TURNS

The ride uphill is excellent with a breath-taking view of the villages below. It’s now a 14km ride with 14 hairpin turns each named after famous Tamil poets such as Thiruvalavur, Elango, Kambar, Kapilar, Ainavattar, Paari, Kaari, Ori, Aai, Adhyaman and Pegan.

If you’re not in too much of a hurry it’s worth stopping at one of these bends to click photographs, but don’t leave anything like cameras, mobiles or snacks unattended because there is an army of thieving monkeys all the way up the hill.

Yelgiri is a hill station small enough to fit in the palm of your hand but it attracts crowds from Bangalore and Chennai so it’s better if you call and book in advance. We had made our reservations at Le Auroville, a comfortable and homely resort nestled in the midst of a lovely eucalyptus forest. The rooms here are simple and cost anything between Rs.1000-2000 (not inclusive of meals).

You can enjoy a bonfire at night an also go for an early morning/late night trek in the forest. If you’re lucky you may be joined by an elephant or two.

The guide, a local villager, leads you on a Forest Trek through a narrow path that winds through the dense eucalyptus forest. The entire route is bramble infested so it’s wise to wear something long sleeved in order to avoid scratches. Once you’re well into the forest there’s no escaping the heady fragrance of eucalyptus. The faint smattering of sunlight and the dense maze of pale-barked tall trees gives one the feeling of being surrounded by great ribbons of cold mist rising up to the skies. This coupled with the silence can create quite an eerie feeling.

The path gradually leads to a little frog-filled pond where you can stop to catch your breath. From here you can either trek further into the unexplored depths of the forest or head back to the hotel. We did the latter.

BOATING AT THE LAKE 

Another activity to indulge in is Boating. For the cost of Rs.25 per head, you can choose between paddle-boating or a good old fashioned row boat. The lake is approx’ 5 minutes away from Le Auroville  (by car). Those with children can keep them entertained in the well equipped park that leads to the jetty.

The lake itself has a depth of 25feet and a circumference of approx’ 3kms. As you sit back and sail along, you can enjoy the sight of beautiful green hills on every side.

Back at the resort there’s always scope for a good game of badminton, cricket or football. For those who wish to stay holed-up in the rooms, the rooms provide large beds, comforters and cable Tv.

Yelgiri Village is just as silent and welcoming as the hills that surround it. As you explore its narrow streets you will find well-built houses and also low-walled dwellings of mud and thickly thatched roofs. There’s nothing new or extra-ordinary about the goods available here and although the locals do sell ‘pure’ honey at every corner, the purity and quality is doubtful. There are also no ATMs in the village so come well equipped with cash as credit cards are as useful here as they are on the moon.

On your way down the hill, drop in at Telescope House. There is a small staff here that manage a telescope and, for just Rs.5, will show you places like the Jain Women’s College, Jolarpettai Railway Station and the Vaniyambadi Highway. This is by far the best place for photography of the valley below.

Ride all he way downhill and go further up to Tirupattur. Take the road opposite Sacred Heart College. From there, it’s about 10kms of narrow country road that leads to the Jalaagampari Falls, a total of appprox’ 40kms from Yelgiri. This is an avoidable place unless it’s the monsoon season when the falls are full.

Although you are welcome to stay at Yelgiri for as long as you wish, when you do decide to go back to Chennai, avoid leaving late. Once you get within city limits, navigating through the traffic is quite tedious and time-consuming.

Trek to Mahuli

Off to Mahuli:

Four trekkers, Mamma, Akshay, Viren and I, boarded the early morning local from Dadar station to Asangaon (  The rickshaw charges around 60-80 rupees and it’s wise to ask for the number of the driver and ask him to pick you up on your way back to the station. En route to the base village of Mahuli you’ll pass a marvelous Jain temple, popularly known as Shri Bhuvan Bhanu Jain Manas Mandir Tirtha. An awesome panchaloha (5 metals) idol of Aadeshwar Bhagwan adorns the garbha griha (sanctum) of the temple.

