We are in the huge city of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu and today find ourselves tip-toeing on echoes of the past lineage of Rajas who ruled Madurai distant times past, and who lived in the grand surroundings of the Thirumalai Nayak Palace. Built in 1636 by the man himself - Thirumalai Nayak - the architecture of the building is a mixture of Dravidian and Rajput styles, which to this English novice translates as extremely high, domed ceilings supported on huge white columns with loads of decorative tiling. Now just an open shell of a building, we are free to wander this luxurious palace unhindered by the wrath of Rajas keeping the riff raff at bay. The central section of the building is filled with plastic chairs laid out in rows, theatre style, so ... read more

Little did his parents realise when naming their new born son in 1869 that little baby Mohandas Karacham Gandhi would become the most famous Indian the world has ever known. They may have named him Mohandas Karacham but he is better known by the honourific title 'Mahatma' (meaning high souled or venerable) bestowed on him by his followers. He was also affectionately called 'bapu' which is a term of endearment for a father and so he also became known unofficially as 'Father of the Nation'. Before we arrive in Madurai we stop at the Gandhi Museum just outside the city, housed since its inception in 1955 in the Tamukkan Palace. It's a grand and imposing white building seemingly at odds with the ideals and practises of the great man himself who lived very simply in comparison. ... read more

Sacre bleu we have arrived in Pondicherry once the location for the head quarters of the French East India company established here in 1674. Prior to this there had been a bit of a palava (see what I did there?) with Pondicherry being variously held by the Dutch, the British, the Portuguese and the French. Sense prevailed in 1954 when they all cleared out and the Indians took over again. Ooh la la I almost forgot that on the way to Pondicherry we passed vast salt plains stretching into the distance and also stopped off at an 'untouchables' temple/shrine. These were made at the outskirts of villages to allow somewhere for those of the lowest of the low caste in the almost defunct, but not quite, caste system to go and worship as they weren't allowed ... read more

Wow what a luxury. We have a pool! While most of my group head off to explore Mamallapuram this morning I opt to do things in reverse - us introverted characters need a bit of alone time to recharge. Being on a group tour AND sharing a room means such opportunities are few and far between. An empty pool all to myself, bliss. Later I'm joined by a couple of others from the group and also suddenly we have a group of macaque monkeys jumping along the balconies and into a large fruit bush next to the pool. They are funny to watch, the bigger males bossing the littleuns about. They are making a right mess dropping leaves and fruits all over the ground. It's therefore no surprise when the hotel lady who keeps the outdoor ... read more

Supermarkets in India are few and far between; for the most part grocery shopping is done at the tiny local shops but also at some wonderfully colourful markets. This morning we have some free time before our long train journey to Chennai (Madras) so go to visit a market in Mysore. This market mostly has fruit and vegetables on offer but we also see spices, and flowers being strung into garlands. The market is set out in rows with produce displayed in circular baskets in perfectly balanced pyramids. Coverings are strung up above the rows to provide some shade. As we walk around the market the people who see us are at first surprised and then delighted and smile and say hello. We notice the rows are laid out supermarket style with produce grouped together so ... read more