{"id":1898,"date":"2016-02-01T16:22:56","date_gmt":"2016-02-01T16:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/?p=1898"},"modified":"2016-02-01T16:22:56","modified_gmt":"2016-02-01T16:22:56","slug":"mahabalipuram-temples-by-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/2016\/02\/01\/mahabalipuram-temples-by-the-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahabalipuram – Temples by the Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Shore<\/a>
Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of our favorite day trips when we were in Chennai, India, a few years ago was to visit Mahabalipuram.\u00a0 Mahabalipuram is an ancient historic town with beautiful monuments and temples that has made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.\u00a0 Along the way we stopped at DakshinaChitra, which is a museum and heritage village depicting the culture and heritage of South India.\u00a0 We also stopped at Tiger Cave,\u00a0a site that we didn’t know what to expect to see\u00a0since our guide didn’t tell us anything about it other than its name.\u00a0 After a long day of touring monuments and temples, we stopped at a Radisson\u00a0Resort to enjoy a nice meal at their restaurant while watching the waves break on the beach.<\/p>\n

\"Temples<\/a>
Temples of Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hindu<\/a>
Hindu Tapestry at DakshinaChitra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Relief<\/a>
Relief Carvings at Tiger Cave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be clear, we did not attempt to drive while we were in India.\u00a0 The traffic is far too chaotic, with the constant blasts of horns, not used in anger, but meant to let other drivers know where you are and what you’re doing.\u00a0 Sort of “hey, I’m coming up behind you on your right” instead of “get out of my way”.\u00a0 We hired a driver from our hotel who took us around Chennai and drove us on our excursions, acting as a personal tour guide for us.\u00a0 We headed south out of Chennai, out of the hectic city traffic, and onto the highways following the coastline towards Mahabalipuram.\u00a0 Before we started, our driver let us know that there would be several tolls along the way, so we prepaid him so that he could pay as we passed through each of them.<\/p>\n

\"Colorful<\/a>
Colorful Rickshaw in Chennai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Driving<\/a>
Driving in Chennai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Temple<\/a>
Temple at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our first stop was at DakshinaChitra, which means “a picture of the south”.\u00a0 We had a wonderful time wandering through the village, where each section of the 10 acre site represents a different portion of southern India.\u00a0 Each is meant to represent the culture of the region, from art, clothing, typical homes, etc.\u00a0 Even though they are merely representations, it is still a site worth visiting and walking through the Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh sections.\u00a0 The Kerala section features a Hindu house and granary and textile exhibition.\u00a0 The Tamil Nadu section features a merchant’s house with basket weavers and art exhibits.\u00a0 Those are two largest sections, but we had a wonderful time on our self-guided tour of the whole site.<\/p>\n

\"Pete<\/a>
Pete in House at DakshinaChitra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Indian<\/a>
Indian Garment at DakshinaChitra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Heritage<\/a>
Heritage Village at DakshinaChitra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next was our stop at Tiger Cave.\u00a0 On the way, we conjectured that we might be seeing some sort of zoo with tigers or perhaps a giant\u00a0cave with tigers carved into its walls.\u00a0 It turned out to be closer to the latter, but still not what we expected.\u00a0 It is a Hindu temple complex located on the Bay of Bengal.\u00a0 There is a cave with the heads of tigers carved into the mouth of it, but the site is all about the temples.\u00a0\u00a0When the waters of the tsunami of 2004 receded,\u00a0more\u00a0temples were revealed, which is the only good that could have possibly come out of that horrific event.\u00a0 They are still excavating new temples and monuments\u00a0today, which is quite exciting to see.\u00a0 As you enter the site, tour guides approach you and you negotiate the price that you’re willing to pay for your tour.\u00a0\u00a0Our driver had told us what the maximum amount that we should pay should be, although we’d read similar information online.\u00a0 Once the amount was agreed upon, our guide took us through the complex, providing history on the ancient temples and carvings, which are\u00a0over two thousand years old.\u00a0 It was quite interesting, but just a slight build-up to what we’d see when we reached Mahabalipuram.<\/p>\n