Like all sensible trekkers we had travelled light, carrying just sufficient water and sandwiches. We began by feasting on some hot poha and chai from a little shanty at the base village and then started our trek to Mahuli-gad.

A little about Mahuli:

Mahuli Fort is a beautiful hill fort situated on the outskirts of Maharashtra that has witnessed many a war from the days of yore. The fort is situated in the village of Mahuli, at the confluence of the Krishna and Yenna rivers. Also known as Sangam Mahuli, the place is known for its magnificent temples and forts.

MAHULI AWAITS

Standing proud and tall at a height of 762 meters, the fort registers the highest point in the locality and is distinguished from the surrounding mountain ranges by virtue of its prominent pinnacle. Nestled among the Sahyadri ranges, Mahuli offers breathtaking views of the hills and the valleys below, along with a bird’s eye-view of the Tansa Lake in the distance.

(Ref: wikipedia) The creator of this fort is unknown. In 1485 this place came under rule Nijamshahi dynasty. When Shahaji Raje became the secretary of Nijamshahi, Mughals of Delhi tried to end Nijamshahi. In 1635-36, Shahaji Raje transferred himself with Jijabai and Shivaji to Mahuli. When Khan Jaman attacked the fort, Shahaji asked Portuguese for help, who refused and Shahaji surrendered.

Shivaji took this fort from Mughals on 8 Jan 1658. In 1661 it was given back and was won again by Shivaji. In treaty of Purandar, in 1665, Marathas lost these forts again. In Feb 1670, Shivaji Maharaj tried to conquer Mahuli, but failed, Manohardas Gaud, was the in charge of the fort. A thousand Marathas were killed. Most of them were from nearby villages. Manohardas Gaud, soon gave up his position and Alveerdi Beg took over. On 16 June 1670, after two months, Moropant Pingle conquered the forts and Mahuli, Bhandargad and Palasgad became part of Swarajya. Till 1817, Shivaji's dynasty owned the fort but later on it was controlled by the British Raj.

Starting the Trek:

STARTING OFF

A guide wasn’t needed as white arrows painted on the rocks clearly mark the route at regular intervals. The trek itself involved three hours of making our way across a river, through dense forests and clambering over rocks. It’s quite a steep and tedious trek to the summit, but it’s really worth every minute of it. There’s quite a lot of climbing over boulders to be done so ensure you wear sturdy trekking shoes especially during the monsoons. At many places the path is quite narrow and the soil is loose so watch your step. Also, do wear long pants and arm yourselves with lots of mosquito repellant as there a many of those little pests flying around the place.

AT THE SUMMIT

There are many places and corners where you can pause for a breath and take in the view of the valley far below. Hope you like the color green, as there’s just green, green and more green as far as the eye can see.

ANCIENT CISTERN

As you near the summit, the old fort walls are clearly visible and we had to climb a little metal ladder to get to the almost-last part of the trek. Once the ladder was climbed we found some ancient cisterns…still brimming with water and lots of happy looking guppies. Now, just because the fish look happy with the water in the cistern doesn’t mean you can quench your thirst here. If you do want to wash your face or hands, there’s a little stream of cool, clean, sparkling water just a few feet away from the cistern.

FORT CAVES

We also found some more arrows drawn on some rocks near the cistern and followed them to what remains of Mahuli fort-its sturdy walls, a broken doorway, a few caves cut into the mountain wall and an old shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Many trekkers spend the night in these rock-cut caves and, unfortunately, leave the place quite dirty.

LUNCH TIME

Having your lunch atop the peak is on of the best experiences you can ever have. The view is spectacular….lush greenery, the sudden showers of sharp, icy-cold rain drops and the valley far below with the mighty Sahyadris looming on either side. For us, the magic of Mahuli was heightened by the cool, gusty wind and the awesome cloud cover that swirled over and around us. I suppose, it was one of the most enjoyable lunches I've ever had even though it was just sandwiches and aloo bhujiya. 

