Mahabalipurum – 2

Saturday  20th Feb 2010 

Mending the nets for tonight's fishing trip

 

This morning we decide to rest from sun-bathing and explore Mahabalipurum.  We wander along the seashore for the 3 km it takes to reach the village. The fishermen are using the morning to mend their nets and re-stow them in their small fishing smacks.  We note that one or two of the latter are painted as being donations after the Tsunami of 2004 which wrought some havoc on this coast also 

Mahabalipurum on sea

 

Mahabalipurum exists as a settlement because millions of years ago volcanic intrusions left behind several large granite laccoliths or granite blobs to you and me. They are miniature Ayers Rocks and rise about 50m from ground (and sea) level. These smooth hard rocks were exploited by the Pallavas. They were the  first Tamil dynasty from the  5th to 8th century AD. I wonder if they are the origin of “What a Pallava?” and how that might have come to be. Suggestions please. Anyway, they set about these granite lumps with hammers and chisels and created some very grand rock temples all illustrated with Hindu mythology as well as scenes of everyday lifein relief. They are very impressive in their scale and their detail.  Meanwhile in Europe the Roman Empire had just collapsed and the Saxons had invaded Britian. Our locals had gone back to living in thatched huts and these Pallava guys were producing this wonderful stuff.  It makes you realise how advanced Indian civilization was. No wonder they invented mathematics and now play cricket so well.  

Stone cutter sitting on the job

 

Stone carving is still very much of a living craft in Mahabalipurum.  The town has a school of sculpture where wannabe stonemasons can do a four year course.  They work their tickets by slaving away under rather dreary working conditions in tourist souvenir shops and, in consequence, the stuff on sale here is really rather a cut above the usual tourist tat. The town awakes every day to the sound of stone chipping. These people specialise in huge images of Hindu Gods and supply temples and shrines (and grand hotels) all over the Hindu world.  We are tempted by a 6 ft Vishnu, but fear the excess baggage charges and the wrath of our neighbours. 

There are the usual charges to see some of these temples, which are now UNESCO world heritage sites and are claimed to be the most photographed temples in India. (How do they know that? No one asked me if I photographed one). We are a little disquieted at the pricing differentials. It is 10 Rp for Indian nationals and  250 Rp for other tourists. Tenty five times as much!  Imagine if we did that at the Tower of London, £12 for white men and £300 for muslims. There would be howls of Racism! Come to think of it, it would keep the riff raff out wouldn’t it? 

Looks like a good party

 

We duly crawl all over these fascinating sites and are suitably impressed, but by heck it is hot in the Sun (>45 o C ) and we retire to the cool of an A/C bar for a cold Limca.  Back to our Hotel for some rest and a few more wave jumping exercises in the oh so warm Ocean.  We are now aware that our trip is of finite duration and our thoughts are beginning to turning to residual currency stocks, departure details, taxis, flight times and so on.  Sue awaits the delivery of her silk masterpiece from the local tailoring guru and David is busy completing this diary.  It seems quaint to be sitting under a beach shade with a laptop on his lap, but he has done stranger things. 

We plan to dine at the finest restaurant in town tonight to celebrate what has been a fabulous visit. Tomorrow is dedicate to travel – large quantities of it and it might not 

Temple on the rock

 

merit a diary entry.   And so…………..

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