MAHABALIPURAM

The first stop was the Sea-Shore Temple or simply, the Shore Temple. As I got out of the car, the first thing I felt was the gentle breeze on my face and the smell of lush green grass. My first glimpse of the temple was something like this…

I couldn’t wait to see the temple. But the surroundings were also very attractive so I walked along leisurely. Taking pictures at such places is something that even amateur photographers like me cannot resist. From that spot, I could see a thin line of water touching the horizon. The air was clean and peaceful. The cleanliness  of the place was like the cherry on a cake.

The temple is an excavated site and is now being preserved. Since it is in such close to the sea, sand particles can be seen deposited in its nooks and ridges. Some parts of the outer walls have been eroded as well. I was impressed with the designs and architecture (this was my constant mood throughout the trip, basically, as you will see later!). We clicked pictures and then were back on road. 

Fifteen minutes later, we were looking at a large rock-cut cave-like structure. The Krishna Mandapa is a monument showing the famous scene of Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain on to protect the villagers from Lord Indra’s wrath.

 The Govardhan scene was inside, carved beautifully.

This is the outer wall of the monument. On it, scenes of gods and sages meditating to please the gods have been carved. Along with them, their animal rides have been also carved. The two large elephants have a realistic look. The subject of the next picture took me by surprise and I started laughing. That sculpture was unexpected at such a place that I had to take a picture. Go ahead and see!

Ever seen this scene while trekking or going through the Ghats? This sculpture accurately depicts the way monkeys clean their bodies by taking out the lice. 

The next stop was a natural miracle. This is a gigantic granite boulder balanced at a point on a slope! It has been listed and protected as a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. This popular tourist destination is none other than the Krishna’s Butterball. 

Since this is a very popular spot, it was very difficult to take a picture without tourists posing in front of the rock supporting it with their hands or at the back, trying to push it (it sounds horrifying, doesn’t it? But don’t worry! Even a group of elephants failed to move it!). So, you’ll see below how one can pose with the rock…

I had to force myself to move to the next spot. It is in the vicinity of this mind-blowing monument. We walked around this place and came to a place having a group if five hut-like buildings. They are amazing examples of stone-cut architecture. These are the Pancha Rathas or the five chariots. 

In this picture I tried to fit four of the three monuments. One of them is on the other side, of which, unfortunately, I cannot find a picture. You can look it up on the internet. 

The last spot that we visited in the same area was a lighthouse. I was a bit hesitant to go up but it was worth the daring. The height offered a spectacular view! This lighthouse is also a monument protected by the ASI.

I don’t think I need to write about the beautiful view after looking at these pictures. By the time we were here, the sun was on top of our heads. 

It was hot and sunny which made me eager to return to our air-conditioned ride. This was all for that day. So, we made our way to our hotel in Puddicherry, our place of rest for the trip. After reaching there, we deposited our luggage in the room and first asked for a place to fill our stomachs. Thankfully, there was a very good pure vegetarian restaurant at a walking distance from the hotel. We had a good lunch.An interesting thing I realized about this trip was that I was having authentic South Indian food in a restaurant in South India for the first time! We returned to the hotel and rested till evening. In the evening, we chatted with the hotel manager, a cheerful lady. We spent the evening indoors as we needed to re-energize ourselves for the next day’s trip.