\"Tiger<\/a>
Tiger Cave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Dona<\/a>
Dona at Tiger Cave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"New<\/a>
New Excavation at Tiger Grave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Upon arrival at Mahabalipuram, our driver found us a tour guide, which again we had to negotiate the price we would pay for our tour.\u00a0 It is hard to describe how beautiful the temples and monuments are when you see them in person.\u00a0 Throughout our trip to India, we rarely saw any westerners, and even at such a tourist site as this, it continued to be the case.\u00a0 There were so many interesting things to see, from Krishna’s Butter Ball, which is a huge boulder that balances on the side of hill, seemingly defying gravity.\u00a0 Its name comes from Hindu mythology where Krishna’s love of butter as a child, stealing butter from his mother’s butter jar.\u00a0 Legend has it that several kings tried to pull the stone down the hill using elephants, but the stone wouldn’t budge.<\/p>\n

\"Krishna's<\/a>
Krishna’s Butter Ball<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Temples<\/a>
Temples at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Carvings<\/a>
Carvings at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"More<\/a>
More Carvings at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are several important structures at the site.\u00a0 There is the Thirukadalmallai temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.\u00a0 Bagiratha’s Penance, which is a giant rock relief.\u00a0 Vahara Cave Temple, which again isn’t really a cave, but giant rock that has been carved out with sculptures carved into its walls.\u00a0 The Shore Temple with its beautiful views of the Bay of Bengal.\u00a0 And Pancha Rathas or Five Chariots, which are five enormous pyramid-like structures, each carved from a single stone.\u00a0 The carvings on each of the temples and monuments represent stories meant to glorify the gods.\u00a0 Our guide took time to explain each of them to us as we were overwhelmed with the amazing Hindu mythology.\u00a0 There is so much to see and take in that a single visit to Mahabalipuram probably doesn’t do it justice, but unfortunately we only had time for a single visit.<\/p>\n

\"Temples<\/a>
Temples at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Mahabalipuram\"<\/a>
Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ganesh<\/a>
Ganesh at Mahabalipuram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When our tour was complete, our driver decided that he and the tour guide would grab a quick meal so that we could have time to do “some souvenir shopping” at the store of a relative of our tour guide.\u00a0 It was a little frustrating, we didn’t want tourist trinkets and the collusion between our guide and driver to try and make us feel obligated to buy something was all to obvious.\u00a0 Shortly, however, we were on the road back towards Chennai where we stopped at the Radisson for a late lunch.\u00a0 It was actually a beautiful resort and was actually one of the only non-Indian meals that we had during our time in India.\u00a0 After relaxing at the beach bar for a little while, it became apparent why this area is a destination for beach lovers wanting to enjoy some relaxing time by the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n

\"Lunch<\/a>
Lunch at the Radisson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"View<\/a>
View from the Bar at the Radisson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Offering<\/a>
Offering at Tiger Cave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we drove back into Chennai, we kept seeing what looked like bodies being hung in effigy from the roofs of several buildings.\u00a0 We knew that the elections had happened just prior to our\u00a0arrival and that there were some protests (will tell you about our arrival at the Chennai airport\u00a0in\u00a0another post), so we thought that they might be related to that.\u00a0 We asked our driver and were surprised to learn that\u00a0they were there to keep bad spirits from\u00a0inhabiting new construction before it is completed, thus bringing the owners bad luck and misfortune.\u00a0 We didn’t take any pictures of them, not wanting to get any bad luck ourselves for doing so.\u00a0 All in all, it was an incredible day, full of exploration, learning, and appreciation for India’s rich culture.\u00a0 If you make it to southern India, whether to Chennai or to Pondicherry, you should definitely make your way to Mahabalipuram for an experience that you’ll never forget.<\/p>\n

\"Pottery<\/a>
Pottery at DakshinaChitra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"View<\/a>
View of the Heritage Village<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Artwork<\/a>
Artwork at DakshinaChitra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of our favorite day trips when we were in Chennai, India, a few years ago was to visit Mahabalipuram.\u00a0 Mahabalipuram is an ancient historic town with beautiful monuments and temples that has made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.\u00a0 Along the way we stopped at DakshinaChitra, which is a museum and heritage village depicting … <\/p>\n

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