Today is a temple day. We rise early in Tranquebar, the morning sea mist lingering over the Danish fort. Off we go, aiming for Gangaikonda Cholapuram, one of the great Chola temples built by King Rajendra Chola I in the early part of the 11th century. It is a magnificently carved temple, though extremely difficult to locate; Mr Hussein asks for confirming directions many times, and it is always “another 3 km” away.......anyway when located it is virtually deserted. It is under the Architectural Survey of India (ASI) so basically it is a historic monument with a small “active” shrine in the middle. Just as we like it, more carving and history than in a living temple. It’s one of the ‘wow’ sights of the holiday so far. Because we like to go off the beaten
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