Mahabalipuram

Day Two - Tuesday 5th February

Mahabalipuram
We began the day by ordering some comfortable clothes for F. in a local dress shop.  This was an enjoyable experience, though the male partner was not offered a drink as he waited!  We returned later in the day to collect the clothes.  I too had planned to acquire some locally made clothes, but it was several days before I made my purchase.  Meantime, the dhobi kept up with many changes of clothes.

And then it was time for some serious sightseeing.

The Five Rathas

The Five Rathas

Our first stop was the five rathas, five temples (the elements, fire, water, earth, light and ether) which have been carved out of single rocks to form a chariot. The temples are said to be dedicated the the 5 Pandava brothers, the hero’s of the epic Mahabharata, where they symbolise righteousness in various aspects, much like the attributes of the elements.

We had already walked some of the way, looking at the numerous stone carvers along the road. Today, they use more modern means to cut through granite, yet most of the finer works are accomplished like millennia ago. Even the subjects of their workmanship hasn’t changed, Idols of Shiva, Ganesha and other gods are in high demand and created in all shapes and sizes. 

So,we chose to go by tuk tuk, which we paid off on arrival. Tuk tuks are motorised rickshaws which weave in and out of the traffic at an alarming pace, but are an ideal way of travelling when it is too hot to walk - and it was!  We were told later by our hostess that the fare would be "Rs50 for you, but Rs30 for me" for a particular journey, which was telling.

We then encountered our first pushy guide.  I took a dislike to him, and was punished as he followed us, looking sulky, and complaining to the guide that we did hire.  Our new man had pinned on his badge as we bought our tickets, and removed it soon afterwards, so I am sure how 'official' he was.  However, he was informative and was keen to take photographs of us using our cameras.  We realised later that the more time he spent taking photographs, the less time there was for telling us about the the history and heritage of the sites.  maybe that was his plan?

Somehow, we were persuaded the he was to be our guide for the Shore Temples (and more). And so we climbed on the back of his scooter.  Sadly, there is no photographic record of this, and we reminded ourselves of warnings that we had given to our children about riding without helmets, etc.

Shore Temple

Shore Temple

Although the Shore temple stands within a fortress of stone, shielding it from the waves of the Bay of Bengal, it was still swamped by the 2014 tsunami, which took the lives of many local fishermen. 

Standing like a magnificent fist of rock-cut elegance overlooking the sea, surrounded by gardens and ruined courts, the two-towered Shore Temple symbolises the heights of Pallava architecture and the maritime ambitions of the Pallava kings. Its small size belies its excellent proportion and the supreme quality of the carvings, many now eroded into vaguely Impressionist embellishments. Rows of Bulls (Nandi the mount of Shiva) decorate the complex. Built under Narasimhavarman II in the 8th century, it's the earliest significant free-standing stone temple in Tamil Nadu.

After a siesta - we were still catching up after our long journey - we returned to Arjuna's Penance to view several other cave temples and the 'Butter Ball'.  But first we stopped for some chai.  The spices used vary from region to region and among households in India. The most common are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. Indian chai produces a warming, soothing effect, acts supposedly as a natural digestive aid and gives one a wonderful sense of well being. But, given my own digestive situation in the first few days, maybe it did not work for me.  

The locals immediately gave up their seats for us, something that happened a lot. But there was space for one more, and a very talkative gentleman soon sat down beside us.  We took the opportunity of asking how we might go about buying train tickets to our next destination, Chettinad.

We knew that there was no rail station in Mahabalipuram and so expected to take a bus or taxi to somewhere we could.  However, trains appeared to be fully booked, and so we were booked onto an overnight bus for the following night.

Checking out of the hotel a day early was to prove to be no problem, with the 'missing' day being deducted from our bill. But first, we wanted a day in Kanchipuram.  

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The journey out

Day One - Monday 4th February 2019

We arrived at Chennai Airport at 8:30am, having flown in from Dubai, and were met by a taxi driver, arranged by the hotel. We bought £240 worth of Rupees at the exchange desk, a relatively easy experience, and soon were on our way to Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram, a town on a strip of land between the Bay of Bengal and the Great Salt Lake, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s known for its temples and monuments built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. 