AT THE BASE

Post lunch, we retraced our steps and headed back to the base. Although getting down takes a little less time than climbing up, it’s wasn’t very easy as the path was narrow & slippery and the visibility was sometimes poor, thanks to the clouds…but we’re not complaining.

We called for the rickshaw to drop us to Asangaon station and as we waited for it to arrive we sat and rested our tired feet. There is a little cluster of small shrines here. You can visit these and sit on the steps taking in the sight of farmers ploughing their fields nearby.

This has been one of our best trekking experiences….Mahuli rocks!


P.S: Pics' by Akshay & Misha 

Hong Kong

Distance from Mumbai: 2,679 miles/4,312 kms.

Around midnight, the brand new Mr & Mrs Akshay Kamath left home for the international airport to board a flight to Hong Kong. Reaching HK took hours during which we dined, watched some movies and kept peeking out of the flight window to see if the view had changed from clouds to anything better.

After a long, long time the clouds gave way to a lovely green ocean far below us. As we got closer I could also see some ships a-sailing and, in the distance, HK airport.

VIEW FROM PEAK TOWER

When compared to Mumbai Airport, HK airport seemed quite boring. But that’s probably because we were very tired and very, very irritated with the authorities at the chinese airport. They were cold, rude and do nothing to put people at ease. We were detained for some ‘routine checking’, they said, but gave no explanation whatsoever about anything nor did they answer any of our queries.

After they were done with us, we found our way to the exit. Having no loose change for the ticket vending machine, we stepped out of the airport and decided to hail a cab. What hit us first was the icy, cold breeze. Apparently, it was mid-winter in HK and we were totally un-prepared for it. Sat huddled together in the cab and stared out at the buildings passing by. Considering that this was my first trip abroad, these were the tallest buildings I’d ever seen. Also the prettiest. HK is really ‘wow’!

Soon, we were in Wan Chai, where we had booked ourselves into the Wharney Guang Dong Hotel. The hotel is quite impressive with a pretty lobby, polite staff and pleasant rooms. Our room was on the 10^th floor and it had a huge window overlooking the main street far below.

NIGHT LIGHTS

Wan Chai is said to be the red light district of HK, but it’s nothing like the red light areas of Mumbai. There are no dingy, crowded quarters with half-clad women standing at the doors awaiting clients. The streets in Wan Chai, like everywhere else in HK, were clean and lined with numerous eating houses and pubs. During the day it’s rather quiet and we could see many stylishly-clad people walking about on their way to work or shopping maybe. All pubs come alive at night. Not only the pubs, the entire city dazzles with innumerable lights. HK at night is a totally different world. It’s like stepping out into fairyland. Everywhere we looked there were brightly lit buildings, stores packed with all sorts of interesting goodies, pubs filled with the sounds of glasses clinking and people chatting and laughing gaily. There are skimpily-clad, yet very pretty women standing at the entrances to many pubs/bars/dance houses offering all kinds of services to anyone interested.

FAST FOOD

But it wasn’t any of these that held our attention. We were drawn by the delicious sight of meats displayed at most of the eating-houses. HK is a non-vegetarian’s paradise that offers the most burp-a-licious food. There’s much to choose from – pork, beef, duck, goose, chicken, squid  but thankfully, no snake. And the portions they serve are huge, much to my delight. There are many options for those who want to dine on genuine chinese cuisine, but for those who pine for something more familiar, there’s always a Subway or an McDonald’s to serve their needs.

During our stay, we frequented a wonderful,little place right across the street from our hotel. It’s called Hay Hay’s Kitchen. The food there is absolutely yummy. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Then we also enjoyed many a ‘beef meatball marinara’ at Subway and, more often than not, after dinner, we ended our days with some heavenly strawberry milkshake form McDonalds.

OUR FIRST CHINESE DINNER

Travelling around in HK isn’t a problem. There are indicators and direction markers at every street corner. Traffic is fairly heavy, but people here follow all traffic rules. There’s no honking, no garbage strewn around, no beggars and almost everybody follows the traffic signals. There are buses, but according to us, the best mode of transport is the MTR. This is an experience in itself. It’s an absolute pleasure!

