Mahabalipuram - A Photo Blog

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Exactly one year after the tsunami of 26th December 2004, we found ourselves gazing at the seas off Mahabalipuram and imagining the havoc the tsunami had wrought on that open coast.

The previous day, we had visited Marina Beach in Chennai, where the wife of one of our friends from Mumbai, who had gone there for a visit, had been swept away by the tsunami a year back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Pagodas_of_Mahabalipuram

Perhaps, that is why, I could not write a travelogue about Mahabalipuram till now. Our visit, though born out of curiosity, was tinged with sadness about all the lives lost, because many people told us about the tsunami and the aftermath.

However, time heals and today, when I was flipping through our old photo and saw the magnificent ‘Shore Temple’ shot, suddenly, I felt compelled to upload the photos.

Compared to the scale and grandeur of ‘Kailash Temple’ at Ellora (of the same time-period), Mahabalipuram temples are small. The ‘rathas’ are minuscule as far as temple architecture is concerned.

However, this was just the beginning. Later, huge temples with soaring ‘gopurams’ and intricate carvings were built in South India.

I have particular fascination for the legends of cities, Atlantis-like, which have sunk in the sea, and costal India has some such legends. ‘Dwaraka’ is one and Mahabalipuram, where there were supposed to be seven temples, (They are also called ‘Pagodas’ by Westerner) six of which are supposed to be under the sea, leaving only the ‘Shore Temple’ standing triumphantly, as though challenging the Sea-gods.

It has every right to do so. The Tsunami, which destroyed much else, could not destroy it.

This photoblog is my tribute to the proud temple and the proud people who created it.

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Photos

Lighthouse with huge beehives
Funnily enough, if you can imagine the dark beehives as 'goggles' and the window as mouth, this looks like a face with a tall cap.

They call it 'Krishna's butterball
To my Maharashtrian eyes, which are used to sharp, craggy rocks, these rounded boulder shapes were quite soothing. I love this photo but I would not sit in its shade.