May 8-9, Mahaballipuram

On our first weekend off we made a trip to the coastal town of Mahabalipuram, aka "Backpackistan" - famous for temples, monuments, beach resorts and of course, backpackers.

We started off at 6am in a hired car (this time with glorious AC!) and a super friendly driver - Ashok. We were deadset on heading straight to the beach, but were sidetracked by a temple in Kanchipuram.

Ekambareshvara Temple: This temple is famous for its 1,008 lingas, which represent Shiva. It was mostly constructed in the 16th and 17th c. In the middle of the temple is a mango tree which represents the marriage of Shiva and Kamakshi. What was supposed to be a 15-min sidetrip, turned into a 3-hour tour... After being sufficiently blessed, and with empty wallets, we headed back out on the road.

Mahabalipuram: We rolled into town late morning and found a little restaurant that served a nice mix of French (crepes!), British and Indian - everyone was satiated. The heat was fairly unbearable so we could think of no better way to spend the afternoon than going on a grand tour of 6 monuments - with AC in the car in between!

Monument #1: Tiger Cave and Lookout Point
Tiger Cave - Included a niche surrounded by carved tigers where kings meditated.
Lookout Point - Used to search for approaching adversaries and where our tour guide clambered up to escape the Tsunami in 2005.

Monument #2: Shore Temple

This temple is one of the oldest temples in south India, built in the early 8th c. It's design spread across south India and southeast Asia. The temple is surrounded by the bull, Nandi, and has an east and west shrine, as can be seen in the photo.

Monument #3: Five Rathas aka Panchapandava (aka Smurf Village)

These date to Narsimhavarman 1, between 630-670CE and represent the five chariots of Pandava, an Indian dynasty. The monument is composed of 5 sculptures immitating traditional temples (and looked like Smurf Village-like houses) and a lifesize elephant. The style is a model for Dravida, southern style. We were again asked to pose for many Indian family photos - its funny to think we will be included in a strangers family photo album!

Monument #4: Mahishasuramardini (Old Lighthouse Temple)This temple was placed on a high rock ledge where a modern day lighthouse has also been built. There were lots of goats and a great view all the way to the shore. The rock carving is one of the most celebrated pieces of Indian art. It portrays a battle between Mahishasura (bad guy) and the good guys (gods).

Monument #5: Krishna Mandapa

This detail of the very large, intricate bas-relief carvings at Krishna Mandapa shows Krishna milking a cow.

Monument #6: Arjuna's Penance

Another intricate bas-relief example with a life-size elephant and elephant calf. It depicts the story of Arjuna traveling to the Ganges to do penance in the hope that Shiva would part with his favorite weapon, a magic staff.

We relaxed with a stroll on the beach among the fishing boats after our long temple-touring day.

On the way home on Sunday we stopped again in Kanchipuram, again, for what we thought would be a quick trip, this time to a Sari shop, but turned into many cups of masala chai, a demonstration of silk sari making and just a few purchases...

We made it home by 8pm and went to bed soon after, in anticipation of a busy week with the College of Nursing Community Health and Psych Departments.