TEMPLE STREET

Apart from rambling through the streets and eating, we did do a spot of sight-seeing. One evening, we took the MTR to Yau Ma Tei and then, after feasting on the yummiest ‘beef rice’ we had ever eaten, we walked on to Temple Street Market. This is like HK’s version of our Crawford Market, I thought. The stalls start up late int eh evening and go on until way after mid-night. Apart from the usual shoes, clothes, trinkets, and food, this palce is famous for sale of ‘sex toys’. We walked by plenty of street stalls openly advertising and selling a wide variety of those unmentionables. We kept walking until we reached Jordan where Akshay went in for a not-so-enjoyable foot massage before taking the MTR back to Wan Chai.

FROM THE CABLE CAR

What we did like was our visit to The Giant Buddha. To get there we had to take the MTR to Tung Yung station. Next, we had a very long and enjoyable in the ‘crystal cabin’ of a cable car from Tung Yung to Ngong-Ping Village. The village has pretty paved streets lined with many restaurants, souvenir shops and also a Bodhi Tree. There’s also a little theatre that prforms stories from the Jataka Tales.

BUDDHA

 Standing at the feet of the Buddha was a nice experience and I wanted to just sit there for a long time. Not because any religious sentiments, but more because I was very tired climbing the many stairs to get to the giant Buddha. Moreover, the clouds actually floated around us as we stood taking in the beautiful view from up there.

Back at Tung Yung station we decided to try the famous Haagen Dazs ice-cream. Good, but not the best.

ROLLER COASTER, OCEAN PARK

However, the ‘snow cones’ at Ocean Park were worth every icy bite. Also the grilled squid looked delicious, but I tried the fish balls in curry. Tasty, but I was just hoping that they weren’t really what the title said they were. Was a little reluctant to eat them until Akshay convinced me that fish did not have…er..balls. We then enjoyed a few rides and watched a nice dolphin and sea lion show at this amusement park. All-in-all, we thought that Essel World offers much more by way of fun rides and activities. Anyway, purchased some crocodile caps for the kids back home and took a bus to Admiralty and from there, the MTR to Wan Chai.

HK BOTANICAL GARDENS

            We also walked to the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Garden and, after roaming in these well manicured gardens, we took the Peak Tram to Mme Tussauds- the wax museum that houses life like statues of famous personalities, both national and international.

            Then, at the end of our stay in HK, we took the Airport Express that takes you straight into the airport, and awaited our flight back to good ol’ Mumbai.
          
                   
                  
            
             P.S: Pics' by Akshay & Misha 






                              

Chennai Holiday

This November, I visited the beautiful, but terribly hot city of Chennai to join in the 4^th birthday celebrations of my little niece, Isha.

First Impressions

Although I have visited this city before, it was only during this trip that I really observed a lot. For starters, Chennai has very clean streets, their cops & traffic cops are extremely vigilant and active, they promote a lot of parks and greenery and, last but not the least, there are no ugly sky-walks and, what’s best is that the government has banned hoardings of any kind as a result of which the city is absolutely de-cluttered, unlike Mumbai.

     Another thing to be noted is that there is much to do in Chennai by way of tourist activity. There are huge, beautiful shopping malls, countless options for eating out and many tourist spots to visit. There’s no Amul, but the Aavin and Arun products are positively yummy. Also, the Sarvana chain of restaurants is quite popular among Chennai-ites while those with a sweet tooth can indulge themselves at any of the popular Sri Krishna Sweet stores.

    The only difficulty here is traveling by public transport. Buses are not a good choice as they are forever crowded. There are only a few private cabs but rickshaws abound in plenty. But a word of caution, the rickshaw drivers speak either Tamil or English and do not, as a rule, charge by the meter. They’ll quote the skies so be prepared to haggle and get the price to as low as you can before entering one of these little bumblebees.

    The TTDC here is extremely well organized and offers a variety of tour options to choose from. I opted for two that most suited my schedule.