We had decided not to stay in Chennai, formerly Madras, as we felt that we might be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of a major city so early on.  Our experience of driving around the city on the way to Mahabalipuram seemed to reinforce this decision.  Our journey was forecast to be about one hour when checked on Google maps, but lasted over two hours, perhaps because of the time of day.

We passed the hotel that Trailfinders suggested we use, way out of town, modern and international, and also the heritage hotel that was fully booked when we attempted to reserve a room before pulling into the courtyard of Hotel Mahabs, tucked away off the main road.

Hotel Mahabs

Hotel Mahabs
This informal hotel in the town centre is 7 minutes' walk from Mahabalipuram Beach and 10 minutes on foot from the 8th-century Shore Temple.

Simply decorated rooms come with ceiling fans, Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs and minifridges. Upgraded rooms and suites have air-conditioning, and/or balconies or terraces. Room service is available, though noy used by us.


A down-to-earth restaurant features artwork and a terrace.  An outdoor pool is surrounded by trees. Ayurvedic treatments are available, as is valet parking, again, not used by us. There's also a partially open-air rooftop eatery, though we saw no sign of it being used.

Reviews for this hotel are mixed, but, despite the broken paving stones which worried me on arrival, it exceeded expectations.  The staff were friendly and helpful and made our stay a good one. 

I was wary of the Indian cuisine at this point on our journey, but European was also available. F. however, sampled the first of many curry breakfasts.

After a light lunch, we ventured into the town.

Mahabalipuram

Without any real idea of where we were going, we took location fixing photographs of the immediate surroundings, and we began our exploration of Mahabalipuram.  Within 5 minutes, we encountered our first temple. And just beyond that, we arrived at the Pallava heritage site.

Part of the amazing Arjuna's Penance carvings

Arjuna's Penance is a landmark attraction featuring an ancient sculpture carved into boulders with intricate detail. This is truly the best stone carvings I have ever seen. It is 162 carvings on a single rock.  The legend depicted in the relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha. The waters of the Ganges are believed to possess supernatural powers. The descent of the Ganges and Arjuna's Penance are portrayed in stone at the Pallava heritage site. The relief is more of a canvas of Indian rock cut sculpture at its best not seen anywhere in India. 

Adjacent are cave temples, also with rock carvings.

At this point, we encountered a protest march.  Amongst the protesters there seemed to be a platoon of female police officers.

Avoiding the sellers of tourist tack, we continued around the temple, arriving at the entrance.  It was here that we encountered the friendliness of the Indian people for the first time.  Something that was to remain with us throughout our stay.

Temple entrance

The temple is glorified in the Nalayera Divya Prabandham and is believed to be the birthplace of the  Bhoothathalva.  The sanctum houses the image of Sthalasayana Perumal, the presiding deity, in reclining posture. The processional deity, namely Ulaguyyaninran, sported with four arms, is housed in the santum.

Photography is not allowed in the main temple area, but we were given preferential treatment with a full explanation of what was happening. We also met the artist who had painted the lotus.

It was an outstanding start to our stay in India.


The temple is one of the 32 Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram  that are declared as United nations world heritage sites, but unlike others that are maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

We wandered the streets, investigating shops and stone masons workshops before returning to the hotel where we had a simple evening meal, and retired after a long day.

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Fort Kochi

Day 16 - Tuesday 19th February

Our plans for the transfer from Munnar to Kochi included a visit to Kodanad, an elephant rescue and training centre. However, we were dissuaded by our hosts as being better to visit from Kochi, bring 50 kms distant, and would have involved a very early start to get there in time for the 8am elephant washing.  This was a good decision, as we discovered that the centre had closed and moved to a new location where activities were not yet being published.

We used the Rose Garden's homestay's taxi for the transfer to Walton's Homestay, on Princess St in Kochi, an ideal location for exploring the town.

