On our second day in Chennai we decide to visit Mahabalipuram by taxi. We are not yet used to the concept of having a hired taxi for the day drive us there for 2 hours, wait for us while we are visiting and then drive us back again… It sort of makes us feel bad to have him just wait for us for 5 hours… even if everyone keeps telling us it was that is his job and of course he is free to do what he wants during the time we are visiting as long as he is there at the appointed time to drive us back.
Just getting out of the capital takes us a while and makes us realize the sheer size of the city. Chennai has a population of about 7.5 million inhabitants and is the 4th largest city in India. The British estbablished it into a major urban center and naval base in the 17 century.
It had just rained (quite unexpected in January apparently) and there are huge puddles everywhere. Everything becomes very slow, people adapt themselves to the weather, they do not seem to have much choice. I wonder what it is like when it is monsoon time…
Along the way to Mahabalipuram we see alot of young trees along the coast. The driver tells us they have been planted after the tsunami to protect the inland.
Mahabalipuram is a small but very important town on the Unesco World Heritage List. It is known for its shore temple and bas reliefs sculpted on a single rock. These monuments are marvelous works of art during the Pallavan dynasty from the 7th to 10th century. I finally learn on my 2nd trip to India that the lion sculptures i liked so were the mark or mascot of the Pallavan kings ! Apparenly each king at that time chose an animal as a sort of signature that was added to every building during his reign.
In the pictures you can see a sculpture of Hanuman (the monkey king), a Pallavan lion, a life size elephant sculpture, the amazing bas relief sculpted into a single rock and the Nandi Bull (Lord Shiva’s transporter).
Just getting out of the capital takes us a while and makes us realize the sheer size of the city. Chennai has a population of about 7.5 million inhabitants and is the 4th largest city in India. The British estbablished it into a major urban center and naval base in the 17 century.
It had just rained (quite unexpected in January apparently) and there are huge puddles everywhere. Everything becomes very slow, people adapt themselves to the weather, they do not seem to have much choice. I wonder what it is like when it is monsoon time…
Along the way to Mahabalipuram we see alot of young trees along the coast. The driver tells us they have been planted after the tsunami to protect the inland.
Mahabalipuram is a small but very important town on the Unesco World Heritage List. It is known for its shore temple and bas reliefs sculpted on a single rock. These monuments are marvelous works of art during the Pallavan dynasty from the 7th to 10th century. I finally learn on my 2nd trip to India that the lion sculptures i liked so were the mark or mascot of the Pallavan kings ! Apparenly each king at that time chose an animal as a sort of signature that was added to every building during his reign.
In the pictures you can see a sculpture of Hanuman (the monkey king), a Pallavan lion, a life size elephant sculpture, the amazing bas relief sculpted into a single rock and the Nandi Bull (Lord Shiva’s transporter).