Hop on, Hop off Tour:

TTDC's 'HOP-ON, HOP-OFF' TOUR BUS

This is an excellent option for anyone who wants to spend a day visiting the maximum number of tourist spots along the East Coast Rd in Chennai. The tour begins at the TTDC office at Vallaja Rd and takes you right up to Mahabalipuram and back. En route it makes a stop at places like Marundeeswar Temple, VGP, Mayajaal, MGM, Dakshinchitra, Muttukudu Boathouse, Thiruvidanthai Temple, Crocodile Bank, Sea Lion Show, Tiger cave, Mahabalipuram & Pancha Rathas. The wonderful thing about these buses is that you can get off at any or all of the above places and spend as much time as you like there. The bus drops you off and moves on. But there’s no need to fret. A hop on Hop off bus stops every hour so you can board and alight as and when you choose.

MARUNDEESWARAR TEMPLE

    My first stop was the Marundeeswarar Temple, said to be the oldest temple in the city, dating back to the Pallava period of history. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva as Marunteeswarar (the Lord of Medicine), is enshrined in the main section.  There is a separate shrine for the Lord’s consort, Goddess Thirupurasundari. It is believed that Sage Valmiki has visited this temple. This temple has exquisitely carved sculptures especially on the stone pillars around the shrine of the Goddess and the mandapam, which belongs to the Vijaynagara age.

Photography inside the main mandapam is prohibited although one is permitted to click away in the courtyard for a fee of Rs.50/-. Like everywhere else in Chennai, the place is very clean and tidy.

    I got off next at the Crocodile Bank which is spread over 3.2 hectares of     vegetation and simply crawls with reptiles. It is the largest crocodile breeding site in India, with several species of African and Indian crocodiles and alligators. The park also maintains several endangered species of turtles, lizards and snakes. Photography is permitted against a fee of Rs.10/-

CROC' SMILES FOR THE CAMERA

 Skipping the Sea Lion show, I headed next to the Pancha Rathas. These shrines were carved during the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Each temple is a monolith, carved whole from a rock outcropping of pink granite. The five monolithic pyramidal structured shrines are named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. As noted, each shrine is not assembled from cut rock but carved from one single large piece of stone. The Rathas have an association to the great epic Mahabharata which describes the heroes of Mahabharata with their wife Draupadi which is termed as pancha pandava rathas. The five rathas are:

PANCH RATHAS

 Draupadi’s Ratha This is located at the entrance gate, which is spectacular and simple, shaped like a hut and is dedicated to goddess Durga. Female door – keepers stand on the either ride of the Rath, one holding a bow and another, a sword. At the eastern wall a bas-relief stands portraying Goddess Durga standing on lotus and two worshippers at here feet offering flowers and one of the person’s head respectively. Every other wall has a figure of the great goddess, and at the front of the temple is a Lion’s figure, which is the celestial vehicle of the Goddess.

 Arjuna’s Ratha The next Rath is the Arjuna’s Rath. This one is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This has a small portico and carved pillar stones. Inside the shrine there are no inscriptions or figures whereas on the outer walls. There are carvings of gods and humans. A panel on the northern wall is carved with two door-keepers. Beautiful carvings of Lord Vishnu and a Garuda are on one panel and the other panel has a couple. The eastern wall is carved with a double Dwarka-Palaks, in the middle wall the portrait of Lord Indra riding an elephant, a log standing of the left with has disciples and two beautiful women are perfectly chiseled out. These beautiful carvings hare been praised by many poets. There is also a figure of Nandi bull – which is still left unfinished.

 Nakul & Sahdev’s Ratha In front of Arjuna’s Rath is the Nakula – Sahadev Rath. This is a double decored building, dedicated to Lord Indra – the God of Rain. As in Greek and Roman mythologies, where there are different gods for various aspects and qualified, the Indian mythologies too lane assigned specific gods for different aspects. There is some proof depicting this Ratha to which might have been dedicated to Subramanya associated with elephants. The elephants shaped sculptures face towards the sea. One who enters the Panch Rathas, can visualize the back portion of the elephants and it named as Gajaprishthakara which means elephant’s back side. The elephant sculptures are huge and are highlights of the Panch Raths.

