Last Weekend in Mahabs

Last weekend I went about an hour south of Chennai to the only touristy beach area in all of Tamil Nadu, despite the state having a huge amount of shoreline. It’s called either Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram depending who you ask, but most people just call it Mahabs. It’s got it all there- a laid back beachie feel, great food, incredible temples and it is world-renowned for its rock carvings. You can see people on just about every street chiseling away making statues and trinkets, it was quite a world away from the crowds and pollution of Chennai. I even saw my first hippies in India here! Another thing that struck me about Mahabs was that the temples and rock carvings were almost all done in the 7^th Century and it really puts into perspective how ancient of a civilization India is. Here are some pics from the trip, I hope to go back soon!

The Bay of Bengal (More an ocean than a bay as in SF or Chesapeake- gnarly waves and the like)

Fisherman starting their day

Krishna’s Butterball

No one knows exactly how it got here but it’s sitting very precariously on a rock hill.

Arjuna’s Penance- Life size carvings of Hindu deities, real people and animals- this was probably my favorite.

It tells a story of Arjuna (standing to the left of the separation in the rock on one leg on the ground and the other up) who is getting props from Shiva and several other gods and people while fighting the Mahabharata war.

Temples here are not all about gods and grand deeds, also about regular life- this one shows someone milking a cow.

I think this lion has a moustache.

The Five Rathas- This whole complex was buried in the sand but discovered and excavated by the British 200 years ago

Haming it up with an Elephant at the Five Rathas- thanks Clémence!

Schoolchildren showed up while I was there, they are playing on Nandi, who is Shiva’s bull.

A fisherman’s boat and the Shore Temple

Life-size cows surround the Shore Temple

The temple itself is quite striking and I am impressed it has withstood 1,300 years of beating from the wind, sand, ocean, and most recently, the tsunami of 2004.