Spice picker

We did stop, at the driver's suggestion, at a spice garden.  Initially skeptical at the blatant bit of commission earning, we did enjoy our very reasonably priced tour of the garden, and the obvious placement for our benefit of a spice picker up a tree, but this was a worthwhile diversion and we did supplement our gifts for family and friends to be given on our return to the UK.

It was a long, slow journey. We were surprised at how built up were the extensive suburbs, so it was a relief to arrive in the picturesque area of Fort Kochi.

Kochi always has always been a vibrant port by the Arabian sea, gaining importance after the Dutch, Portuguese and British came to trade and occupy. Earlier, the city was frequented by Roman, Chinese and Arab traders. They all had one thing in common. They came for the wealth of spices and precious woods and in turn left indelible marks on the history and cuisine of the city. Kochi developed into a major trading port dealing in pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and other goods. Till today Kerala is world wide famous for great quality spices.

Kochi was frequented by many great travellers, scholars and traders like Fa Hien and Vasco da Gama, whose home can still be seen, among others. Their tales and reports contributed significantly to the growth of the city and made Kochi the most important trading points in India.

Few urban pockets in any city would offer such an engaging mix of history, culture, culinary treats, as the historical area of Fort Kochi, located right on the busy harbour mouth with ships and fishing vessels moving in and out. There are museums, art galleries, cafes, the famed fishing nets and shopping on Princess Street. You can see some of the last remnants of Dutch Colonial style houses, with their steeply angled roofs and tall windows.

The streets in the immediate vicinity are splendid to stroll about and if you like to move a bit further then its best to take a cycle and move towards the vast godowns of the spice market and finally into Jew town with the first synagogue in India. A must see is the Dutch Palace with its amazing murals and wooden ceilings. Must see it may be, but our tuk tuk driver had his own ideas, and it closed before we reached it. Fort Kochi’s pride however are the massive rain trees lining the streets, each a miracle of nature.

Walton's Homestay

Walton's Homestay

Walton's Homestay is a lovely place to stay.  The room was immaculate and comfortable.  It is a handy location for shops and restaurants. 

The breakfasts were great and advice on where to eat locally was very useful.  

If we had been doing our holiday in reverse, then this would have been a good place to start as Mr Walton and his daughter Charlotte went out of their way to help without being pushy, providing maps and suggestions. This would have been even more useful if I had not lost the map and information sheet early on!

It was our last stop before returning home, and help with printing boarding cards and arranging airport transfer provided.

Walkabout

We had arrived in Kochi at lunchtime, and set out to find somewhere to eat.  First stop was the nearby Art Cafe, which offered European snacks.  Not what we came for, but still a good meal in a nice location.

And then it was down to the fishermen, who were casting their nets and landing their catches.  The dirty beaches were a disappointment, though we were informed that there was a voluntary clean up on Sundays, it did not seem to be making much difference. We had hoped for a good sunset, as in the much used brochure picture of the Chinese fishing nets, but the sky did not oblige.  More on fishing in Kochi later!  The streets nearby have markets selling, mostly tourist things.  Ok if that is what you want.

We ended our evening in Mary's Kitchen, an upstairs balcony restaurant on KB Jacob Rd, where we were well looked after.  Apparently, they run cooking classes - something to do next time. This is close to the floodlit St Mary's Church - and two ATMs.

We returned to our comfortable room at Walton's Homestay.

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Kollam to Alleppey Ferry

Day 10 - Wednesday 13th February 2019

Ferry to Alleppey

Following a three day stay in Kollam, it was time to move on.

Our homestay host transported us in his tuk tuk to the ferry terminal for the eight-hour journey to Alleppey/Alappuzha.  We had looked at the alternatives of train and bus, but decided this gentle transport would be a more enjoyable method of getting there.

The boat was relatively empty, so there was the option of siting upstairs, or down, and of moving from one to another.  Lying across three seats for the afternoon siesta was also an option.

No need to book tickets - just pay on board.

There were no announcements, so knowing where we were at any given moment was not easy. I think I got the route more or less correct.

The food stops were good.  We took the offered meal, but several chose not to, and also the very welcome tea at the second stop.

The engine noise was intrusive, though after six hours, it became less noticeable.