 Bhima’s Ratha This Ratha is faced towards the west and this is the third of the Rathas. The shrine is gorgeous as it measures 42 ft in length, 24ft in width and 25ft in height. The pillars are lion carved whereas the other parts are plain. This Ratha too is an incomplete one.

 Dharmaraj Yudhishtar’s Ratha Of all the five Rathas, this last one stands huge. It is named after the eldest of the pandavas. Innovative and well carved designs can be seen in this Rath. This resembles the Arjuna’s Rath and it is a perfect example to the later built South Indian Temples. This Rath is also dedicated to Lord Shiva like that of Arjuna’s Rath. The ground floor is in complete. Above the ground floor stands the minutely designed second floor. The peculiarity in this monumental construction is that there is no stair route from the ground floor to the first floor, but, there are stairs from the first floor to the second floor. There are eight panels in the ground floor. One panel is carved with the portrait of the king and the rest with gods and goddesses. On one particular wall the figure of Shiva is named ‘Ardhanariswarar’ which is the mixture of Shiva and Shakti. This is very attractive as it depicts the manly structure and the luring female charm. Other portrayals show Lord Shiva as ‘Bhikshatana’ – meaning cosmic designer and the god of death. Twenty two carves are found on the first floor. There is no central pasteurization in the first floor. The portrait of lord Krishna dancing on top of the fierce Kaliya snake is depicted on the southern wall. Lord Vishnu’s portrayal is found on the Northern wall. Carving of a bearded ascetic holding a bell in his hands, a devotee with a tuft, holding a flower basket, a temple attendant with bunch of keys and carrying offering to god are marvelously inscribed. The second floor is well carved. Figures of Dakshinamurthy, somaskanda, the sun the moon and other worshippers all found in this floor.

ARJUNA'S PENANCE

    Once I had viewed these Rathas to my heart’s content, I walked a short distance towards what is known as the Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance. Measuring 96 feet (29 m) long by 43 feet (13 m) high, it is a giant open-air relief carved of the a monolithic rock. The monuments and sanctuaries were built by the Pallava kings in the 7th and 8th centuries. The legend depicted in the relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha. The bas relief is situated on a rock with a cleft. Above the cleft was a collecting pool, and at one time, water may have flowed along the cleft. Figures within the cleft are said to represent Ganga or the River Ganges and Shiva. This provides the basis for an alternative interpretation of the mural. Rather than Arjuna, the figure performing austerities is said to be Bhagiratha. He is said to have performed austerities so that Ganga might descend to earth and wash over the ashes of his relatives, releasing them from their sins. To break Ganga's fall from heaven to earth, she falls onto Shiva's hair, and is divided into many streams by his tresses.

In one interpretation, a figure in the bas-relief who is standing on one leg is said to be Arjuna performing Tapas to receive a boon from Shiva as an aid in fighting the Mahabharata war. (The boon which Arjuna is said to have received was called Pasupata, Shiva's most powerful weapon).

One of the notable and perhaps ironic figures in the bas-relief is the figure of a cat standing on one leg (apparently as an austerity). This may be related to the Panchatantra.

    Just a short distance away is the Ganesh Ratha which is the only completed sculpture of the five Rathas. It was earlier dedicated to lord shiva and now it is a shrine of Ganesha. There was a lingam structure earlier and now an idol of lord Ganesha has replaced it. From here one also gets a good view of Krishna’s Butterball, a huge, round boulder that’s balanced on a slope.

KRISHNA's BUTTERBALL

    A few steps ahead of the Ganesh Ratha, you come to the Varaha Gudi. This is a fine completed architecture which lies besides the Arjuna Penance. The entrance has two pillars engraved with two horned lion – bases, and a cell protected by two gate keepers. There are four striking bas-reliefs, the northern one with Lord Vishnu (Varaha-the mighty boar) standing at one feet on top of Naga, the snake king. He is rescuing Prithvi, the goddess earth from the primordial ocean. Varaha triumphed in his attempt and he holds the disc with his upper hands while his lower hands hold Prithvi who is seated on his knees.

