TRAVEL SCRAPBOOK
Once upon a time in a town called Mahabalipuram, a group of royally-commissioned sculptors were working on a big boulder at the foot of a hill. As they were meticulously chiselling out one tiny bit after another from the rock surface, Lord Shiva, with a cobra around his chest and a trident in one of his hands, gradually appeared.
Arjuna’s Penance.
With utmost respect to their Supreme Lord and the order of the king, the artists kept their eyes on the task at hand. Each time their metal tools bit into the rock, the more distinct the image of Shiva became. And he was not alone.
The people of Tamil Nadu are not only friendly, they are also photogenic. And that is mainly because they like to smile and enjoy having their pictures taken, even if it’s with the camera of a complete stranger. This priest at the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram just walked into the scene as I was shooting the temple’s lion pillars. His presence really makes the photo much more interesting. At any other temple, on the street, in the market, you’re likely to find many cheery faces looking at your camera, giving you a look that says ‘Take my picture!’.
Standing on one leg before Shiva was a self-tortured bearded man raising both hands over his head, revealing the rib cage that signified a long period of starvation. Nearby there were also Shiva’s dwarf followers and many divine figures. Hovering in the air with a halo around his head was Chandra, the Moon god.
All were crowding on the bank of holiest of rivers, the Ganges, which was flowing from Heaven to earth and all the way to the underworld where the nagas reside. The congregation extended to the other side of the great river which was full of all kinds of beings, from celestial ones to earthly creatures of various sizes, from tiny rats and monkeys to huge elephants.
Back to Shiva’s side of the river, not far below him, Lord Vishnu was also present. He seemed to be puny though, even smaller than the dwarfs. The Preserver was standing in a compact shrine surrounded by seated worshippers, some of them headless.
This scene may be based on Indian mythology but it’s not intangible. For over a thousand years _ except for the sculptors, the mere mortals _ Shiva and all those who were there with him the first day he showed up at the boulder were still standing at the same spot, in the 27 metre-long open-air bas-relief sculpture, which is one of the largest of its kind in the world. And Mahabalipuram, where the grand masterpiece is located, is not an imaginary place but a real town with a long history.
For centuries, the Shore Shrine has been the most well-known symbol of Mahabalipuram. And this is because in those days when the town was still an important sea port, the monument served as an unmistakable landmark for passing ships. The shrine is actually a complex made up of three temples, two of which are devoted to Shiva and the other to Vishnu. It represents another level of Pallava architectural engineering. Instead of being carved out of or dug into big rocks, this stone monument by the seaside was structurally built with blocks of granite.
Known as Krishna’s Butter Ball, this giant boulder near Arjuna’s Penance seems to be ready to roll down the open hillside at any moment. But it has remained firmly fixed to the spot even before Pallava times, perhaps millennia before that. This is perhaps Mother Nature’s own work of art to rival those nearby monuments created by humans. The gigantic ball also provides a shady resting place for goats, as well as anybody willing to take risk.
A number of cave temples, created by digging into rocky hillside, are among the monuments that put Mahabalipuram on the World Heritage List. These temples features beautifully carved pillars and walls depicting scenes from Indian mythology. Some of the bas-reliefs are so full of life. Take a look at the sculpture depicting a mother buffalo fondly licking her calf at one such temple called Krishna Mandapum, just a few steps from Arjuna’s Penance, and see if you agree with the previous sentence.
About a kilometre south of Mahabalipuram’s Hill area where the massive open-air bas-relief is located, stands a group of rock temples carved out of huge boulders. Known collectively as the Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots), each of these monolithic monuments is named after the heroes of the Mahabharata epic, Arjuna and his four brothers. But the present names were given centuries after the fall of the Pallava dynasty that created them. Judging from the principal figures depicted on the walls of these stone temples, it is more likely that they were made in honour of the Pallava’s Supreme Lord, Shiva and other deities such as Indra, the god of war, thunder and storms. One of the monuments seems to be devoted to Durga, one of Shiva’s wives. Each of the monuments are in different architectural styles. They were probably not meant to be completed and actually used as places of worship since the crown part, although completely carved, is left near the bedrock, next to the temples instead of being installed at their rightful places on the top of the roofs. No matter what their real purpose was, these stone monuments allow the present generation to see the genuine Pallava architectural styles from almost 1,400 years ago. Between these monuments one can also see handsome stand-alone sculptures of an elephant, lion and bull. The first is the vehicle of Indra and the other two of Durga and Shiva, respectively.
Kanchipuram, the historical capital of the Pallava dynasty, may no longer be home to ‘‘a thousand’’ temples as it is believed to have in the past. Still, it boasts hundreds. And the Kailasnathar Temple is one of those that you should not miss. Not only that it is one of the oldest in Kanchi (yes, even the locals sometimes think the full name of the town is too long), the Kailasnathar Temple, built in the 8th century AD, also showcases some of the best Pallava sculptural art. Carved on sandstone, the material used to build this religious monument, the intricate bas-reliefs portray Shiva in several postures, accompanied by other deities and Yali, the mythical creatures, which are a mix of several animals. The main shrine is surrounded by a decorated wall that contains numerous meditation cells. In some of these recesses, you can find what is left of Pallava mural paintings from over 1,000 years ago!
Kanchipuram is considered one of the seven most sacred pilgrimage destinations for Hinduism followers in India. And the Ekambareswarar Temple is one of the places they must visit. First built during the Pallava times, the temple has been maintained and further constructed by the Chola and Vijayanagar dynasties that later took over the city. The temple’s impressive gopurum , the entrance tower, is one of the tallest religious structures in Kanchi. But the real architectural splendour of the temple is seen in its gallery and inner halls, which are supported by hundreds of magnificently sculptured pillars. Visitors to the temple must take off their shoes before entering the pillared gallery. However, be warned that the floor of the temple interior is not so clean and after the visit you will walk out with soiled feet. However, that is a very small price to pay. Like many big Hindu places of worship in southern India, the Ekambareswarar Temple also employs an elephant to give blessing to visitors. However, it is a widely-known fact that these temple elephants are not so blessed themselves. Many are badly treated. Last December the state of Tamil Nadu ordered that these chained animals get a 48-day vacation, during which they were sent to a rejuvenation camp in a forest reserve.
A French colony from the early 18th century to 1954, the seaside town of Pondicherry gained its independence years after the rest of the country was free from British rule. In the systematically planned French quarters, the so-called ‘‘Ville Blanche’’ (White Town), colonial buildings are still well preserved, some of which have been converted into chic hotels and restaurants. Even names of roads and churches and certain other places remain in French. Just outside the White Town, the sights and sounds remind you that this is nowhere else but India.
Besides its temples, another thing that makes Kanchipuram famous among Indians is silk, which is considered one of the best in the country. The handwoven fabric is used to make saris, the traditional costume for Indian women, and a host of other products.
TRAVEL INFO
The closest international airport to Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram and Pondicherry is Chennai, the capital of India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Thai AirAsia (www.airasia.com) is the latest airline to operate the Bangkok-Chennai route. Using an A320 aircraft, the budget airline offers five direct flights a week to this destination.
From Chennai you can take buses or hire a taxi to the three towns.
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