On arrival at Alleppey ferry terminal, we hired a tuk tuk to take us to the Alasr Homestay.

Tourist Boat Service Between Kollam & Alappuzha

The service starts at 10.30 A.M. on all days from Kollam & Alappuzha. A pleasure trip through the waves of the famous lakes viz. Vembanad, Kayamkulam & Ashtamudi etc. and also through narrow canals at the lowest rate offering the tourists maximum enjoyment of the entire scenic beauty of Kerala. 

The boat passes through Kavanadu, Pallikkodi, Chavara and Kovilthottam, Kayamkulam Jetty and Aayiramthengu,  to reach Amrithapuri, where the "ASRAMAM" of Matha Amrithanantha Mayi, who is worshiped worldwide by many devotes is visible. Amrithapuri is a sacred place, blending natural beauty with the metaphysical thoughts of mankind, reducing great spiritual pleasure.

Views from the ferry	One of several canalside churches

The journey continues through Pallana, Kumarakodi, where the famous Malayalam Poet and Revolutionary Kumaranashan who helped to bring in great changes in the Social System of the state met with his tragic death in the capsizing of Boat "REDEEMER". The land of Coir and Coir Products namely Trrikunnappuzha is the other destination of the journey.  

The ferry then proceeds through the River Pallathruthy to Kavalackal Village Jetty at Chembassery, Kuttanadu Agricultural lands and tourists huts on river banks etc. are the sights at this place. The statue of "KARUMADIKUTTAN" on the river bank, which is supposed to be the Statue of Lord Budha is another tourist attraction of the place. 

Bath time!	One of several houseboats

The journey into Alappuzha takes the Tourists to Punnamads Canal, where the world famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted, the training centre of the Sports Authority of Inda (SAI), Lake Vembanad and then to the jetty "Mangalassery". If alighted at Mangalassery Jetty, the place whee the sacred river Pampa joins Lake Vembanad, paddy farming places below sea level and the MOTOR BASE (Motor Thara) used for sucking out water from the paddy fields etc. can be seen.

[Note:  I may have got some of these locations in the wrong order!}

On arrival, we quickly found a tuk tuk to take us our homestay, the Alasr. It took sometime for the owner to come, and then he bundled us into his car saying we had been moved to another of his properties.  We had chosen the Alasr carefully, and so I was very disappointed at this turn of events. 

The new place seemed not to have as much character, but we were shown into a large comfortable room and made welcome.  Tharavad promotes itself as a 'resort', but apart from bedrooms, has nothing else to offer.

Tharavad Homestay

The staff, who appeared to live on-site, were friendly and helpful, and so my feeling became positive quite quickly.

We walked to the seafront, about a kilometer, along some poorly llt streets, but felt quite safe, and there found an excellent restaurant, one of the very few we did find with an alcohol license.  It was also the only place where we had to wait for a table to become vacant. A good sign, I thought - and so it proved.

We returned to our room, which was furnished, as was the rest of the house, with period furniture, and retired. 

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Welcome

18 days in Southern India

A personal record of a holiday in 2019

Day 1 - 4th February - Arrival and transfer to Mahabalipuram
Day 2 - 5th February - In Mahabalipuram
Day 3 - 6th February - Kanchipram and Chennai bus station
Day 4 - 7th February - (Part 1) Nemathanpatti
Day 4 - 7th February - (Part 2) Kanadukathan
Day 5 - 8th February - 7 temples and a fort
Day 6 - 9th February - Madurai
Day 7 - 10th February - Kollam and Punalar
Day 8 - 11th February - Kollam and monroe Island
Day 9 - 12th February - Ferry to Alleppey
Day 10 - 13th February - Alleppey
Day 11 - 14th February - Alleppey
Day 12 - 15th February - Alleppey and houseboat
Day 13 - 16th February - Transfer to Munnar
Day 14 - 17th February - Munnar
Day 15 - 18th February - Munnar
Day 16 - 18th February - Kochi
Day 17 - 20th February - Kochi
Day 18 - 21st February - Kochi
Day 19 - 22nd February - Depart



Links:
•  Horse temples
•  Chettinad Mansions

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