The southern wall portrays Lord Vishnu as Vamana (a dwarf sixed Brahmin). He approaches Emperor Bali requesting him to grant him some land to the extent of the expanse of three steps. On Emperor Bali agreeing to his request, Vamana covers all of the earth with one step, the Heavens with the second and then asks Bali for space for the third. Bali, symbolizing the epitome of dharma offers his head for the third step of the reincarnated Vishnu. With Bali’s permission, Vamana steps on Bali pushing him to the netherworld.

Lord Vishnu is portrayed in his cosmic form with eight hands. Along with Vishnu, stand Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, the sun and the moon. The eastern wall portrays Goddess Lakshmi with two maidens and two elephants pouring water.

The next side has the carving of Goddess Durga standing on a lotus. She is standing under the shade of a royal umbrella.

From this spot, you can also walk to the lighthouse, or do what I did, and stay atop the Varah Gudi and enjoy the view.

    This done, I stopped for some lunch in one of the local restaurants before moving on to the Shore Temple. It is so named because it over looks the Bay of Bengal, which is a beautiful blue-green. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD.

It is a five-storied structural Hindu temple rather than rock-cut as are the other monuments at the site. It is the earliest important structural temple in Southern India. Its pyramidal structure is 60 ft high and sits on a 50 ft square platform. There is a small temple in front which was the original porch. It is made out of finely cut local

THE SHORE TEMPLE

The temple is a combination of three shrines. The main shrine is dedicated to Shiva as is the smaller second shrine. A small third shrine, between the two, is dedicated to a reclining Vishnu and may have had water channeled into the temple, entering the Vishnu shrine. The two Shiva shrines are octagonal in configuration. The entrance is through a transverse barrel vault gopuram. The two shikharas have a pyramidal outline; each individual tier is distinct with overhanging eaves that cast dark shadows.^[1] The outer wall of the shrine to Vishnu and the inner side of the boundary wall are extensively sculptured and topped by large sculptures of Nandi. The temple's outer walls are divided into bays, the lower part being carved into a series of rearing lions.

The temple has a garbhagriha in which the Sivalinga, is enshrined, and a small mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circumambulation. At the rear are two shrines facing opposite directions. The inner shrine dedicated to Ksatriyasimnesvara is reached through a passage while the other, dedicated to Vishnu, faces the outside. The Goddess Durga is seated on her lion vahana. A small shrine may have been in the cavity in the lion's chest.

TIGER CAVE

     Next, I hopped off for a short while to view the Tiger Cave. This is near the coastal village of Salurankuppam, only 5 kilometers to the north of Mahabalipuram. This amazing mandapa contains no tigers lurking in the dark. It actually houses a shrine that is dedicated to the goddess Durga. There are large and impressive figures located in front of the caves. As with most carvings in India, the carvings and figures tell a story that has to do with an event that happened to the presiding God or Goddess, in this case, Goddess Durga.

BRAHMIN HOUSE

     My next stop was the open air museum of Dakshinchitra, literally meaning ‘Picture of the South’. It is also a well known cultural centre for the living traditions of performing arts, crafts and architecture of India, with an emphasis on South India. One can explore seventeen heritage houses, walk along recreated streetscapes, explore contextual exhibitions, interact with typical village artisans and witness folk performances set in an authentic ambience. Be sure to ask for a map of the place at the ticket counter. It’s really handy for finding your way around. I was unfortunate enough to have missed seeing the glass blower in action, but I did purchase a few earthen pots from an old potter and got my fortune told by the Killi Josyalam, a fortune teller with a very cute parrot. The place wasn’t very crowded when I got there and chicken that I am, I was quite frightened to enter most of the houses alone. It was sort of spooky there with the silence and the vast empty rooms. This was more so in one of the Brahmin houses, where there are human-like exhibits of people performing their chores. They look so real that I was almost expecting them to move and speak to me. Brrrrr!

I wandered around clicking snaps of some of the houses and browsing through the artisan’s bazaar where people can purchase many traditional items like bangles, mats, bags and other trinkets. Personally, I think that the items are highly overpriced so didn’t pick up anything from here. Similar items are much cheaper on the streets of Mumbai.

VGP GOLDEN BEACH RESORT

  The last stop on my itinerary was VGP Golden Beach Resort which I didn’t quite fancy much, except for a thing or two. It houses the VGP Universal Kingdom Amusement Park. There is also an aquarium, a replica of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, which I did not find as it was already quite dark and deserted by the time we got to VGP. Since I was running out of time and money, I only sat on a few rides that were labeled ‘free ride’. In any case, there’s no point in sitting on the rides alone. Apparently, folk dances and musical performances are also held here. What I did really like was the Statue Man. A chap in traditional attire, who stands statue-like on a pedestal. Every once in a while he moves rapidly, frightening the unsuspecting tourist who is standing gazing at him. Someone told me that there’s a reward of Rs.500 for anyone who succeeds in making him smile. I made a pathetic effort, but ran away when he suddenly moved and brandished his sword at us.

    From here it was a long and slow ride back towards the TTDC office. I, however, got off at Marina Beach and walked until I reached Chennai Central, a great big mall where I met my folks for dinner.

Half-day Chennai City Tour:  

This I enjoyed along with my sister and my niece. It’s a fairly nice trip (if you ignore the kosus flying about in the bus) and it took us first to Valluvarkottam which is, I think, a memorial to a great Tamil poet. It’s a garden with an exhibition hall on the ground floor while the first storey leads to a great, big chariot atop which is the shrine to Valluvarkottayam.

    Next we visited the Guindy Snake Park which is a small section of a large forest reserve. Here there are many snakes to look at as well as an education center where one can touch, see and learn more about those legless reptiles. You might even catch sight of a deer or two.

    The Birla Science Centre, our next stop, isn’t as large or fancy as it’s cousin in Mumbai, but the show was interesting.

We then spent some time worshipping at the Kapaleeswarar Temple which is home to Padmanabhaswamy or Lord Vishnu. Photography is not permitted here.

VIVEKANANDAR ILLAYA

    Our last stop was the Marina Beach, which is the longest beach in Asia, I think. I’d say it’s also the cleanest that I have seen, with a lovely promenade and play area. We visited the Vivekanandar Illaya across the street. It used to be an old Ice House, but is now a centre for meditation and a museum/study center for all things about Swami Vivekananda. It’s quite interesting, and very cheap- only Rs.2 for entry.

Ended the day with dinner at a lovely place that serves Andhra cuisine…yum yum!

Church Park. This beautiful place is a large school complex run by the Presentation Sisters. Apart from huge play areas, many trees and ample parking space, this complex houses the Presentation Convent, a chapel, a Tamil medium school, an Anglo-board school, a teacher’s training college, a Social Service Centre and the Sacred Heart English Medium School and Junior College. The latter is a lovely, huge yellow building with dark green doors and windows and has a well stocked canteen for the students. Even the uniforms are quite smart with dark green pinafores and white shirts.

THOUSAND LIGHTS MOSQUE

On traveling through the city you’ll realize that the place abounds in temples with brightly colored doorways and gopurams. Almost every third building you pass is surely a temple. There’s also a pretty little mosque called Thousand Lights, though why it’s called that I never did find out. It’s also quite nice to spend time wandering about in any of the huge malls like Chennai Central and EA that have sprouted everywhere in Chennai.

All-in-all it was great fun and I enjoyed rambling through the streets, gorging on south Indian delicacies and time spent with loved-ones.

              
By the way, Isha’s birthday was a huge success as people down south don’t really do any party stuff at a party. They meet, greet, eat and retreat. Everyone who came to Marry Brown on the evening of November 10^th was quite thrilled with the games, gifts, khoi-bags and dancing. Even the mammas got up to shake a leg and participate in the games.


P.S: Pics' by Misha